A new library situated in Fisantekraal, Cape Town has been officially opened by Executive Mayor Helen Zille.

The library, which will significantly improve the community’s access to print and electronic resources, is located in a new multipurpose complex built by the City as a community and library centre. It features 14 000 books jointly provided by the City and the Western Cape Provincial Library Service (WCPLS), a starter collection of CDS and DVDS, large print books, picture books and books for adults with poor reading skills. These are available in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa and are intended to uplift and educate people.

There are also five computers with internet access for public use. This resource is especially useful for those seeking employment, learners doing educational research and senior citizens wanting to keep up to date with electronic technology.

The opening ceremony on 26 November was attended by over 150 people, and although the library is only able to actually issue books from 15 December onwards, staff have been overwhelmed by the number of people wanting to register.

The funding for the construction of the library was provided by the Shuttleworth Foundation, which allocated R6 million to the project. The Foundation also allocated another R6 million to revamp the Durbanville Library, which is located in the adjacent suburb to Fisantekraal.

The Fisantekraal Library is located at the Cnr Dullah Omar and Peter Mokaba Streets in Fisantekraal. The library is open during the week from 11am – 17:00. On Tuesday and Thursday, it closes at 18:00. On Saturday, it is open between 09:00 and 12:00.