Libraries closed for Christmas

Readers can borrow extra books and won’t incur fines during the break

Bookworms can cross “going to the library” off their holiday todo list as Buffalo City Metro began to close the metro’s libraries from as early as last Thursday until January 6 next year.

BCM spokesperson Thanduxolo Matebese said: “The reason for the annual closures is primarily that most libraries experience very low use by the public during the festive season.

“Cambridge and Kidds Beach libraries are predominantly used by the schoolchildren and are not used at all during school holidays. King William’s Town, Gompo, Mdantsane, Braelyn, Buffalo Flats, Berlin, Breidbach and Schornville libraries also experience a drop in borrowers during this period due to the closure of schools and adult learners having written their “Libraries such as Central, Vincent, Greenfields, West Bank, Beacon Bay, Gonubie as well as the mobile libraries close for a shorter period – from Christmas until the first week in January.”

Matebese said that the municipal libraries had closed for these periods for the past few years.

“Library users are allowed to take out extra books. No fines are generated for the period that the library is closed.”

Kidd’s Beach Library closed on Friday, December 7;

Berlin Library will close on Friday, December 14;

Gompo, Mdantsane, Braelyn, Buffalo Flats, Cambridge and Parkside Libraries will close from Sunday, December 16;

King William’s Town, Breidbach and Schornville libraries will close from December 21; and

Beacon Bay, Gonubie, Central, Vincent, Greenfields, West Bank and mobile libraries will close from December 25.