Your nation, your resources, your future

Your nation, your resources, your future

 

By Katleho Morapela

Once a place for intellectuals. Once a place for easy access to the world through a simple mouse click and easy access to an array of books. Bloemfontein Public Library is now a home to cockroaches, walls covered in graffiti and windows non-existent. Situated at the CBD of Bloemfontein the public library helped a number of school pupils from all impoverished townships to have an easy access to knowledge.

The Bloemfontein Public Library was established in 1867 and it falls among one of the most important historical buildings in the Free State alongside historical areas such as the National Women’s Memorial museum, National Afrikaans Literature Museum and Maphikela House.

Coming from the dusty noisy streets of townships, school pupils utilized the CBD Bloemfontein Public Library as a place where they could at least have few hours of quietness to study and broaden their knowledge. In the past few years that reality has changed, the library is recently of more use to rats and street beggars.

September 2013 the Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation announced that the library will be closed for renovations to ensure that “ the Bloemfontein Public Library is upgraded to the state of the art library of international standard” as outlined in the SA government website. Paradoxically, the library is currently worse off than it was before. 3 years down the line renovations have not been started.

“When I was in my matric year my friends and I would often come here for our group discussions and it was very convenient because we all resided in different townships, so to meet at the CBD library meant saving travelling costs, having access to free electronic resources and academic books” Maureen Ndlondlo says this with great emotion that such an educational center would be neglected taking into consideration the history of this country’s educational evolution from an apartheid era.

Research conducted by Cornerstone Economic Research of South Africa pertaining to the funding of public libraries in South Africa reveals that libraries have been insufficiently funded and that there is a lack of funding framework indicating who is responsible for the services between provincial government and municipalities.     Mr. Tankiso Zola, head of communications within the Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation declined to respond to the question of; what means are taken by the government in ensuring that all Bloemfontein citizens are equipped with knowledge while the Bloemfontein Public Library is closed.

 

In the meantime people like Karabo Rankgakile a newly high school pupil residing in Rocklands is not presented with any other option but to be dependent of his mini-high school library in accomplishing academic success or his community library with no internet access. “During school holidays we make use of the Mangaung Community Library it is nearby my house but we are not allowed to use computers only matric learners are allowed”.

Research conducted by the Library and Information Association of South Africa reveals that South Africa’s reading culture is deteriorating and that it is essential to promote reading and literacy as social rooted practices.

In that regard as a nation the questions we need to ask are: How do South Africans promote a culture of reading and literacy without adequate platforms or resources to do so? Is it possible to build a nation without empowering the upcoming generation with knowledge and resources to gain that knowledge? How is it possible to build a generation of world class intellects without exposing our children to knowledge?

Within the digital age others would argue that search engines such as google scholar have replaced the use of traditional libraries and its role in societies. However, this also brings forth the question of affordability and socio-economy into the equation.

Nelson Mandela said “Education is the most powerful weapon to fight poverty”.