Local Library Visits

21 August 2015 (Friday)

All Library Visits, except TOUR 1: City Bowl Tours, require preregistration. TOUR 1: City Bowl Tours can only be booked onsite.

Please note that due to the short time remaining until the congress starts, the available places for the library visits are limited.

If you would like to book a library visit, please contact the registration team wlic2015-registration@kit-group.org.

Cancellation of a booking must be made in writing and sent to the Congress Secretariat Registration Department by email or fax.

Tours will depart by bus from the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

TOUR 1: City Bowl Tours - Half Day

[Please note: This is a walking tour, free of charge. Can be booked onsite at the "Library Visits desk" in the Registration Area on a first come, first served basis.]

The Tour will be a walking tour through the City Bowl visiting 4 different Libraries.  (Parliament Information Centre; National Library of South Africa; Centre for the Book; Central Public Library).  2 tours will be scheduled with a tour guide. The first tour will start at 09:00 and the next one at 12:00.  (Each tour will take approximately 3 hours with a leisurely stroll through the Mother City.)   Please remember to bring your passport or ID book for identification purposes for the Parliament tour.  Wear sensible shoes as the walking tour is approximately 6 km in total. 

The tour group will walk from Parliament and it will pass the National Library. The group continue to walk to the Centre for the Book where they will have light refreshments. They will then walk through the Company Gardens on their way to Central Library.

The starting point will be from the CTICC Main Entrance at 09:00 or at 12:00 depending on the time of the tour booked.  Look out for the Tour 1 banner.

The route:

Morning	Afternoon
09:30 Parliament Information Centre	12:30 Parliament Information Centre
10:20 National Library of South Africa	13:20 National Library of South Africa
11:00 Centre for the Book	14:00 Centre for the Book
12:00 Central Library	15:00 Central Library
13:30 Back at CTICC	16:30 Back at CTICC

Each library will have a short presentation and a tour through the library.  Light refreshments will be available at the Centre for the Book

Parliamentary Information Centre
The Parliamentary Information Centre, formally known as the Library of Parliament, is one of the oldest existing libraries in South Africa - a history that can be traced back to 1854. The Parliamentary Information Centre is a special library which seeks to fulfil the information and knowledge needs and requirements of Members of Parliament, Ministers and Parliamentary staff. The Centre prides itself on having the following special collections: Mendelssohn, Jardine collection, Anglo-Boer War and the La Vaillant collection. The Parliamentary Information Centre is also a legal deposit library, meaning that it is entitled to claim a copy of every publication in printed and electronic form published in South Africa.

Central Library
Central Library, located in the historic Old Drill Hall, is housed on multiple levels and includes a children’s library, Performing Arts & Music Library and boasts the largest public Art Library. The collections have been enhanced owing to the generous donation of 2 Carnegie Corporation Grants and an extended public access computer service.

National Library of South Africa (NSLA), Cape Town Campus
The NLSA is the oldest library in South Africa. Sir George Grey, the Governor of the Cape from 1854 to 1861, laid the foundation stone for this building in 1858, originally known as the South African Public Library. Grey donated his considerable private book collection to the library. Grey, through his awareness of the value of early printed ephemera in South Africa, left a remarkable legacy for South Africans. His 5,000-volume collection includes 117 medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and 119 incunabula. The library also has the earliest surviving document printed in South Africa, a page from Ritter’s Almanac, published in 1796. With millions of items, the NLSA is the custodian of South Africa’s largest collection of Africana in published form, and also holds significant accumulations of sheet music, maps, manuscripts, photographs and work s of art. This documentary wealth, both published and manuscript, forms the foundation on which to build appreciation of South Africa and its people, history and achievements.

The Centre for the Book
The Centre for the Book (CFB) is an outreach unit of the NLSA. It is housed in an elegant Edwardian structure, which was declared a national monument. The CFB’s mission is to promote a culture of reading, writing and publishing and easy access of books for all. Its core functions are information and advice, book and writer development, advocacy and raising public awareness about books and reading. It coordinates book-related activities nationally, such as book discussions, poetry readings, book launches, writing workshops and conference. The CFB’s main programmes include the Children ’s Literature Programme, the Community Publishing Programme, the Outreach and Advocacy Programme and the Reprint of South African Classics in Indigenous Languages Programme. The CFB building also houses the NLSA’s Conservation Department. Conservation activities include bookbinding, book repairs and conservation treatment of the NLSA’s collections. Specialist conservation staff assists with salvage and restoration operations involving library collections. The most notable of these was the restoration of the Timbuktu collections.

