Access Denied: The State of Libraries in Post Apartheid South Africa

Home                        Multimedia                     Links


    Malelane Comprehensive School, Mpumalanga province

    When Aaron Mbatha heard about the World Library Partnership he was persistent in letting the Department of Education know he wanted his school to be involved. Mbatha, principal at Malelane Comprehensive School, knows that if he doesnít speak up for his school, no one will. As a result of his determination and leadership, the school and its library are a bright spot in this impoverished community just south of Kruger National Park the Mpumalanga province of South Africa.
Learners enjoy the reorganized materials at the DD Mabuza Comprehensive High School library
 
    The hand to mouth existence that has defined public instruction in South Africa since the end of apartheid makes innovation and perseverance crucial. "Most people expect someone fix everything," said Sam Ndawo, provincial media advisor. "Mr. Mbatha knows he must do it himself. He goes out and gets what is needed."

WLP volunteers Del Hornbuckle and Margaret Traylor discuss the best use of the Dewy Decimal system with Busi Ndawo of the Department of Education.    WLP volunteers Margaret Traylor of California and Del Hornbuckle of Washington, D.C. spent two weeks helping reorganize the existing library and teaching library skills to teachers and students alike.  The school has 13 teachers and 441 learners, and its school governing board consists of seven parents, two learners, two educators and the principal.

    "We work to enlighten our community because we have been so deprived," Mbatha said. "We need the library to enhance the culture of study and the culture of seeking information." Mbatha was able to obtain donated books and other materials from a nearby college and a local private school. The library began with these donated books, but no one at the school knew what to do with the books. Many of older black South Africans had no exposure to libraries until teachers college, and even then their experience was limited in the years of apartheid. So along with maps and other materials from the United States, Traylor and Hornbuckle set to work re-organizing, cataloging and processing the donated books that were already there. In addition, 10 learners were chosen and taught how to process books and run the library.

A learner at DD Mabuza High School chooses a new book from the reorganized shelves of the library.


    "The World Library Partnership project enriches and gives sustenance to what is already on the ground, said Ndawo. "You couldnít have come at a better time. In a matter of weeks Del and Margaret have been able to deal with processing that would have taken our teacher/librarian years in her spare time. The volunteers have triggered something in the teachers and students." Mbatha echoed the importance of sustainability and the future of the library. "At the end of the day the learners will feel a sense of ownership of their library," he said. "They need to see the value of the library and take ownership of it."

    "Two priorities that I believe will solidify the work of the Inform the World program is giving youth ownership in the library's development," Hornbuckle said. "The young people should be the major stake holders here; their involvement and leadership in the planning and growth of the library is an investment in their collective future. This will also guarantee the library having a stable presence in the community. The youth will be the force to encourage each other to begin to view the library as the resource that can help them begin to make informed decisions about their future."
A student reads a new book at DD Mabuza library.
    Although the library was originally set up to benefit the learners at the school, Mbathaís vision includes making the library accessible to the community and creating partnerships between adult learners and students. "We view this library not only as for the school but for the entire community," he said. "We must balance how we help the community and our partnerships with other institutions against how well this project helps the learning process."

    Part of the motivation for a dual library is the desire not to squander precious resources that may not be appropriate for the learners. Mbatha believes that these materials could prove valuable to adults, and should not be wasted. Many refugees from flood ravaged Mozambique often come to this community in search of help, but there is not room in the schools to accommodate the influx of new students. Mbatha said that opening the doors of the school library  would not only allow access to information resources in  his community, but to refugees in need.  In turn people with certain skills or stories can share them with the library so that they might be preserved and passed on to a younger generation, Mbatha said.

WLP volunteer Margaret Traylor and principal Aaron Mbatha examine a new African book at READ Educational Trust.
 
    Hornbuckle also suggested providing librarians and/or community volunteers with opportunities for professional development should be a priority. "They need to know that they can connect with other professionals to share resources, address similar issues and have access to educational opportunities to strengthen their commitment to effective librarianship," she said.

    "In our view, the most important part of this project is its impact on teaching and learning," Mbatha said. "We appreciate you coming here to share your ideas, and we promise as long as one person is left here, we will not allow the efforts to go down the drain."
 
 
 


Home              Multimedia                  Links