My Open Library transforms the use and value to the public of the services and the civic space provided by library services in local authorities.
The library is much more accessible for all users, particularly students, commuters and families. The service has provided greater flexibility and convenience for the local community and, as a result, it has attracted new customers who had not previously, or recently, been library members and it has increased the extent to which existing members are using the library services. There is a greater sense of responsibility and ownership of the library service in communities and the prominence of the service has been strengthened by providing a non-commercial indoor meeting space that is available when users can avail of it most. It supports urban and regeneration. The installation of the new technology allows the public to manage their lending activity on a self-service basis. This enables a transformation in the way staff work.

My Open Library has been piloted in 3 libraries and has been extremely successful. It is currently being rolled out to 23 libraries in 21 Local Authorities across Ireland.

Under the Public Library Strategy, My Open Library is due to expand to at least 100 library branches out of the 330 branches around the country by 2022 with the goal of reaching 200 library branches over the next decade. The service model has been adapted to incorporate the learnings from the pilot and national policy guidelines and templates have been developed to support the roll out to local authorities.

My Open Library is a collaboration of local authorities, central government and the Local Government Management Agency.

The Local Government Management Agency managed the pilot development and national roll out.

The Department of Rural and Community Development provided policy and funding support. Local Authorities and their staff provided leadership and commitment to public service delivery in piloting the innovative initiative for the sector.

There was significant community and citizens involvement in the development of the initiative and continuously growing support, usage and promotion of the service. Users include parents and children, students, adults and the retired. Local stakeholders, such as development/training agencies, schools, businesses, community groups/organisations, are supporters, promoters and users of the service. My Open Library facilitates outreach, class visits, meetings, activities and groups' administration.

This service provides access to the library to members of the public who did not use it in the past. Feedback from users is extremely positive, with users comments that the library is now much more accessible for commuters, students and families. Users value the service and respect the civic space provided to them.
In Offaly Local Authority 21.5% (2439) of members have signed up for Open Libraries membership and are accessing the library mainly for study, Wifi access, printing and borrowing. In 2017, there were 30,741 visits to My Open Library outside of normal library hours. There were over 4,600 during public holidays, 594 visits at Christmas and 1263 visits during the Irish public holiday in June. Before the introduction of My Open Library, the public library was closed at these times. The June public holiday occurs on the weekend before the final school state examinations and the majority of the 1263 visits to My Open Library were students studying before the examinations.

Managing the change process has involved overcoming initial staff concerns in relation to the role of the librarian in this different and new way of delivering and expanding the service.

There were also technical challenges with the installation of the software and the integration and interfacing with the existing library systems. Keeping the communication channels open, demonstrating flexibility and adapting the project plan, all contributed to delivering this innovative project.

Strong leadership at local and national level and a commitment to continuous improvement of public service delivery was critical to delivering and ensuring a sustainable service.
The development of a project plan for My Open Library and communicating to all stakeholders a clear understanding of the goals, objectives and expected outcomes of the project was a key requirement.
Involving staff in the decision-making process and identifying line managers to champion the initiative has facilitated the transition process to such a significant improvement in services to the community. The service also benefited from extensive training to assist staff and users in both delivering and accessing the service.
Engaging with all stakeholders in the reconfiguration of the service, bringing them all to work together and deliver within the timelines.
The national partnership approach between local authorities, Local Government Management Agency and central government underpins the successful delivery.

The service is currently being expanded into new libraries across Ireland. Each new library service presents a new set of challenges as the My Open Library service must be adapted to fit local needs. New staff must be trained in the service, users must be informed, and the library buildings must be adapted to include the technology necessary for the operation of the service.

The national public library strategy, Our Public Libraries 2022, identifies the objective of a total of two hundred libraries to be My Open Libraries within the next decade, a huge expansion of the current service. This would extend the service to 60% of the library branches in the Republic of Ireland.

The success of this initiative has depended on having a vision and developing a strategy to deliver enhanced opening hours and improved access to public library services.
Critical success factors included:
• Effective two-way communication with staff, elected members and stakeholders
• Making changes to existing policies and procedures to incorporate and embed the new service.
• Continuous monitoring and review to ensure that improvements continue to take place and modifications can be made as required.
• Development of MOU’s with stakeholders using My Open Library has ensured clarity of responsibilities.
• Promotion and marketing to raise awareness, as part of user education and encourage stakeholder participation.

My Open Library now acts as a beacon of light in rural and urban towns attracting people in and contributing to regeneration of areas.
The rapid developments in self-service technology have made the introduction of My Open Library possible. Self–Service system technology provides an automated service which allows the efficient checkout and check-in by library users of all library materials which are identified by a barcode. My Open Libraries is an initiative under the new national public library strategy. The national library strategy recognises the continued need for libraries as a community space and the demand for extended opening hours. My Open Library forms part of an overall strategy to address this demand for extended opening hours. The development of My Open Library as a service in Ireland which delivers both additional access for the public and an augmented role for library staff in delivering more services to support the public is unique.