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Micky Doran: Micky Doran is Senior Librarian at the Southern Education and Library Board, Library Service, Armagh, Northern Ireland, UK.
Judith Preston: Judith Preston is a Lecturer at the Department of Information and Library Studies, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Wales, UK.
Introduction
On Good Friday 1998, politicians in Northern Ireland agreed to put 30 years of violence behind them and build a new future for the province. The Belfast Agreement is a complicated document which aims to address a wide range of contentious issues including national allegiances, government structures, policing, and paramilitary decommissioning (The Belfast Agreement, 1998). Shortly after it was signed, referenda in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland returned overwhelming support from the people of both parts of Ireland. However, within a year the agreement began to unravel as the Official Unionists and Sinn Fein, through mutual distrust, were unable to agree terms for setting up the new Executive. As a result of the Mitchell Review, an Assembly was formed and met briefly. However, direct rule by Westminster was re-established this year, as a result of difficulties with regard to the process of weapons decommissioning.
Regardless of whether the current impasse is resolved, few in Northern Ireland believe that the path to peace and reconciliation will be straightforward. The distrust existing between the political parties reflects that between communities and individuals, and is deeply imbedded in political and religious division. It is in the ghettoised housing estates where the scars are most apparent. Almost invariably, these areas belong to the working and lower class, suggesting links between political violence, religious bigotry and social disadvantage (Springfield Inter-Community Development Project, 1993).
Few libraries are situated in lower class areas. Instead, they are located in town centres and have on occasion experienced collateral damage because of terrorist attacks. Nevertheless, libraries have escaped the worst of the violence and it is the perception within the profession that this is because of their neutral stance. However, it could also be argued that libraries have avoided confronting divisions in society by ignoring the disadvantaged, a group that traditionally, has had little contact with libraries. Furthermore, libraries have seemingly preferred to serve those from the middle classes (Vincent, 1986).
While the impact of the "troubles" on libraries receives scant...