Joburg libraries are a place where books go to die
At the centre of Beyers Naudé Square in downtown Johannesburg is a statue of an African woman taking a step forward with a Molotov cocktail in her left hand, a baby wrapped in a blanket on her back and a placard with the words “Democracy is Dialogue” in her right hand. She stands tall; the grand Johannesburg City Library as her backdrop.
The doors of the library have been closed since the Covid-19 pandemic. A year later, Emergency Management Services said the building was not compliant as it had major structural damage and it would be closed indefinitely for renovations.
Three years have passed since that announcement, and the library’s doors remain closed to the public. The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) has pencilled in a partial reopening for March 2025 subject to the contractor’s appointment.
The 89-year-old library houses more than 1.5 million books, as well as special collections such as the Africana in the Harold Strange Collection of African Studies, the Michaelis art collection, the performing arts collection, the newspaper and picture collection and the children’s book collection.
In August, Johannesburg councillors opened the doors of the library momentarily to some members of the public for a site inspection.
The building felt gloomy and abandoned.
The ceiling on the third floor had water stains and the paint was peeling, while fine cracks were visible around the edges. Library rooms were shut and the books inside them lifeless, unused and collecting dust. Wooden blocks on the floor were coming loose and some ceiling panels in the room housing the African Studies collection were broken.
The Johannesburg Heritage Foundation and Johannesburg Crisis Alliance have been lobbying for the phased reopening of the library and have said they are willing to work with authorities, which includes the JDA, the City’s implementing agency, to speed up the process.
They are meeting regularly to track the progress of the library’s reopening. At a meeting last month, the JDA confirmed that the first phase of repairs had been completed in July. This included replacing the roof, light fittings in the basement, wiring in distribution boards and external gutters and downpipes, including new waterproofing membrane. This cost the city R22 million.
The second phase of the repairs will cost the city R54 million, and includes building works such as alterations, waterproofing, carpentry and joinery, ceilings, partitions, access flooring, floor coverings, ironmongery, metalwork, glazing and paintwork; mechanical installations, including the heat, ventilation and air conditioning system, fire protection, smoke detection and toilet ventilation; and electrical installations.
The JDA said the scope of works is geared towards making the building compliant with the fire and building regulations.
The contract for full repairs is 10 months, and the first meeting with the contractor was held on 26 August, they said.
Johannesburg Heritage Foundation chairperson David Fleminger previously told the Mail & Guardian that it could take longer than 10 months.
“They’ve spoken to the various departments at Emergency Management Services, and they say that it’s going to take 10 months from when the contractors get access to the property before the library gets reopened.
“We said that’s not really satisfactory. That’s not why we’re all here trying to advocate for the library to be reopened. It’s a matter of urgency and we stressed that we want to see the sense of urgency around this issue.”
While the treasures in the city’s biggest library are collecting dust, a number of other libraries are suffering a similar fate.
Out of the 89 libraries in the city, including satellites, eight libraries are closed. The city confirmed the following:
• Protea North: Closed as a result of structural defects and is on the list of planned maintenance for the 2024-25 financial year
• Brixton: Demolished and a new library is under construction
• Murray Park: A new library is under construction in the 2024-25 financial year
• Southdale: Closed since October 2022 after a roof caved in after during a storm
• Eldorado Park Extension Two: closed because of structural defects. It is near completion and to be opened in the new financial year
• Ennerdale Extension Nine: Closed because of structural defects
• Poortjie: Upgrades have been completed and the staff are prepared for it to be opened in July
• Johannesburg City Library: Closed because of major capital projects and repair and maintenance.
The Ennerdale Extension Nine library has been closed since 2018, said Nonkosi Maliti, a community organiser for ward 7 and member of Action for Accountability, adding that the city has not yet confirmed when it will be reopened.
She said its closure has been a great loss to the Ennerdale and Finetown residents in the south of Johannesburg.
“Most of the young people in Finetown were using that library, because in Finetown we don’t even have a library. Now we only have one library in Extension One in Ennerdale, and it’s far for most of the young people.”
