Musgrave Library is a firm favourite
South African Library Week will be celebrated till Friday around the country.
AS part of the national Library Week celebration this week, Musgrave Library got into the spirit of the festivities and them this year to commemorate 20 years of democracy and celebrate the role of libraries over the past two decades of freedom with a special display table of books.
The National Library Week celebrations, which run from 17 to 23 March each year, aim to encourage library usage and change the mind-set of the public .
When Berea Mail visited the Musgrave Library on Monday, it was full of young and old people enjoying the world of books, newspapers, and even some teenagers doing their homework.
Miguel Coppola, an 11 year old from Glenwood Prep has loved the library since he was very young. “I love reading books and my mum calls me a book fundi. My favourite books are Jules Verne and The Spiderwick Chronicles which I have re-read many times.” Miguel says he meets a lot of his friends at the library too and usually borrows fantasy, drama or poetry books.
Astrid Huxham, is home schooled and enjoys coming to the library to get new books each week.
Eight year old, Yaasir Sultan and his little sister Ammara love visiting the library every alternate week. “I like reading Enid Blyton and the Richard Scarry series,” said the young reader who usually borrows at least ten books with his sister at each visit.
Libraries have moved from being lenders of books and have become community spaces and are also providing extended services, such as business corners, free internet services, wifi, etc. As part of the week, libraries will be showcasing various services and reflecting on how far libraries have come since 1994.
The Musgrave Library had planned an exciting week of activities, including having library staff visit Edubears pre-school for an outreach story telling programme, a Human Rights Day programme and children from St Martin’s Childrens Home will visit the library for some fun activities.
