“The joy of reading ... is one that I have treasured all my life, and it is one I wish for all South Africans,” said former president Nelson Mandela in his understanding that reading opens so many doors and lays the foundation for education.
The inescapable truth is that improving literacy and numeracy skills is crucial to a child's ability to develop fully, live a rewarding life as well as participate and contribute to a society still attempting recovery from decades of subjugation.
But according to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study published in May last year, 81% of our grade 4 pupils cannot read for meaning in any of our official languages. The study showed South Africa to be the worst among the 57 participating countries.
And according to the basic education department, another dismal statistic is that only 5,823 schools in South Africa have libraries, and of these, only 3,312 are stocked with books. These figures are contained in a new education facility management system report in August last year.
Ironic — and inexcusable then — that the Latin motto, Libri thesaurus animi — “Books are the treasure of the soul” — is inscribed in the pillars outside the closed Johannesburg public library, now deliberately locked away from public enjoyment.
As per the city’s home page, “Johannesburg's public libraries are hubs of education, giving residents access to books, magazines and audiovisual materials. Besides lending out material, the city’s libraries offer a wide-range of other services including literacy classes, storytelling sessions for youngsters, classroom support, gatherings for older residents and literary competitions.”
But last week marked three years since the 1.5-million-book collection provided any joyful experience.
Libraries are hallowed spaces that can spark an imagination, forge a passion for reading, transport readers to worlds they may visit physically but could be lost there between the covers of a book, and expand thinking and broaden horizons beyond measure.
In addition, it is a sacred space that more recently has provided a haven for children and students aways from crime-ridden streets, drug-infested communities, gang-controlled neighbourhoods as well as social environments to engage in dialogues and new learning experiences.
At the Johannesburg Public Library, there were several groups engaging in workshops and dialogue circles established through community projects addressing causes for distress among teenagers including drug abuse, bullying, inadequate parenting, toxic masculinity, teenage pregnancy.
However, since May 10 2021 until today, some bureaucratic bungle is behind the doors remaining shut.
But it seems this is a fight that a number of civic organisations including the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation, Ahmed Kathrada Foundation as well as authors and bookstore owners, are not willing to accept any more.
As one protester said, the library is not a 'blooming luxury' but a place where imaginations can bloom.
— Protester
In February last year, the Johannesburg Development Agency said two contractors were appointed to work on fixing the library at a cost of close to R1m — to fix leaks in the roof, waterproofing, replace damaged skylights and upgrade fire detection and suppression solutions. Then there was another statement making reference to a R25m refurbishment. This after a R70m renovation in 2012.
If indeed the library is closed to attend to pressing fire hazard issues, then it's not an unreasonable request given the impact of the runaway fire that consumed the Jagger Reading Room at the University of Cape Town in April 2021. The inferno was a devastating loss for South Africa's cultural heritage and priceless collections of books, art and posters in African studies. So attempts by any library to protect its precious material — as in the case of the Johannesburg library, which is home to the history of the city of gold — must be prioritised.
But the continued closure without proper explanation and millions of rand already spent is not justifiable.
As one protester said, the library is not a “blooming luxury” but a place where imaginations can bloom.
Surely this is reason enough to reverse the danger of turning the hallowed halls into a white elephant and make good on the mandate of promoting the reading culture and providing a safe social environment for those desperately in need of it.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.