Monday 16 March marks the start of SA Library week. The City of Cape Town’s Library and Information Services (LIS) will give library patrons the opportunity to return their books without receiving any fines and no questions asked.
“There are currently 96 000 library items that are overdue for more than two weeks while about 12 000 are overdue for two months,” the City’s media office wrote.
“Librarians have to go to great lengths to try and retrieve material. The patron is sent an SMS and after that, the librarian will call several times to try and get material back.”
The South African Library Week celebrates and highlights library services across our country. The LIS will offer four integrated programs based on location.
Councilor Zahid Badroodien, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health said, “To read is to learn and thousands of patrons also read books to relax or to be informed. Visiting your local library is for most of us a wonderful experience. A lot of learners want to go to their library to read and gain knowledge or accessing information for a school project. By returning your library item whether it is a book, DVD or magazine, you ensure that other patrons will also have the opportunity to make use of the service.”
According to the City, previous Fine Free Weeks have proven to be effective in getting overdue library items back. Last year they received 32 224 overdue items.
Unfortunately, there has been a loss of 45 537 items with a replacement value of over R4 million.
“We would like to encourage residents who have books that are overdue to make use of this opportunity during South African Library Week. Reading is a wonderful experience that all residents should have access to and we need to ensure that books are returned so that other patrons also have an opportunity to learn. Return your book,” Badroodien ended off.
