LIASA Digimag - March 2021

Message from a longstanding member Western Cape NATALIE LEWIS LIASA MEMBERSHIP NO 53 GROWING up, surrounded by books and visiting the library from an early age, one tends to take for granted that books and reading is a part of every child’s life.

That is what I thought in any case. Many years later, when my own kids were babies, our bedtime ritual became part of our daily routine; like brushing your teeth and saying your prayers. They would not go to sleep unless I lay down between them and read a story and sang all the nursery rhymes from their favourite book.

Fast forward to the present day and almost 40 years experience working in community libraries, I can attest to what an impact libraries and librarians have on people’s lives. Why do libraries matter?

Libraries matter because due to the lack of a “coloured” library in Paarl, my farther took us to Wellington Readers Library, and later campaigned for a new library in our own area.

Without Drakenstein Library, I would not have been able to take my own kids to the winter and summer holiday programmes at the library. Together with hundreds of other children from the area, they took part in activities, arts and crafts, stories and puppet shows - nurturing the love of reading and books and exposing them to wonders beyond their imaginations.

Groenheuwel Library was established out of desperation in the one-roomed office of a pauper graveyard for the poor community of Fairyland by an assistant librarian who saw the need for a library in her community. It now boasts a state- of-the-art “House of Learning Library” with public use computers and free internet access, meeting areas and a quiet place in which to study, as well as a beautifully decorated children’s area with colourful murals.

“Libraries Matter” because students and learners flock to Paarl Library after school to do research, finish their homework, study, or read the latest magazines or just “chill” on the stoep while waiting for their parents to collect them.

“Libraries Matter” because young adults looking for employment will turn to the library where they will get the help they need to write a CV and apply for vacancies on online portals.

“Libraries Matter” because an unschooled parent enrolling a child for Grade R or Grade 1 for the first time will stop at their local library where they are sure to get the expert help and assistance in uploading all the required documents and they’re even assisted in opening an email account for the first time. They will visit the library often to check for incoming correspondence on their newly created email accounts.

“Libraries Matter” when the official checking documents at the tax office door tells an older person to go to the library up the road, to ask them to send an email to their medical aid scheme for their tax certificate, it will be emailed to the library’s email address and printed for them, all at the local library!

So YES, libraries do matter! More so, in this time of the pandemic, because I have seen the impact and change libraries and librarians have made in the lives of individuals and communities. I have personal experience of how the love of reading positively contributed to my children’s education and success in their careers.

Libraries matter when you see the sigh of relief on a visitor’s face when you tell them they can make a copy of an original and have it certified at the library. Moreover, when the community starts complaining because the library closed for half a day because the librarian is attending a training course or meeting, then everybody should know that #LibrariesMatter because librarians care.