Presentation given by Ursula Byrne, Head of Development and Strategic Programmes, UCD Library, at the annual CONUL Conference, June 1st, 2016, in Athlone, Ireland.

1. Strategic partnerships:
Irish Poetry Reading Archive
and
Library Exhibitions

2. What is it & Why build it :
– Curated digital poetry Archive /Hub
– Preserving and presenting voices of
Irish Poets
– Central repository of readings in
English and Irish
– Resource of national scope and
significance
– Access via UCD Digital Library ;
YouTube ; and Vimeo

3. • Building on strengths in our heritage collections
• Film & Audio excellent vehicles for poetry
• Strong spoken word tradition & part of our oral heritage
• Contemporary Heritage Archive :
– Newly captured content
– Defined niche area
– Seeks to preserve substantial rare digital collections
of poetry related work

4. How it works
– Poet reads a selection of work
– Provides overview of context & circumstance
– Provides signed manuscripts
– Signed book collection
Captures rich diverse landscape of poetry:
– Established poets Emerging poets
– Emigrant poets Performance poets
– Avant guard poets Bilingual poets
– Irish diaspora poets Translations

5. • Conversations
• Publishers
• Poets

11. • 13,324 views on YouTube ( 708 Paula Meehan , most viewed)
• 1,255 views of IPRA LibGuide
• 100 poets/publishers in contact with us
• 50 poets recorded plus
• 20 Aosdana poets recorded
• 7 Interviews with publishers of poetry
• 5 series - Readings; in-conversations; publishers series;
Ireland Chair of Poetry; interview series
• 2 languages ..
• 2 years in the making

12. Publicity:
– Library website
– IPRA Libguide
– Launch
– Irish times
– RTE Poetry Programme
– Word of mouth

13. Credit where it’s due …
• John Howard, University Librarian
• UCD Special Collections: Evelyn Flanagan, Eugene Roche,
Daniel Conneally
• UCD Library Research team
• UCD Academics: Dr Lucy Collins, Dr Maire Ni Annrachain
• Champions – too many to mention
• UCD Library Outreach Team

14. Library exhibitions
and
strategic partnerships