Dublin City Public Libraries and Archive

Dublin City Public Libraries is the largest library authority in the Republic of Ireland, serving over half a million people through a network of 21 branch libraries, a number of specialist services and Mobile Library stops.

Specialist services include Dublin City Archives, Dublin and Irish Local Studies Collection, Business Information Centre, Music Library, and an Open Learning Centre. With 2.6 million visits, and Wi-Fi Internet access available in all branches, the service aims to promote the concept of "lifelong learning in the community", offering a range of opportunities for all ages and backgrounds to "develop life chances and new learning skills".

The International Dublin Literary Award is administered by Dublin City Public Libraries.

The application for designation as a UNESCO City of Literature, part of the Creative Cities Network was initiated and led by Dublin City Public Libraries.

Dublin City Public Libraries provides a range of services for readers, learners, students, hobbyists, the business community, and others. These include:

Dublin City Archives contains records of the civic government of Dublin from 1171 to the late 20th century. These records include Dublin City Council and committee minutes, account books, correspondence, reports, court records, charity petitions, title deeds, maps and plans and drawings all of which document the development of Dublin over eight centuries.

The Dublin and Irish Collection holds an extensive range of books relating to Dublin and Ireland to which are regularly added new publications. In addition to imprints dating from the 19th century, a considerable collection of older material is held of which the Gilbert Collection, with material from 16th to 18th centuries, forms the nucleus.

Other resources include the Dix Collection of mainly 17th and 18th century Dublin and Irish imprints, the Yeats Collection, the Children's Book Collection and imprints of publishers such as the Dun Emer and Cuala Press. The Dublin Collection holds material relevant to Dublin City including books, newspapers and journals, photographs, maps, prints, drawings, theatre programmes, playbills, posters, ballad sheets, political cartoons, audio-visual material and ephemera. A collection of Thom's Dublin street directories and other Dublin and Irish directories is also maintained.

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