Stanmore Library
STANMORE Library in Phoenix provides a variety of books, and offers reading programmes and internet access to the community.
“We are a free accessible space with an abundance of information resources and services for everyone,” said librarian Ricky Pillay.
Between 200 to 300 people visit the library each day.
“University students and senior citizens come in from the morning to around midday and schoolchildren filter in thereafter. There is always activity. People are always looking for information for research purposes or school projects.”
The library offers a reading programme on Wednesdays between 3pm and 4pm for children aged between five and 10. Stories are read to them and they have an opportunity to interact by answering questions.
“It’s a great way to educate children.”
Pillay said libraries were vital to build communities, especially for those less privileged.
“Many adults and children from informal settlements,
BENEFITS OF READING…
■ Stimulates the mind: Keeping your brain active and engaged helps sharpen logical thinking.
■ Helps with knowledge acquisition: The more knowledge you have, the better equipped you are to tackle challenges.
■ Expands your vocabulary: The more you read, the more words you are exposed to and they more words enter your everyday which have no access to the internet or computers, visit. We are here to cater to their reading needs.”
Mother of two, Zakira Khan, prefers taking her children to the library than helping them conduct research online.
“We visit the library once or twice a week to borrow books or do research as my daughter, who is in Grade 6, has many projects to complete and her school requires author references. The library offers books at our fingertips and we are able to use the photocopying machine.
“If we need help, there’s always someone around.”
Khan said many children had not been to a library.
“Some children don’t know what a library looks like and are missing out on a wonderful experience.”
Even in the face of Kindles and reading online, she believed good old books remained relevant.
“When using the internet, you don’t know what will pop up when you click on the link as some sites are not child friendly. At the library, you know what to expect and what your child will be exposed to.” vocabulary.
■ Sharpens writing skills: Exposure to published, wellwritten work has a positive effect on one’s own writing.
■ Hones critical and analytical skills: When you read a book, you have to remember an assortment of characters, their backgrounds, ambitions, histories and nuances. Every new memory forges new synapses (brain pathways) and strengthens existing ones, which assists in THE LIBRARIANS and staff at Bayview Road Library go above and beyond the call of duty to encourage a reading culture in the community.
They often visit schools where they register pupils and give them library cards.
The library, which issues between 4 000 and 5 000 books a month and has more than 200 daily patrons, offers reading programmes, a book club, chess club and assistance for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
For the past 15 years, Sojan Naicker and other library staff have played a key role in the advancement of their community in spite of growing technology.
“Technology has dynamically evolved with information being readily and easily accessible,” he said. However, there are many people who don’t have access to the internet and they need libraries, which can also offer them a world of knowledge. Many adults and children from informal settlements and poorer communities come to use the facilities.”
Naicker said the library short-term memory recall.
■ Boosts concentration: When you’re ready, your attention is focused on the story, causing the rest of the world to fall away. Try reading for 15 to 20 minutes before work and you’ll be surprised at how much more focused you are once you get to the office.
■ A fun source of entertainment: Whether you choose to nourish your inner escapist or feed your brain with new knowledge, step tried to promote reading at primary school level.
“We encourage reading and visit schools to get the children to join. We go on a similar drive by targeting parents, which allows for great learning and bonding time between them.”
Its book club, the Bayview Library Bookworms, compromises Grade 7 pupils who meet every two weeks to review the books they’ve read.
“It motivates them to read as they are keen to share their thoughts with others. A library is not only for borrowing books. The atmosphere and the social interactions also matter, along with knowledge sharing.”
There’s a “business corner” for budding entrepreneurs and small start-up business owners. The books provide information on how to start and grow businesses while the librarians help patrons use the internet and send e-mails.
Naicker believed there would always be a need for libraries because everyone “has different styles of reading, some may prefer e-books or buying their books, but others prefer visiting the library”. away from the computer, open a book and replenish your soul.
■ Feeds your imagination: While you are reading, you are building images, faces, places, colours, settings and stimulating your creative juices. This opens the door to new ideas, subjects and situations.
■ Reduces stress: Reading a good story can help take your mind off difficult situations. FOR THE past 165 years, the Durban Central Library has been catering for people from all walks of life, playing an important role in the development of citizens who have walked through its doors.
The library, which is in the Durban City Hall, boast a membership of 14 262 with more than 150 000 books available for the young, old and learned.
Librarian Yvonne Naidoo said about 500 people visited a day.
“There is a high volume of people, which include schoolchildren, students and those in search of a good book. We issue about 100 000 books a year. However, we have a high in-house usage.”
She said technology had evolved over the years and, as a result, libraries have had to undergo similar changes.
The Durban Central Library offers a cyber-zone, which offers access to the internet.
“We also have a section that caters for high school pupils. There’s a corner allocated for them to read, do their projects or homework. We want the library – and not the streets – to be their hangout place.”
The library also offers a children’s zone.
“We place a lot of focus on the younger ones in order to instil a reading culture in them. When there are many children around, we conduct a storytelling session, which is about an hour. We interact with them by getting them to read or ask questions. We also have competitions for the older children and teenagers. We get them to write and create stories.”
Naidoo believed e-books would never completely replace print.
“A lot of people prefer holding a book between their hands. How long one can stare at a screen or hold a tablet?”
For Morningside mother, Prathna Dawah, reading a book encouraged lateral thinking and was a great source of knowledge.
She prefers to visit the library than read online.
“I visit the library every two weeks and browse through the bookshelves, looking for my favourite thrillers. Then I go on to the children’s section to find suitable books for my fiveyear-old son.
“The books I get for him must offer brain-stimulating stories and captivating pictures. It is a great feeling to hold the book while reading and show my son the pictures.”
Dawah said reading was also a way to relax after a long day while the internet was great when one wanted to catch up on current affairs.
Mother of two young daughters, Thurusha Wudistha, does not want to expose her children to the internet at a young age.
“There are too many young children sitting with cellular phones and tablets, playing games instead of reading books. You worry every time they log onto a site, even if it is said to be ‘safe’.” HAVING the strong belief that readers are future leaders, the principal and teachers at Silverglen Primary School in Chatsworth ensure the little ones read every day.
The school offers a reading corner in classrooms filled with books, magazines and newspapers, as well as a reading period, reading programme and participation in reading events such as the “World Read Aloud Day”.
School librarian and Grade R teacher Sarah Govender said reading formed the basis of learning, and it should not be limited.
“There are so many positive benefits that arise from reading. When children read regularly, they are exposed to more vocabulary, which then aids them in writing.
“They are also exposed to more ideas, allowing them a greater imagination, which improves their creative writing skills. There are many pupils who still struggle to read at intermediate levels, so it is vital they are constantly encouraged.”
Govender said the school was excited after donated about 200 books for Mandela Day last year.
“We were happy when we were selected to receive the large book donation as we were able to expand our collection and achieve more reading goals,” she said.
The school offers a reading session every morning between 7.30am and 8am.
“The children, together with their teachers, read together and some would be asked to read aloud. We also have a reading programme where each class is allocated time to spend in the media centre.”
She added: “There is so much that can and needs to be done to promote reading.”