The Extension One library is in the civic centre, which has a hall and offices for the housing and human settlements department — all of which are functioning — but the library is closed for renovation.
Maliti said she used to have community meetings and events in the library. Before it closed it was not in a bad state, but there was a shortage of books and some equipment.
“That library is needed for the community because, to be honest, most of the students are studying at the libraries, especially in Finetown, because they don’t have electricity. So, those young people are only going to the library to study.
“It’s difficult for them to go to Lenasia because it is too far and they have to take a taxi to get there.”
City spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane said Ennerdale Extension Nine Library is on the list of planned maintenance for the 2024-25 financial year, but extensive work is required for all closed facilities and it has high capital cost implications.
“The libraries will be repaired as per priority (for example, access to other libraries within a certain radius) and cost implications,” Modingoane said.
According to the city’s draft medium-term budget for 2024-25, community development projects were allocated R45.6 million, and R640 000 to libraries’ operational capital.
Community development projects include reading and resource development, library services access, mass participation and recreation, sport development and access to facilities and services.
The Brixton Library, under construction, is on the premises of the Brixton Multipurpose Centre in Mayfair West. A safety officer on site, who asked not to be named, said progress has been slow and there are not enough workers because there were problems with their pay.
Modingoane said the library was demolished in the 2018-19 financial year and is part of a precinct development project implemented by the Johannesburg Development Agency.
“The library had serious structural defects and could not be extended and upgraded as part of the precinct development. Thus, the decision [was taken] to demolish the building. The books and furniture are kept in storage — most of the books will now be outdated.”
He said the Covid-19 pandemic delayed a number of their projects but it was worse in the case of the Brixton Library, because the appointed contractor could not deliver on time. He said the library would be completed in 2024-25 financial year.
The Southdale Library in Robertsham in the south of Johannesburg is a sore sight for any book lover. Situated in a busy shopping centre, the floor of the entrance to the library door is covered with dry leaves, the gate and glass door behind it are closed. A flimsy box with lost clothing items blocks the way and a return box for books is covered in bird droppings and dust.
Through the dusty glass doors is a sight of complete abandonment. The roof of the library had caved in after a storm in October 2022 and what was once filled with shelves of books lay bare, broken and open to the sky. Birds have found a home in this graveyard of knowledge and stories.
Modingoane said it is also on the list of planned maintenance for 2024-25 financial year.
Among its projects, the city has recently renovated the Rabie Ridge Library, the Poortjie Library, the Eldorado Park Extension Two Library and the Randburg Library.
The Randburg Library, in a community service centre with a clinic and a licensing department, is modest in size with a bit of an old-fashioned charm. It is the only library that has solar facilities and was built in collaboration with Nestlé Bar-One after they realised that library facilities need to be kept open during load-shedding.
“Randburg Library was selected based on its location and usage by young people,” Modingoane said.
He added that the provision of solar power at other libraries is subject to budget availability, but the city was welcoming donations to extend this kind of project.
The children’s section opens up behind the librarians and their assistants. It has small tables and chairs, and the wooden shelves lining up against each other were only half full. They contain fiction and non-fiction books, including sections titled “Juvy Fiction”, “Foreign” and “English Fiction”.
Around the corner are classroom-style rows of desks and chairs, where a handful of people were reading and studying.
Tlangelani Nkwane and her friend were spending the afternoon in the library in preparation for their chartered accountancy exams. They’ve been going every day from 10am until 4pm, except on weekends because the library is closed.
Nkwane said she used to go to libraries when she was a child and started coming to the Randburg Library when she moved to Johannesburg to attend university.
“They provide an opportunity to meet people with similar interests as you, and it’s also a hideout for me; a place where I can be absorbed in my own world,” she said.
She said she enjoys the Randburg Library, in particular, because it is quiet and it’s clean, but would like for it to be opened on weekends.
The information section in the library had career guidance pamphlets for students and four desktop computers. The shelves contain non-fiction, fantasy, romance, Westerns and Afrikaans books. There are also classics and books by African writers.
