The national Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) announced a massive R3 billion cash injection for libraries at the launch of South African Library Week in Cape Town on 15 March 2014. The event was a partnership between DAC, the National Library of South Africa (NLSA), the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA), the City of Cape Town and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS).
The theme for this year’s Library Week is “Check In @ Your Library”. The event, which runs until Saturday 22 March, will be celebrating the role and development of libraries over the 20 years that South Africa has been a democracy.
DAC Deputy Director-General Vusi Ndima said the money would be allocated to provincial libraries to upgrade existing facilities, recruit more staff and build new libraries. The aim is to transform libraries into more innovative social and information hubs. “We need to continue to enlighten the minds and souls of our people through the written word,” said Ndima.
South Africa has two national libraries (one in Cape Town and the other in Pretoria), 1 900 public libraries, and 3 000 school libraries. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given the NLSA a R32 million grant to pilot the Gates Foundation Global Libraries Project over the next two years. The project includes training library staff in Information and Communication technology (ICT), expanding ICT in public libraries, introducing new library services to support community development, and redesigning library interiors.
DCAS Director for Library Services Nomaza Dingayo said partnerships are important for library programmes that benefit communities. “Through this launch and the week-long programmes that libraries will offer during Library Week, DCAS and its partners are better together.” DCAS would like to encourage the public to visit their local library to participate in the events organised during South African Library Week.
Tania Colyn
Acting Head of Communication Service
Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport
Tel: 021 483 9877
E-mail: tania.colyn@westerncape.gov.za