TOUR 2: City of Cape Town Libraries - Public Library Tours - Full Day

[15.00 EURO]

The tour will visit 3 public libraries, starting with Harare Library that boasts unique spaces including a gaming room for teenagers and an Early Childhood Development space, known as Funda Udlale, which caters to the 0-6 year old age group.  Elsies River Library is in the poorer area of the city with various socio-economic problems.  The library’s focus is trying to uplift their community through access to their services.  The tour will end at Bellville Library, a city-wide library catering for the entire community of the city of Cape Town.  It offers an extensive reference service in addition to large adult and children’s collections, music and DVDs, a teen section and an extensive pamphlet collection. 

The bus will depart from the bus lane in Walter Sisulu Avenue just outside the CTICC 09:00 sharp.  Please look out for the tour guide and the TOUR 2 banner. 

The route:

09:00 - 10:00   Travelling to Harare Library  (+- 35.3km.)
10:00 - 11:40   Tour of Harare Library (including light refreshments)
11:40 - 12:15   Travelling to Elsies River Library (+-25km)
12:15 - 13:15   Tour of Elsies River Library
13:15 - 13:40   Travelling to Bellville Library (+- 8km)
13:40 - 15:00   Tour of Bellville Library (including light refreshments)

Each library will have a short presentation and a tour through the library.
Light refreshments will be available at the Elsies River and Bellville Library

Harare Library
Harare Library boasts unique spaces including a gaming room for teenagers and an Early Childhood Development space, known as Funda Udlale, which caters to the 0-6 year old age group.

Elsies River Library
Elsies River Library is a community library in a poorer area of the city with various socio-economic problems. The library’s focus is trying to uplift their community through access to their services.

Bellville Library
Bellville Library is a city-wide library catering for the entire community of the city of Cape Town. It offers an extensive reference service in addition to large adult and children’s collections, music and DVDs, a teen section and an extensive pamphlet collection.

TOUR 3: Mayibuye Tour, University of Western Cape - Half Day

[10.00 EURO]

The UWC Robben Island Mayibuye Archives is housed in the main library at the University of the Western Cape.  The archives provide a unique and often fragile documentary record of South Africa’s history and culture, particularly with regard to the apartheid period, the freedom struggle and political imprisonment in South Africa.

The Main Library has a collection of 489,000 volumes of books with both electronic and print resources.  UWC Library received an award for its unique architectural design which as 14 floors and a winding spiral staircase enabling users to access the various collections. 

The bus will depart from the bus lane in Walter Sisulu Avenue just outside the CTICC 08:30 sharp.  Please look out for the tour guide and the TOUR 3 banner. 

The route:

08:30 - 09:15   Travelling to Mayibuye Archives   (+- 22.2km.)
09:15 - 10:45   Tour of Mayibuye Archives
10:45 - 11:15    Light refreshments: Library Auditorium
11:15 - 12:15    Tour of UWC Main Library
12:15 - 13:00    Return trip to CTICC

The programme will include a presentation and a tour of the archives and main library.
Light refreshments will be available

UWC Robben Island Mayibuye Archives
The Mayibuye Archives used to be known as the Mayibuye centre for History and Culture and was established at the University of the Western Cape in 1992. It has focused on collecting material about all aspects of apartheid, resistance, social life and culture in South Africa. The word Mayibuye has been a popular slogan meaning, “Let it return” in the Nguni languages. The centre was incorporated into the new Robben Island Museum in April 2000. The archives’ multi-media collections comprise a documentary archive, an archive of more than 50,000 photographs, a film section with over 1,000 productions, oral history material, and an art collection. It also acquired papers from more than 300 individuals and organizations, including Archbishop Tutu; Kadar As-al; Albie Sachs; the ANC in exile; the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU); The Women’s National Coalition; the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee; The General Recreation Committee which represented political prisoners on Robben Island; and the London based International Defence and Aid Fund (IDAF). In many ways the Archives are an inside history of the struggle. People as members of organizations and as individuals risked their lives to record the struggle against apartheid, at a time when repression and censorship were rampant.

