Take a leaf out of this book
“My library, your library” is the theme for this week’s National Library Week, and it is meant to encourage people in different communities to take libraries to heart and treat them like home.
This follows after the rising trend in communities to destroy infrastructure and burn buildings, some of them libraries, when people are angry with the government.
But the National Library of South Africa (NLSA) says the destruction serves no good, and through this week’s activities they want members of communities to take ownership of their libraries so that destroying them and burning books will be regarded as unthinkable.
The official launch was held in Rustenburg and Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture Rejoice Mabudafhasi was there. National Library Week started on Saturday and runs until this Saturday .
Under the theme “My library, your library” there are sub-themes: “My library, my home”, “Mind your library” and “Tell me about your library”.
The NLSA said the “My Library, Your Library” theme was a reminder to all library users that it was a communal space that catered for specific needs.
These could be educational, social, recreational or informative.
“A library nourishes and sustains its community. This theme, therefore, encourages and motivates members of our society to reflect on the role and value of libraries in their lives,” the NLSA said. “Let’s make reading part of our daily lives and let everyone of us share a book with a colleague, family, friends and neighbours as a way of enhancing social cohesion.”
Mabudafhasi said people should use the knowledge acquired through reading to strive for a better and literate country.