Part of the new county library in Portlaoise should be open by 2019, with the proposed plans due to be published to allow for public consultation on the project.
The meeting of Laois County Council heard today (Tuesday) that the project is due to go to the Part 8 public consultation phase, with plans to be put on display in the coming week.
Director of services Donal Brennan said the library will be 15,000 sq feet which is considerably in excess of what is in place at the existing library.
It will include an entrance area and exhibition space along with self-service area, IT section, children’s reading area and teenage reading area along with a meeting room.
“It should lead to an increase of footfall in the library and in that area of the town,” he said.
It will now go out for public consultation before coming back before the council for final approval, he said.
“The architects have spent quite a bit of time tying this into the old streetscape,” he said.
“It is now a building which is in sympathy with the streetscape there,” he said.
The children’s section will now look out onto Church Street and the first floor area will house the local studies section.
“The emphasis has been to make it a bright library which will enhance people inwards,” Mr Brennan said.
To this end a third floor will be added with roof lights which will increase brighter reading space in the library. There will be no parking to the rear of the building, as this will be an outdoor reading area also. There will also be a view out to the old Fort Protector area of the town.
“I am absolutely delighted with what is here in front of us,” Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald said of the plans.
“It is going to enhance Main Street,” she said.
The extended nature of the library caused Cllr Willie Aird to question if funding would be available. “Will that hinder us getting over the line?” he said.
As part of the Per Cent art aspect of the project, Cllr Aird said statues of children going to the library might be appropriate.
Staff
He also said the library must be staffed, or it would not be passed by the council.
Mr Brennan said they were increased the size of the library as that is what is required for the “major library in the county”.
He said the library will be open by 2019, “whether it is open on one side or the other”.
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