Library staff visit local centres to provide English classes

SOUTH Dublin Library staff have visited local centres that refugees and asylum seekers are residing in, providing English conversation classes and purchasing books in different languages, reports Hayden Moore.

At the June area committee meeting of Clondalkin, Cllr Francis Timmons asked if the library could look at providing additional support for beneficiaries of temporary protection and international protection applicants.

Cllr Timmons suggested this could be achieved by way of English classes, summer programmes for kids and education around how Irish systems work.

In response, the council stated that Clondalkin library staff have visited local refugees and asylum centres with information on the library and council services.

“The library provides an information sheet on local and government services and how to apply etc. The forms have been translated to the various languages needed,” the council said.

While Clondalkin Library does not currently host English classes as “facilitators are hard to find”, they do signpost in the direction of the Adult Education Centre who do provide the service.

Volunteers run Tallaght Library conversation classes Monday to Thursday, from 11.30am to 1.30pm each day, which “are very well attended and provide a social aspect”.

“We have purchased a range of books and printed materials in the identified languages for both children and adults,” the council outlined.

“We are fortunate to have a member of staff who speaks Ukrainian, Polish and Russian, and this has proved invaluable in our outreach programmes and in our translation requirements.”

A small cohort of children from the direct provision centre in Clondalkin have also worked with a member of staff from Clondalkin Library on a philosophy project which culminated with the group visiting University College Dublin.

The Mobile Library, which welcomed nearly 3,000 visitors across 152 public stops in May, visits the Ukrainian refugee centre in Citywest monthly.

The transit hub in Citywest was also visited for the first time, “which was very successful” according to the council with over 50 residents joining the library on the day.

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