A man was seated in a sunny, reading corner engrossed in a book about organic farming.
A mother walked in with her son of about 12, seeking to join the library. She was directed to a link on the City of Johannesburg’s website to register and become a library member. The boy looked around, half-fascinated and half-intimidated by this world he has just entered.
Books for the city’s libraries are sourced from approved suppliers.
Modingoane said the suppliers are selected through a tender process advertised nationally and the contract is valid for three years. The procurement process is done centrally and professional librarians city-wide select the books.
Although the library was not filled to capacity, Modingoane said libraries continue to store books even if they are outdated.
“Libraries do not discard or throw away books because they are outdated. We look at the literary value of each item, and those that are damaged through age or have lost their value are written off and form part of the Friends Book Sale.”
The city also offers online information resources, including e-books, e-journals and e-newspapers.
The Noordgesig Library in Soweto was recently renovated and was opened in 2021. It is architecturally modern on the outside and brilliantly spacious and bright inside. With two floors and various activity rooms, the library provides a neat space for people in the surrounding area to learn and interact.
The bottom section is separated into a children’s section that contains interactive, quirky and bright furniture. The bookshelves are lined against the walls, which are painted with colourful figures of animals and people.
A much smaller space is dedicated to adult books. They’re kept on steel shelves that stand beside each other, but they’re not filled to capacity.
When asked about the dead space, Modingoane said they are aware of the low stock of books.
“It is acknowledged that the book stock at Noordgesig, as well as many other libraries, is not on acceptable standard. This is due to Covid-19 that interrupted the tender process and libraries could not purchase books for three years.
“However, for the past two financial years, subscription to electronic resources increased and books are being purchased — the focus is on books for children.
“In the coming financial year most of the funds will be spent on books. It must also be noted that the needs and usage of a library are also determined by the community. It is not a one-size-fits-all,” he said.
The Noordgesig Library has ample space and potential to become something more for the surrounding neighbourhood, and two community convenors have recognised this.
Fabian and Lavinia Otto run holiday programmes for children from the age of three to get involved in the initiatives and learn more about the area that they live in.
They are also hoping to start a history room in the library.
“The reason we thought of the history room is because the kids at our local primary school got homework about their school and when they came to the local library there was nothing for them. They had to find out from this person and that person,” said Lavinia.
The walls in the neighbourhood have murals of the local community hero and legend Mama Glava, who ran food and community projects before her death.
The Ottos spearheaded many of the projects in what they call the “Noordgesig Plaza”, which has an amphitheatre for children’s performances, a swimming pool and a hall with the library. The local shops are painted with Mama Glava’s touch.
“This history room is not just about the school. It’s about the history, culture and heritage of Noordgesig. This place played a pivotal role when it comes to the politics under the apartheid government. That is also what we want to teach them,” Lavinia said.
Fabian, who is proud of what he and his wife have achieved and continue to do for the Noordgesig community, said the history room is another form of education for the public.
“It will bring so much vibrance and education for people to come in to be educated.”
They started the project in September 2023 and have hit bureaucratic hurdles along the way, but are hoping to open the history room in the library in September this year.
For the people who take pleasure in books and the magical worlds created by authors, libraries are a haven. But they’re also becoming a museum of the past, especially as more knowledge is transferred online.
The library in Lenasia South has retained its neatness and serenity.
The library stores encyclopaedias, reference books and A to Z collections of world books for general knowledge. Health education pamphlets are spread across the front table.
It was quiet, except for the few people strolling around the library.
Two women lamented about the selection of books, which they said had not been updated in a very long time.
They added that the books were not organised alphabetically either.
The City of Johannesburg’s libraries are treasure troves, but some have become a dying space.
Modingoane said they are still cultivating the culture of libraries and books.
“Two beautiful and much-needed libraries are also being constructed in Kaalfontein and Matholesville. Completion is planned for 2024-2025-2026 financial years,” he said, adding that books are being purchased in the meantime.
In the case of the Johannesburg City Library, Fleminger said despite the failures and flaws, there is still hope to revive the city’s library, and all it contains.