Online elation as 20,000 people join LibrariesNI as a virtual member since lockdown

In a Tweet the service said: “The sun is shining, it’s halfway to the weekend and we’ve just found out that since March almost 20,000 of you have joined as a virtual member.

“Today just keeps getting better!”

The Northern Ireland Library Authority (Libraries NI) was established in April 2009 as a result of the Review of Public Administration.

Libraries NI has the statutory responsibility for the provision of public library services in Northern Ireland.

Its functions are laid down in the Libraries Act (Northern Ireland) 2008. It is a Non Departmental Public Body which reports to the Department for Communities.

The Board of the Authority consists of a Chairperson and 18 Members, 12 of whom are Councillors, within the meaning of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972.

All Board Members are appointed by the Minister for Communities. The executive business of the Board is carried out by a team of officers under the leadership of the Chief Executive.

The Executive Team is organised into two strategic units, each being led by a member of the Senior Management Team.

■ Chief Executive’s Unit;

■ Library Services;

■ Business Support.

Public library services are delivered through a network of:

■ 96 branch libraries;

■ 16 public mobile libraries;

■ Nine Homecall Service vehicles;

■ The Mellon Centre for Migration Studies based in the Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh;

■The Irish and Local Studies Library, Armagh

Online elation as 20,000 people join LibrariesNI as a virtual member since lockdown - ‘today just keeps getting better’