University of the Western Cape Library
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) has 24,974 students.

The Main Library has a collection of 489,000 volumes of books with both electronic and print resources. UWC Library received an award for its unique architectural design which has 14 floors and a winding spiral staircase enabling our users to access the various collections. The Library aims to serve as a comprehensive gateway to global knowledge using not only the Internet and the physical sources of information within the library, but also a myriad of databases related to academic programs in the university. With technology, the library becomes virtual and not confined by space and time. Its resources are available during all hours of the day and the night. The Library has been extensively renovated with comfortable, open and well-lit spaces, with networked PCs distributed throughout.

TOUR 4: Community Library, Masiphumelele Library - Half Day

[10.00 EURO]

This award-winning library and centre for education has gained world-wide recognition for the service it provides the township of Masiphumelele, near to Cape Town, South Africa.  The Library offers standard conventional library services which are considered critical in educational support in both developing and established communities. In addition, their mission is to initiate and develop a range of outreach programmes for all age groups, drawing the community into the library. These programmes include homework help for primary and high school learners, reading enrichment, art, computer literacy, early childhood development, literacy and parent programmes which are run by library staff, partners and volunteers.

Partner NGO Masiphumelele Corporation (MasiCorp) enabled the library to take root in the community by building the library. Their commitment to the library continues, now focussing largely on the computer room. The joint vision of the Masiphumelele Library and local government, the City of Cape Town, spans a range of educational initiatives from early childhood learning, to gender and HIV/AIDS, as well as informational and recreational activities for the community.

The bus will depart from the bus lane in Walter Sisulu Avenue just outside the CTICC 09:00 sharp.  Please look out for the tour guide and the TOUR 4 banner. 

The route:

09:00 - 10:15   Travelling to Masiphumelele Library   (+- 38km.)
10:30 - 12:30   Tour of the library and projects
12:30 - 13:30   Return trip to CTICC

The programme will include a show and tell of programmes and projects
Light refreshments will be available

Masiphumelele Library
Masiphumelele Library is funded in part by Masiphumelele Corporation, a USA-based NGO headed by John and Carol Thompson, to match the City of Cape Town funds. The joint vision of the Library includes supporting education, early childhood learning, gender and HIV/AIDS initiatives, informational and recreational needs.

TOUR 5: School Libraries Tour - Full Day

[15.00 EURO]

Tour 5 includes 4 different schools reflecting the opposite sides of the South African education spectrum, from state (public) to independent schools. The tour will highlight the initiatives taking place in these school libraries. The tour will illustrate the role and value of the library to these schools across the school library sector. The tour includes Westbank No. 1 Primary School (a township school); Inkwenkwezi Secondary School in Dunoon (a high school in poverty ridden township); St Cyprians School (one of Cape Town’s leading independent girls’ schools) and the tour will end at Reddam House (a co-educational, non-denominational, independent school).

The bus will depart from the bus lane in Walter Sisulu Avenue just outside the CTICC 09:00 sharp.  Please look out for the tour guide and the TOUR 5 banner. 

The route:

09:00 – 09:30   Travelling to Westbank no. 1 Primary School    (+- 28km.)
09:30 – 10:00   Tour of Westbank Primary
10:45 – 11:15   Travelling to Inkwenkwezi Secondary School in Dunoon (+- 38km )
11:15 – 11:45   Tour of Inkwenkwezi Secondary School
12:00 – 12:45   Travelling to St Cyprians School, Gardens (+-25km)
13:00 – 14:00   Tour of St Cyprians School
14:15 – 14:45   Travelling to Reddam House, Westlake (+25km)
14:45– 15:15   Tour of Reddam House
15:30 - 16:00   Return to CTICC (+- 25km)

The programme will include a presentation and a tour of each school library.
Light refreshments will be available

TOUR 6: University of Cape Town Libraries

[10.00 EURO]

Chancellor Oppenheimer Library and J.W. Jagger Library and Reading Room

Founded in 1829, as the South African College, the University of Cape Town is South Africa’s oldest university, and is one of Africa’s leading teaching and research institutions with 26,000 students. UCT is also renowned for its striking beauty nestling on the slopes of Devil’s Peak, with panoramic views of both mountains and Cape Town. The Chancellor Oppenheimer Library which is the central library reflects in its modern and attractive design the institution’s increased emphasis on support for postgraduates and the increased need for undergraduates to study individually and collaboratively.

