Pathways scheme to facilitate access to previously restricted library books

MEMBERS of any of Cork's eight libraries can access millions of books and other resources in the other facilities in the city and county under the first scheme of its kind in the country. The Pathways to Learning (PAL) initiative opens up the previously restricted sharing of books, archives and other collections held in libraries operated by local authorities, third level colleges and hospitals. It will mean that, by prior arrangement organised between libraries, a user of one service can arrange to visit another library to read or view books or other parts of its collection not currently available to them.

The creation of a new PAL card will facilitate access to all collections at Cork City Library, Cork County Library, Cork Institute of Technology, University College Cork, Cork University Hospital, Mercy University Hospital and South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital.

The initiative also involves the Cork City and County Archives, which has moved from its former home in the city centre to Blackpool.

John Fitzgerald, head of information services at UCC, said the initiative greatly multiplies the investment by government and the various institutions involved in their libraries over the last decade.

"There is probably no other public service which is used by such a huge variety of ages, backgrounds income levels and interests.

"This scheme now extends access by every citizen in the region to the millions of books, serials and archives in the federated collection," he said.

Launching the scheme at UCC's Boole Library, which hosted the event after last November's flooding damaged the intended venue at the new Cork County Library headquarters, Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe described it as an excellent example of how the education and social opportunity of citizens can be advanced by combining resources and acting together.

Cork City Library user Jamie O'Connell has already used the PAL scheme to access UCC's Boole Library to help him decide on a topic for a PhD thesis he hopes to take on later this year. By talking to library staff, he found UCC had a thesis on a similar topic and was given a PAL card which allowed him to read the thesis and books on the same topic.

Some libraries may also allow PAL card holders to loan books or access their online databases, depending on licensing agreements and their own lending policies.