The City of Joburg’s Executive Mayor, Cllr Herman Mashaba, pronounced in the 2017 State of the City’s address that the City will extend library hours to some of its regional libraries in line with demand, and to redress the imbalances of the past.
The programme was launched by the Executive Mayor accompanied by myself, the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development, on the 3rd of June 2017.
Since the extension of the operating hours from June 2017 to date, 11 908 more users have benefited. Libraries are a fountain of knowledge, and with the smart initiatives of the City, users have access to Wi-Fi, connecting them to internet learning resource and potential economic opportunities.
The extended library hours are in line with this administration’s priority to serve the forgotten people of Johannesburg by extending facility operating hours.
The operating hours have been extended to 11 libraries across the City:
• Diepsloot: Region A;
• Ivory Park North: Region A;
• Randburg: Region B;
• Florida: Region C;
• Protea North: Region D;
• Jabavu: Region D;
• Sandton: Region E;
• Yeoville: Region F;
• Ennerdale Extension 9: Region G;
• Orange Farm: Region G; and
• Johannesburg City Library: Region F.
Our libraries will now operate for additional 4 hours from 13h00 – 17h00 on Saturdays. This is to allowing working residents, who often have no time to visit our libraries, access to these facilities.
The extension also targets students from previously forgotten communities who need to study, but find their home environments are not conducive to productive studying over the weekends.
The Library Information Services (LIS) directorate, under Community Development in the City, is also exploring the possibility of increasing the number of libraries that offer extended hours in the following areas:
Kaalfontein: Region A;
Matholesville: Region; C
Paterson Park: Region E; and
Driezik, Lehae and Naturena: Region G.
Nonhlanhla Sifumba
Member of the Mayoral Committee
Community Development Department
For Media Enquiries please contact:
Monyatsi Ramela
Tel: 011 226 0952
Cell: 082 467 9550
Email: benr@joburg.org.za