An chomhairle Leabharlanna, in association with The Irish Times and International Education Services, is organising an essay competition with the title: "If I were in charge of the library" ("Da mbeinn i gceannas ar an leabharlann").

Entries are invited under two categories: under-14 and under-18 years of age. The winners will receive a trophy from The Irish Times and a book prize from International Education Services, Leixlip, Co Kildare. First prize-winning essays will be published in full in this newspaper.

The panel of adjudicators will be librarian Rosemary Hetherington (chairwoman), poet Thomas McCarthy, and novelist, short-story writer and Irish Times journalist, Mary Morrissy.

The closing date for receipt of entries is Friday, February 12th, 1999. Entries should be more than 1,000 words long and should be original work. They can be hand-written or typed, in English or Irish and should be forwarded to your local public library, or The Director, An Chomhairle Leabharlanna, 53-54 Upper Mount Street, Dublin 2; telephone: 01-6761167.

Please print your name, address and date of birth on your entry and mark you envelope "Essay Competition". The decision of the panel of adjudicators will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. Please note that it will not be possible to return entries. The rules of the competition are available from An Chomhairle Leabharlanna.