Libraries to close for ‘drop in patrons’

BUFFALO City Metro (BCM) is planning to close some of its libraries for the year as early as next week, due to what it describes as a “drop in patrons”.

The shock notice, published in yesterday’s Daily Dispatch, alerts residents that Saturday December 10 will be Kidd’s Beach library’s last day open this year.

A week later, on Saturday December 17, the libraries in Breidbach, Schornville, Berlin, Buffalo Flats, Gompo, Mdantsane and Cambridge, as well as all mobile libraries, will close their doors.

The rest of BCM’s libraries will close on December 24 and reopen on January 2 – except for Kidd’s Beach, which reopens on January 5.

Those closing on December 24 are Beacon Bay, Gonubie, Central Library, Vincent, Greenfield, West Bank, King William’s Town, and Parkside.

BCM spokesman Sibusiso Cindi confirmed the scheduled closure, saying the metro had decided to close certain libraries “because of the drop in patrons coming in during the festive season”.

This came as a shock to regular library users such as Sam du Toit, 21, of Quigney.

Du Toit said he and a group of four friends, who are registered students at Fort Hare University and Buffalo City College, spend their holidays reading literature at the City library.

He said they were shocked to see a notice in yesterday’s Dispatch and called the newspaper to inquire if this was true.

“Tell me how do you do that, when as a country, we should be encouraging everyone to read more? Schools are closing next Friday, and university students are finished with exams already. What are they expected to do when bored if libraries will be closed so early in December? This does not make sense,” Du Toit said.

But Cindi defended the decision, saying library users were welcome to lodge a complaint. He referred to the Kidd’s Beach library, where the plunging number of library users earlier in the year had the library operating on a “part-time basis”.

“The staff there [at Kidd’s Beach] currently work less hours because they are part-time, so the changes will not make a huge impact in the community or on the staff. Communities have a right to make requests for the library to open. BCM will look into that and meet the community half way,” he said. —