Central Library

This is not my local branch, however, I am always there because I have a friend who lives nearby. A great spot to study.

I remember this place as a kid. It has changed very little since then, apart from the technology and the self service check outs. [Oh AND a graphic novel/​comic section — NICE]
It’s a new age so libraries are nearly redundant which is a big big shame.
It is however nice to have this facility in the centre of town. Albeit the ILAC Centre.
I came here for some peace and quiet to do some writing last week and peace and quiet I did not get. It now appears to be unfortunately filled with Brazilian and Spanish students who don’t stop talking and being EXTRA EXTRA loud and no one seems to be telling them to shut up.
It’s a library. Not a social club. SHUT UP! I am sure there are doorways and footpaths that need blocking. Go stand there and have your conversations in large groups with one can of Coke between the lot of yiz.

Sinceramente, nadie diría que la biblioteca pública más importante de la capital de un país europea fuera a ser lo que ésta es.
Ubicada en medio de un centro comercial en un lugar un tanto oscuro y poco estético, con un tamaño que indignifica a la palabra biblioteca, un catálogo cuya extensidad de libros no es tampoco lo más llamativo, esta biblioteca necesita un auténtico lavado de cara cuando no una nueva reubicación y reciclaje casi al 100%.
De lo salvable, wifi gratuito (cosa que ya tienen la mayoría) y una sala de charlas y eventos donde lo más reseñable son los intercambios de idiomas que se realizan por las tardes.

The Central Library isn’t my local branch, but I make it a point to come here when I’m downtown because the selection is better than mine. As it is the biggest and most central (duh) in town, they have the widest selection of books of any Dublin libraries. They also have a good assortment of DVDs, which is a good thing because I’ve seen almost all of the ones at the Kevin St. Library near my house.
The staff is very helpful, to the point where they explain even the littlest thing very thoroughly and it can get a little silly to hear them expound upon the uses of your library card. But it’s almost a little bit charming, their enthusiasm, and they are happy to answer any questions.
Also, the library has free wi-​fi and printing services (for a fee), which is really fantastic if you need to print a boarding pass or something.

The Central Library is a wonderful oasis of calm in the centre of the city, housed in the Ilac Shopping Centre off Henry Street. The have the best collection of books of any Dublin City Library, plenty of desks to study at or browse the books before making your final selection of what you want to take home. There’s a considerable international presence here due to the range of language classes and conversational groups that take place throughout the week. They have a small range of DVDs and videos, including classic tv series, that you can watch in the library or borrow for a week at a time.
The highlight of the library for me is the music section. They have thousands of CDs and tapes (yes, actual cassette tapes!) ranging from traditional and classical to modern and rock music. There are stereos and earphones where you can listen in the library, or you can also bring them home. They also have a really good sheet music section, with scores from Mozart to The Beatles.

Tucked away in the Ilac Centre, the Central Library is a hidden treasure. This establishment offers tons of services that enhance the community. Besides being able to borrow books for free, it has an extensive language centre. Many foreigners sign up for English courses here because it beats having to pay hefty language school fees.
The library doesn’t only teach English. Every night of the week, people are welcomed to participate in conversation exchanges. Depending of the day, you can practice your Italian, Spanish, French, German, Irish, Japanese or Russian.

Central Library is located in the Ilac Shopping Centre. There are four Libraries located in this one building. The Lending Library, The Business Library, The Music Library and of course the Open Learning Centre. To join you need Photographic Identification and proof of a Dublin Address. IE bill.
The Music Library and the Open learning centre have to be my favourites. The Music Library has a wide selection of CDs that you can borrow. The selection in music is wide, from Bach to Artic Monkee’s. They also have an electric keyboard available there for learning. The open learning centre, has a computer based self learning language facility. Best of all this is a free public service. Available to everyone in the world.

In any other country in the world the capital city’s main public library would be a big proud edifice. In Ireland, it’s a minging little unit in a 1970s shopping centre. Badly laid out, with horrible décor and desperately limited facilities, Central Library is a two fingered gesture from the state to the great unwashed: Access to knowledge? For you lot? Ha!
If you want a computer you need to ring in advance and book it. If you want a desk, you need to come in early in the morning to nab one; ditto newspapers. If you want a book, you could spend the guts of an hour trying to find it. That said, the staff are helpful.