The second part of the tour will visit the J.W. Jagger Library which, designed by the acclaimed architect J.M. Solomon, was one of the first buildings constructed on the new campus in 1929. The prime location of the university library, alongside the centrepiece Jameson Hall, exudes the same gracious and scholarly ambience in keeping with its surroundings. Today, it houses the UCT Libraries’ Special Collections. With the magnificent lobby entrance, staircase and vestibule leading into the centrepiece Reading Room all now restored to their original glory, this part of the tour will remind visitors of the international emphasis on the importance and centrality of Special Collections and Archives in academic libraries, particularly in Africa. As part of the tour of the main library, visitors will learn how UCT has re-established an earlier model that juxtaposes the practice and education of librarians in a strategic partnership. Organisationally, the LIS School is located in the UCT Libraries with the intent to provide support in establishing an academic centre with a strong sense of its own identity. LISC offers post-graduate qualifications in LIS through the Humanities Faculty. The UCT Libraries provide offices and teaching venues, support a dynamic work integrated learning (WIL) programme and provide services in the form of financial management, marketing and promotional content.

The bus will depart from the bus lane in Walter Sisulu Avenue just outside the CTICC 09:30 sharp.  Please look out for the tour guide and the TOUR 6 banner. 

The route:

09:30 - 10:00  Travelling to UCT    (+- 10km.)
10:00 - 10:15   Walking from the bus stop to the Chancellor Oppenheimer Library
10:15 - 11:00   Tour of Chancellor Oppenheimer Library
11:00 - 11:45    Walking to venue for refreshments (Venue to be confirmed)
11:45 - 11:15   Light refreshments (Venue to be confirmed)
11:15 - 11:30   Walking to JW Jagger Library and Reading Room
11:30 - 13:00   Tour of JW Jagger Library and Reading Room
13:00 - 13:15   Walk back to bus stop
13:15 - 13:45    Return to CTICC

TOUR 7:  Special Libraries Tour – Full Day

[15.00 EURO]

Art Collections Library
The Art Collections Library is a major art research resource covering South African and international art serving the gallery staff, researchers, scholars, artists and the general public.

S.A.A.O Library
The SAAO library is the oldest and most comprehensive astronomical library in South Africa, with contemporary material that dates back to 1830.  It has two branches, Cape Town and in Sutherland in the Northern Cape.  The Cape Town branch acts as the main branch hosting most of the research material, while Sutherland is the sub-branch used as reference for researchers during observation periods.

Webber Wentzel Library
Webber Wentzel is a leading corporate law firm in South Africa and was named African Law Firm of the Year for 2014 by Legal Week (UK) and the Corporate Lawyers Association of South Africa.  The firm has a global reach through an alliance with UK Based Linklater’s, and also offers clients' access to sub-Saharan Africa through a network of best friend law firms and an associate membership of ALN, an integrated network of 13 African law firms. The firm has approximately 440 lawyers, and has offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town, each with a library, staffed by 5 librarians in total.

The bus will depart from the bus lane in Walter Sisulu Avenue just outside the CTICC 09:00 sharp.  Please look out for the tour guide and the TOUR 7 banner. 

The route:

09:00 - 09:30    Travelling to The Art Collections Library and facilities (+- 2 km.)
09:40 - 10:40    Tour of the Art Collections Library
10:40 - 11:00    Travelling to the SAAO Library in Observatory (+- 10 km)
11:00 - 12:40    Tour of the SAAO library and facilities
12:40 - 13:00    Drive to Webber Wetzel Attorneys Library (+- 10 km)
13:00 - 14:00    Light finger lunch
14:00 - 15:00    Tour of Webber Wetzel Library and facilities
15:00 - 15:30    Return to CTICC