While Ireland has never been strictly homogeneous, the dramatic increase in the number and origins of individuals settling here is a new phenomenon. In anticipating the future of Irish society, the role and participation of ethnic minority adolescents will be significant. In Ireland, governmental recognition of the need to provide for the social inclusion of all young people was demonstrated by the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Children (1989) and the drafting of the National Children's Strategy (2001). The latter recognises that ethnic minority children "…have special needs which have to be considered and addressed collectively and individually as required."(Fanning, et al, 2001). There is a dearth of research in Ireland concerned with the needs of children from ethnic minorities. The focus of international literature regarding the integration of ethnic minority children tends to concentrate on educational issues such as the acquisition of host country languages. However it is clear in this body of work that integration is more effective when educators and library/information specialists work in partnership (Champion, 1993; Skeele and Schall, 1994) to this end. With an understanding of the pedagogical challenges in developing a pluralistic, multicultural approach to both the formal and hidden curricula in secondary schools (McGovern, 1995; McAndrew,1996) the in-depth exploration of the information needs and information seeking behaviour of ethnic minority adolescents can contribute significantly to the development of policies that can be used by educational and library services to co-operatively expedite their successful integration. The paper will document and present the findings of the researcher's exploration of the information worlds of ethnic minority adolescents with particular focus on individual information seeking behaviours. As a life phase, adolescence is a psychologically challenging period as the individual grapples with the development of an autonomous identity (Seltzer, 1989; Kroger,1996; Gullotta et al, 2000). Ethnic minority adolescents are not only engaged in this search for self, but additionally are psychologically vulnerable as individuals often suffer from the after-effects of trauma experienced in their native land while coping in Ireland with interruptions in their education, a reduction in their standard of living and inappropriate accommodation. They can face difficulties with language, be victims of bullying and racism and experience feelings of isolation and displacement. The Refugee Education and Training Advisory Service (UK) states that refugee adolescents need special support and provision. In the UK it has been found that many of these individuals approach the end of their school careers with no academic qualifications. They fail to gain places in mainstream higher education and are frequently steered into vocational training that may not be appropriate or desired. In seeking the means to achieve a socially inclusive Ireland, the role of public libraries is fundamental, yet unexplored. In Joining Forces: Delivering Libraries and Information Services in the Information Age (1999), An Chomharle Leabharlana highlights the importance of ethnic minority service provision in achieving this goal. The aim of the rearch project to be described in the paper, is to inform the development of public library services for ethnic minority communities to enable social inclusion. The focus for the investigation has been directed at adolescents since research evidence demonstrates that they often serve as the first point of communication with the host community. In some cases they must assume the role of information gatekeepers for their parents, translating materials essential for existence in their new environment. Therefore studying ways in which library services can be provided for adolescents can inform subsequent analyses of provision for ethnic minority communities as a whole. BIBLIOGRAPHY An Chomhairle Leabharlanna (1999). Joining Forces: Delivering Library & Information Services in the Information Age. Dublin : An Chomhairle Leabharlanna. Champion, S. (1993). The Adolescent Quest for Meaning through Multicultural Readings: A Case Study. Library Trends. 41 (3), 462-492. Fanning, B., Veale, A. and O'Connor, D. (2001). Beyond the Pale: Asylum Seeking Children and Social Exclusion. Dublin: Irish Refugee Council. Gullotta, T.P. et al (2000). The Adolescent Experience. (4th edition). San Diego, CA., Academic Press. Kroger, J. (1996). Identity in Adolescence: The Balance between Self and Other. (2nd edition). London, Routledge. McAndrew, M. (1996). Taking into Account Religious and Cultural Differences within the School Setting: A Canadian Case Study. 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