NCIR Lectures: NEXT Monday's speaker in the NCIR's series of lunchtime lectures is ESAT Digifone chairman Denis O'Brien. His address will fit into the overall theme of Making Vision A Reality. O'Brien will be followed on January 13th by Telecom Eireann chairman Ron Bolger. On February 4th RTE director general Bob Collins will be the guest speaker. Dublin city manager John Fitzgerald will speak on March 10th, while Iona Technologies chief executive Chris Horn is the guest on April 7th. All are welcome at the lectures which begin at 1pm. For information contact Carol Phelan at (01) 406 0592 or Email cphelan@college.ncir.ie

Alexandra Lectures: Alexandra College, Dublin, will hold the 1997 Ardilaun Lectures at the College on December 4th and 5th. The speaker will be Dr John O'Brien from the history department of UCC. The lecture on December 4th begins at 3pm and it will be on the topic of Australia and the British Empire/Commonwealth. The following day's lecture will begin at 2pm on the Irish in Australia. These lectures are open to all.

Libraries & Art: A one-day conference on the relationship between public libraries and the promotion of the arts will take place on November 26th at the Davenport Hotel in Dublin. Proceedings will begin at 9.30 a.m. The conference will be chaired by Declan Kiberd, professor of Anglo-Irish literature at UCD.

The conference is intended to give all those interested in the development and promotion of the arts in libraries the opportunity to speak their mind on the subject. A series of workshops will be held to address specific issues. For information contact Norma McDermott of the Library Council at (01) 676 1167 or Email libcounc@iol.ie