Do you know why an elephant has a trunk and why the rabbit and the rhino are no longer buddies? If you want to find out, pop into a City of Johannesburg library this week as all 89 libraries celebrate South African Library Week to encourage a culture of reading and questioning things.
To further sweeten the deal, all the libraries will have a two-week, fine-free bonanza for all those who forgot to return library-issued books on time.
But you better hurry as the deal started on Monday, 18 March, and will end on Friday 29 March 2019.
The City of Joburg Libraries have also partnered with African Storybook to help children during the school holiday programme to get into the habit of reading, asking questions, writing their own stories and publishing on the internet for other children to read. This is done through the mobile e-Learning programme that vied for a UN innovation award last month.
Eleven-year-old Christine, who took part in the African Storybook session at PUSH in Kliptown on Monday, 18 March, said she learnt to always do her homework and write stories.
“This year’s theme for SA Library Week is ‘Collaborate in your Library’ and the City of Joburg has partnered with African Storybook to spread the culture of reading and learning among learners throughout the seven regions,” said Alenor Duarte, Assistant Director: Library and Information Services in the City of Joburg.
South Africa Library Week is celebrated annually during March. During this period, librarians across the country host special programmes to highlight the services and resources offered at libraries.
Some of the services that are offered at Joburg libraries are internet access, homework assistance, story times for toddlers, school holiday and language programmes. Libraries also provide free accessible space for people to study and information resources.
Over and above the services that the City’s libraries provide, they also play a critical role in education and life-long learning through its literacy programmes targeted at primary school children. The libraries reading programmes play a critical role in instilling a culture of reading and learning among learners.
