Sir - You recently reported a Dail statement by the Minister for Arts, Heritage, the Gaeltacht and the Islands that no suitable person could be found to fill the post of director of the National Library of Ireland. I write as President of the Library Association of Ireland (the professional association for librarians in this country) to protest at the implication of the Minister's statement - which is that there are no suitable librarians in Ireland capable of holding the post.
This is of course untrue. Senior librarians holding permanent posts in academic, special or public institutions in this country would not be attracted by the salary and conditions of the post as advertised. The Civil Service Commission's failure to fill it was probably due to the fact that the position was advertised as a contract post and at a salary a good deal lower than that paid to directors of other European national libraries, and indeed substantially lower than that paid to directors of other libraries and public institutions in Ireland. No professional librarian is going to leave a permanent post for a contract post, with inferior conditions, even to become director of the National Library of Ireland!
The post of director of the National Library is - and should be treated as - the premier post in the field of Irish librarianship. The director also has a role to play in international librarianship and represents the country at international meetings. Such a distinguished post merits appropriate remuneration and conditions in line with those applicable to top posts within the profession in Ireland. I urge the relevant authorities, therefore, to re-advertise the position on a basis that would attract candidates from the pool of highly suitable professional librarians currently working in Irish libraries.
Failure to re-advertise the post would call into question the value we place on our national literary heritage as embodied in the National Library of Ireland. important post of Director of the National Library of Ireland vacant The continuing vacancy has national and international implications for the profession of librarianship in this country and for the future development of our National Library. - Yours, etc., Beatrice M. Doran,
President, Library Association of Ireland, RCSI Library, Mercer Street, Dublin 2.