Galway Library- does it have any cool online features or services?

_Whimsical_

Does anyone know?

I noticed people mentioning on the Bargain Alerts forum how you can read current and back issues of popular magazines through popular apps like Zinio for phones etc if you're a library member in the dublin/fingal area. They can also rent audiobooks,ebooks,participate in free online courses and avail of other free online services.
Does anyone know if Galway library offers any of this?

_Whimsical_

Anyone ?

brutes1

Shhh! quiet please!

Maybe some info here of use?
http://www.galway.ie/en/services/library/
http://www.galway.ie/en/Services/Library/OnlineEncylopaediaeJournals/

_Whimsical_

brutes1 wrote: »

Shhh! quiet please!

Maybe some info here of use?
http://www.galway.ie/en/services/library/
http://www.galway.ie/en/Services/Library/OnlineEncylopaediaeJournals/

It doesn't mention anything as great as they enjoy in Dubland. You'd think Galway would have moved into the modern age a little more readily,particularly as it is a culturally vibrant city. Perhaps we don't get funding like certain areas of Dublin/fingal.

biko

Maybe visit the library and ask? But yeah, it doesn't seem like they have a dedicated website and I'd bet neither of the other services you're asking about exist. There is a huge difference between a small provincial city and one of the largest populated areas in Ireland (demand and money wise).

yaledo

http://places.galwaylibrary.ie is a free-to-use searchable database with a huge volume of information on placenames in County Galway.

I have a casual interest in local history, and this is one of the very best on-line resources for Galway local history.

A quick google shows that they also have a blog at http://galwaylibrary.blogspot.ie/ which seems to be regularly updated.

I haven't looked at the blog, but perhaps you would check it out for us _Whimsical_, and post back here to let us know what it's about, and whether you found it interesting or useful.

Mrs OBumble

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

You'd think Galway would have moved into the modern age a little more readily,particularly as it is a culturally vibrant city.

You do realise that Galway City doesn't even have it's only library service - we rely on the county to provide it for us.


(Presumably with some funding from the City to the County for this ... it actually strikes me as a very sensible arrangement.)

OP, if I was going to ask about this, I'd try enquiring at either the Ballybane or Westside libraries first: they strike me as a little more "with it" than the city-centre branch.

_Whimsical_

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

You do realise that Galway City doesn't even have it's only library service - we rely on the county to provide it for us.


(Presumably with some funding from the City to the County for this ... it actually strikes me as a very sensible arrangement.)

OP, if I was going to ask about this, I'd try enquiring at either the Ballybane or Westside libraries first: they strike me as a little more "with it" than the city-centre branch.

I did not know that, that's interesting.
Thank's for the reply, I'll try Westside so.

biko wrote: »

Maybe visit the library and ask? But yeah, it doesn't seem like they have a dedicated website and I'd bet neither of the other services you're asking about exist. There is a huge difference between a small provincial city and one of the largest populated areas in Ireland (demand and money wise).

Funnily the library that that was discussed in relation to their great online offerings in another post was exclusively servicing the Fingal area of Dublin when I checked. It has a population of 239k according to google, Galway county has a population of 250k . I'm sure that demand is different and money. Still, it seems like they don't provide the services themselves so they might not incur IT costs, they just offer access through free membership of other sites. You'd think that widening those schemes countrywide shouldn't be beyond the bounds of possibility really.