Libraries of the future


The role of government and it's institutions needs to be reimagined if we are to create the future South Africans deserve. Instead of bureaucrats and career politicians making all the decisions, humanities practitioners, educators, community leaders and creatives must be invited to the table and their voices need to be heard. Many public institutions are under-utilized or undirected, one of them being the public library. 

South Africa as a third world country, has a multitude of problems and many of them are linked to literacy, education and access to information and resources. The country has a poor reading culture and libraries run the risk of fading into obscurity. The increase in internet connectivity is not helping the situation. The public library needs to go through a reincarnation and be more than it ever was. The library of the future needs to be more than just a silent room frequented by the old and socially inept where one can get a book. The library of the future needs to be harnessed as a place to keep the youth off the streets, educate them, and empower them. The government must harness the power and access libraries have in communities and use them as agents for change. 

Public libraries can once more become central to communities, and if the government recognizes their potential, they could be the perfect vehicles of change that give the government an immediate presence in thousands of communities.  It is important that libraries evolve beyond just the quiet rooms that many youngsters find constrictive. There must be the possibility of communication and collaboration within the library setting. This option allows for the quiet space that libraries provide to be a refuge and not a prison since you can opt out without forfeiting the comfort and safe space of the library. Computer skills and access in many communities is rare privilege and this hobbles people’s economic prospects. Libraries tend to have a couple of computers available for patrons to access but they are usually not plentiful, the lines for access are long, and some don’t even know how to use them or what they would use them for. There needs to be a computer room with a full-time computer monitor/teacher available. Here basic computer literacy classes could be held from how to use Microsoft products to using emails and search engines effectively. People would also be able to receive assistance with online job applications, university applications and bursary applications. Giving people the ability to access the internet opens them to a world of possibilities and opportunities that they could have never imagined possible.

The library can also be far more than just a place of learning. It can be a recreational centre where different types of classes are held from dancing and drama to games nights and community meetings. The library can be a hub for the community where it is always teaming with activity and life. The silence and comfort that is found in traditional libraries will still be there and rules will be adhered to in the main area (where the actual books are) because spaces for talking and expression have been made available. Each library will grow and develop to accommodate the community it serves, and each library will have its own identity. There will be room for individual determination and the library could grow into far more than we can envision. Government will be able to pilot social programs and initiatives with ease as there will not be a need for new agencies and organisations with each new program implemented. There will also be less tax leakages as government will not be outsourcing anything even though they are not burdened with the daily running of the libraries. 

This could also be an opportunity for NGO’s to do meaningful work and receive a platform (the library) from which to springboard. Instead of each NGO trying to fight the good fight individually and lobby government and private corporations for assistance, they could partner up with the libraries to help solve community specific problems while maximizing the potential of government facilities, institutions and resources. This helps alleviate the burden on the government and decentralises these programs which is important for effective solutions that require creativity and flexible thinking and implementation.

This is not about just about “pimping out” libraries and making them fun places to be. This is about the government using creative and “design” thinking to solve South African problems in a manner that will reach citizens and positively impact their lives and communities. 



Comments

  1. UnknownMay 31, 2020 at 3:27 PM

    Interesting. This would help SA in so much than just its literacy problem.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sibusiso SpondoMay 31, 2020 at 6:34 PM

    Yes it would. The idea is simply to introduce a new way of looking at state resources and how to get help to the people that need it most. Creative thinking is what we need if we are to create the future we deserve. Thank you for reading my blog and the comment.

    ReplyDelete

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