The National Library of South Africa is thrilled to mark South African Library Week, an annual celebration that highlights the important role libraries play in fostering knowledge, promoting literacy, and preserving our cultural heritage. The South African Library week will take place from 15 – 24 March 2024.
Theme: “Libraries foster social cohesion”
This year’s South Africa Library Week theme, “Libraries foster social cohesion”, emphasises the National Library’s commitment to bridging gaps, fostering inclusivity, and providing a space for intellectual growth, enabling informed community participation, stimulating dialogue, and promoting mutual respect among people from diverse backgrounds.
Libraries provide access to information, technology, resources and programmes, they broaden horizons, connect individuals, and foster a shared sense of purpose and identity. They also provide safe spaces for marginalised communities to address social and development issues, share experiences and thus promote social cohesion.
The South Africa Library Week launch will have several activities at the Pretoria and Cape Town campuses. The launch will be preceded by a book club support workshop which will be held at SALB/AMAZWI Literature Museums in partnership with Makhanda Community Libraries on 14 March 2024.
South African Library Week Activities:
• Official Launch of SA Library Week (15 March at the South African Library for the Blind – Makhanda)
• Opening of the Cookhouse Library
• NLSA Open Day: Open Library tour for the general public
• Writers’ session
The National Librarian and CEO of the National Library of South Africa, Mr. Kepi Madumo, expressed excitement over the initiatives that the NLSA is undertaking in celebration of South African Library Week to ensure that communities have access to information. “We reaffirm our commitment to promoting information awareness and information literacy. Working together with the Department of Arts and Culture, provincial library services, and other stakeholders in the LIS sector, we strive to ensure that even the most remote communities have access to the wealth of information that libraries provide by bridging the digital divide.”
For more information on the National Library of South Africa’s Library Week celebrations, please visit the NLSA website: www.nlsa.ac.za
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Media enquiries:
Ms. Jolene Bhadais
Director: Communications, Marketing and Stakeholder Relations
064 625 7281 or jolene.bhadais@nlsa.ac.za