THE community of Glenwood and the surrounding areas are left in the cold as they face the possible closure of the decades-old library.
Residents shared their frustration and uncertainty following the abrupt closure last week, without prior warning.

Although eThekwini Municipality later released a note indicating that the library was only temporarily closed, no reasons were furnished for the “temporary closure”. Library patrons fear the possibility of the facility closing permanently, as was the case with Windermere Centre Library, which closed its doors in 2021 under the guise of relocation. The library personnel have already been redeployed to nearby libraries.

One Glenwood resident, a 70-year-old patron, remembers only the good times with the library. “Musgrave Library was a big and formative part of my childhood. Its closure came as a devastating blow, and we were not warned of this action. Now we have to use the Umbilo Library, which is very small and has very limited resources, and not many people know where it is. As an alternative, there is the City Hall Library in town, which is quite a distance away.”

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She admitted that the community would suffer greatly if the library were shut down for good. Claims are churning about the real reason behind the closure. Non-payment of the electricity bill and rent top the list of claims. The management of the Glenwood Village Mall, where the library is a tenant, declined to comment. The publicist and project facilitator for the Denis Hurley Centre Street Lit project, Illa Thompson, shared her anguish.

“We are a UNESCO City of Literature, so closing down libraries does not fit into our global mandate. Libraries are such valuable places – safe, comfortable community spaces where the only requirement is quiet and respect. No money is needed, and unlike sitting in a coffee shop when your coffee cup is empty, there is no pressure to be there.

“If you want to sit and read the newspaper at your leisure, you can do so. You can study, work on the computers, update your CV, use reference material, read with your little ones in the children’s section, and select books to enjoy at home. It is one of the very few safe, democratic, non-transactional places left to us. If books and quiet are your thing, libraries are an all too rare haven.

“In Glenwood, there is an abundance of students, older citizens, school children and families, all Durbanites who value the resources to be found in a library. Glenwood Village Mall is the perfect place for the library to be. Easily accessible for Glenwoodians, with easy access to transport options and close to key schools, campuses, and children’s / old age homes. The role and the presence of the library have been an important consideration for the rebranding of Glenwood Village as being ‘your everyday centre’ with special offers for shoppers and mall activations done to dovetail with the schedule of the library. Word is that it is possible that the closure of the library is temporary and not permanent. We really do hope so.”

The City’s public notice reads, “The Libraries and Heritage Department apologises for the inconvenience … During this period, library users are kindly requested to use the nearest libraries such as Central Lending Library, Prince Edward Street Library, Umbilo Library, Beach Library or any other municipal library nearest to where they live or work.”

eThekwini Municipality replied that it was finalising its internal processes and will communicate further details, including the reopening date, once this information is available. “A public notice will be shared accordingly,” it said.

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