Minister Marais visits reopened libraries during National Book Week

As we celebrate National Book Week, Minister Anroux Marais, together with City of Cape Town’s Mayco Member for Community Services and Health, Dr. Zahid Badroodien, visited Brackenfell and Belville libraries on Monday, both open to the public on a drop off and collection basis.

National Book Week has become our second longest running event of the Western Cape Library Service to date. Last year we celebrated the 10th anniversary in partnership with the South African Book Development Council (SABDC) and over the years, hosted this event at various municipalities across the province.

This year, due to the current situation with the COVID 19 virus and subsequent lockdown regulations, gatherings of this nature are not allowed, and, or are limited, the National Book Week event goes digital for the very first time.

Minister Marais said, “I wholeheartedly thank the Western Cape Library Service team and our valued partners in the SABDC and different municipalities for innovatively rising to the challenge with the changing environment we now find ourselves in. It has indeed inspired hope and motivation in a time when it is needed most as it personifies that what was once considered impossible, can indeed come to fruition with an exceptional team and mutual dedication to proactively serve the Western Cape through our library services.”

During the visits, the friendly library staff presented their health protocols in compliance with the national regulations for safe reopening. They also expressed their excitement to participate in the, first of its kind, 2020 digital National Book Week campaign as we actively raise awareness on reading and books; to promote and encourage reading; to increase access to books and to increase social media awareness to all those who call the Western Cape home.

They were particularly excited about the projects and programmes to follow, inclusive of a national poster designed by the SABDC with the theme: Books Beyond Words, to all the public libraries in the Western Cape, multiple online activity books, which include our very own My Bhuki Book and our Be a Star Activity book for children, instant newsflashes as well as online programmes that will include storytelling, word games, motivational talks, Wordathon and reading stories on mobile devices.

For more information on this online event, kindly visit the National Book Week website on https://www.sabookcouncil.co.za/national-book-week/

As we navigate to and through our new normal, we will continue monitoring the situation, and remain committed to working with our partners to ensure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on affected events and programmes will be minimized to ensure safe reopening and sustainability of the sector.