The mission of Tipperary County Council Library Service is to ensure that everyone has equal opportunity access to a high-quality library and information service which is responsive to the changing needs of our communities and is fully supportive of the process of life-long learning, culture and well-being.
Our vision for the Library Service is of a welcoming democratic space which is a cornerstone of family, cultural and civic life in the county. The Library Service has an essential role in the community as a trusted resource preserving the values of the past and enriching the quality of life for all.
The Library Service has a network of twelve Branch Libraries, a Local History Service called Tipperary Studies, and a Schools Mobile Service. We offer a countywide, inclusive service that is accessible by all.
From newspapers to author visits, storytime to bookclubs, there really is something for everyone. Please check out your local library or follow us on social media to discover more.
For those of you who can’t make it to the library, we have an online catalogue which allows members to search, request and renew books and a range of e-services to download at your leisure, including e-books, e-magazines, e-courses, e-languages.
A premier resource for educational support, learning and literacy
A trusted resource for our communities. We anticipate change, and respond quickly to our communities’ needs
Committed to finding new and better ways to serve our communities and adopt latest technologies to respond to our users’ needs
We strive to seek out strategic partnerships with a cross-section of groups in order to accomplish shared goals
We respect diversity, individual viewpoints, and the right to privacy and confidentiality.
In September 1925, Librarian James Brennan confirmed to the Carnegie UK Trust that Tipperary North Riding County Council and Tipperary South Riding County Council were agreeable to taking over the administration of the library service in Tipperary from the Trust in 1927 – the Councils passed the necessary resolutions in December 1926.
The beginning was austere: a staff of merely 2 in Library HQ, and delivery of books to libraries across the county being carried out by Great Southern Railway Lorries. But, over the next 87 years, with the involvement and belief of elected members of the County Tipperary Joint Libraries Committee, a progressive, county-wide library service was developed until the Committee was dissolved in May 2014 with the amalgamation of both County Councils. Upon the dissolution of the Joint Libraries Committee, Tipperary County Council adopted the function of library authority [Local Government Reform Act, 2014; Pr. 4, S. 26].
Paramount to the success of the service was a concentration on capital development, with purpose-built libraries targeted at key population areas in Carrick-On-Suir, Roscrea, Clonmel, Nenagh, Cashel, Templemore, culminating in the flagship Library & Arts Centre, The Source, in Thurles in 2006.
Highly motivated and trained staff, allied with a library computerised management system rolled out in 2001, all contributed to an efficient, professional service delivery. A mission statement was adopted by the Committee to underline and underpin the ethos and aims of the members’ function: “To ensure that everyone has equal opportunity access to a high-quality library and information service which is responsive to the changing needs of our communities and is fully supportive of the process of life-long learning, culture and well-being.”
The rapid advances in technology and consequent impact on society over the last two decades saw a major shift in the focus of the library service: a targeted concentration on services to children and social inclusion, the provision of a multitude of IT services at both branch and online level, planned programmes of activities, close co-operation with local and national agencies and increased community involvement have positioned the library as a vibrant, vital public service.
National initiatives have only served to reinforce this position with the introduction of universal free membership, a national management system which has prioritised efficient delivery of books to the user and the provision of a wide range of e-services.
Our Local Studies section has a range of resources to help you on your search.