The National Library of Ireland in Dublin – Ireland has been around since 1877. It is located on Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. Its mission since its inception more than a century ago includes the collection, promotion, and preservation of records of Ireland and to contribute such information to general knowledge of the public. It is quite a massive reference library and holds in its collections some eight million items.
Its collected items range from journals, books, newspapers, manuscripts, magazines, drawings, maps, prints, photographs, printed music, and even ephemera. Since it is a reference library, it does not lend its collection to the general public. However, the documents that are in the library’s care can be consulted at no cost to anyone who desires an inquiry. The materials that guests can peruse include public as well as private documents and materials.
Looking Into Its History
For the purposes of the Dublin Science and Art Museum Act, the National Library of Ireland in Dublin – Ireland was established in 1877. The collections that were in the possession of the Royal Dublin Society were transferred to the National Library so as to be made accessible to the general public.
It was agreed upon in 1881 that the said library was to be placed under the care of 12 trustees. Four of the said trustees would be appointed by the Irish government while the rest were to be appointed by the Royal Dublin Society. This arrangement continued through the years until 2005 when the management of the said library was made autonomous.
Preparations for Management Independence
This library was given legal deposit status in 1927.By the year 1992, management over the said library was transferred under the control of the Irish Department of Arts and Culture, which was quite new at the time. The library itself only became a self governing institution for culture and the arts on May 3, 2005.
Family History Research
Other than a repository of collections of various Irish-related materials, the National Library of Ireland in Dublin – Ireland is also a center for family history research. Thousands of family history researchers visit the National Library to search out their roots and find out who their ancestors were.
Interested people can also access their digital library through the Internet. One can peruse the collection of the National Library online or consult its catalogs and databases.
Contact Information
You may call the National Library of Ireland in Dublin – Ireland at +353-1-603-02-00 or send a fax to +353-1-661-25-23. You may also email them at info@nli.ie. The National Library’s site on the Internet is at www.nli.ie.
