Suburban
The (Johannesburg) City’s public libraries remain closed over the weekend for almost three years now leaving working residents, students and learners without a place to find solace and information.
The extended closure of public libraries over the weekend continues to have “disastrous effects” on people who work nine to five, students and learners.
This was according to local concerned resident Jackie Young, who has been an avid library visitor for almost eight decades. The City’s public libraries, closed for eight months at the beginning of the pandemic, were reopened in November 2020 on weekdays, two years later, the City’s 89 libraries remain open only on weekdays.“
It affects not just one library but all the libraries in greater Johannesburg and many thousands are being neglected.
“The Saturday opening alone is a huge blow to those in five-day week work and those in full time education.
“Families often use Saturdays to come together and it’s wonderful to see the whole family discussing books, consulting the librarians, and generally being educated by the pleasure of reading,” said Young.
She added that libraries not only provide access for those who cannot afford new books, but they play a role in informing and educating the community at large. Friends of Bryanston Library (Fobl) chairlady Juliet Manning added that learners and students are largely impacted as they are denied the opportunity to look for supporting information for many school projects, they are unable to make use of the free Wi-Fi service and they are also denied the valuable help and knowledge that the librarians offer.
“Reading is supposed to be a recreational, informative, enjoyable experience which many people are finding extremely difficult to access now that the library is closed on a Saturday morning.”
Manning added that this extended closure on weekends has also affected Fobl’s fundraising efforts in aid of the Bryanston Library. The group raises money from the used book donated by the community to the library as well as through book sales.
Book sales are normally done on Saturdays but due to the change in operating hours, book sales now take place on Fridays. This has hindered the number of people that are able to visit and support the book sale.
“Sadly, we are lucky if more than 10 people attend [the book sale]. The chatter at the book sale between committee members and library patrons was very enjoyable and very often new authors were recommended to people looking for something different to read for the weekend or to take on holiday.“All money raised from the sale of these books was used to either buy new books for the library or host a holiday programme for children in the school holidays. It is also very difficult for our committee members to help at the sale as they are at work. All very stressful with very poor support,” said Manning.
With 89 of the City’s libraries affected, does the City of Johannesburg have plans to resume operations over the weekend?
According to City spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane, in a response from the Department of Community Development, unfortunately due to an unresolved internal dispute, this may not be likely.
“Due to unresolved labour dispute between the library employees and the City of Johannesburg, regarding payment of overtime for Saturday work, city libraries are closed on Saturdays until the dispute is resolved.”
Young added that communities will however continue to be affected.
“I’ve been a library user for 75 years and these places have provided a parallel education to schooling, a refuge from hard daily living opening up a world I would never have known about if I had not been able to borrow a book and read,” she said. — Sandton Chronicle
