Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe has today announced a major library extension at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.
On a visit to the campus Mr O'Keeffe announced that approval had been granted for the extension, which will enlarge the library by more than 6,000 square metres to give a total area of 10,000 square metres.
The project will be funded under the National Development Plan 2007-2013, and college authorities plan to have the project ready for construction next year. The Department of Education said it was unable to release the costs for the extension on the basis it would compromise the tendering process.
Mr O’Keeffe said the extension would give the university badly needed space and provide job opportunities in the construction sector.
He noted the university had undergone steady enrolment growth rates over the years, with 6,000 undergraduate students and 1,000 post-graduate students now attending the university.
It is planned the new facility will have reader stations with IT infrastructure that will facilitate the use of PC clusters and individual laptops.
This will enable the university to offer services complementing national strategies for the IT sector, the Minister said, pointing out NUI Maynooth has developed strong working relations with the Intel plant in Leixlip.
Earlier this year, the university and Intel agreed to deliver a Masters of Engineering programme for Intel engineers. “This is the first formal accreditation link-up between the two parties and it places NUI Maynooth at the forefront of university-industry collaboration in Europe,” the Minister said.
“The partnership between NUI Maynooth and Intel symbolises the transformation that has taken place in the decade since the university established its own unique identity since separating from St Patrick's College,” he said.
“It is ironic that, with the advent of the digital age, many thought that libraries would become obsolete. Conversely, new technologies and the internet have made them even more relevant as information hubs today.”
"Special employment preparation classes for undergraduates have helped it achieve a very impressive employment record of almost 100 per cent. . . . All of these factors have contributed to making NUI Maynooth the 2008 Sunday TimesIrish University of the Year," he added.
The Minister also expressed his condolences over a fire that destroyed the student restaurant on Friday.
