THE Irish Times, in association with An Chomhairle Leabharna, invites you to give your views on the topic "What the public library means to me". Your piece should be no more than 1,000 words long.
A prize will be awarded in each of the following categories: under 14, and under 18 years of age.
Prizewinners will receive a trophy from The Irish Times, and a book prize from International Education Services, Leixlip, Co Kildare. Each prizewinning essay will be published in full in The Irish Times and the prizewinners will be invited to express their views at an open seminar to be arranged at a later date.
The panel of adjudicators is comprised of Thomas McCarthy, poet; Mary Morrissy, fiction writer; and is chaired by Rosemary Hetherington, librarian and current chairman of the "Bisto Book of the Year Awards".
The closing date for entries is Tuesday, February 4th, 1997. Entries can be forwarded to your local public library or to The Director, An Chomhairle Leabharlanna, 53-54 Upper Mount Street, Dublin 2.
Please print your name, address and date of birth on your entry and mark your envelope "Essay Competition".
The adjudicators' decision will be final.
It will not be possible to return entries.
