City libraries are community knowledge centres

18 February 2021

Today the City’s Executive Mayor, Alderman Dan Plato, and the Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien, began a series of library visits to highlight the services available to the public at these facilities. The first stop was in Dunoon and Table View. Nearly two years after its official opening, the City of Cape Town’s R40 million Dunoon Library remains a hub of information and learning to enrich the young and not-so-young. One of the main services at libraries is SmartCape, a free internet service for library patrons that provides an invaluable resource for the scores of residents who make use of the service on a daily basis.

‘COVID-19 has made it necessary to rethink the way many things are done, and the City of Cape Town has kept 100 libraries available to the public in a safe and responsible manner. There is immense value for all at libraries and with internet and digital connectivity, libraries are bridging the gap between past and future. At Dunoon Library there is an almost endless source of learning materials with 15 000 library items. This world-class three-storey library has turned the page to become a beacon of light and knowledge in the area and having such a facility is one of many examples demonstrating our commitment to providing quality infrastructure and services in communities that need them most. This award-winning building has been recognised internationally, but the true value lies in the knowledge, education and learning opportunities which are made possible within these walls,’ said Executive Mayor Dan Plato.

The state-of-the-art Dunoon Library facility is a partnership between local, provincial and national spheres of government and is energy and water efficient as it makes use of LED motion-sensor lights and grey water. The City of Cape Town’s Urban Sustainability Unit won the 2019 Human City Design Award in Korea, which recognises designers or groups that have contributed to building a more sustainable relationship between residents and their environment, those tackling urban environmental issues, while presenting a unique vision through creative design. A team of City professionals designed the Dunoon sports complex and library.

At Dunoon Library, there are ordinarily two City SmartCape sections: one for children under twelve (three terminals) and eight terminals for adults. There are more than 3000 items to browse on SmartCape and it remains a valuable resource at city libraries. In addition to the SmartCape feature, the library boasts access to digital resources, a reference study section and free Wi-Fi with limited data downloads. To ensure compliance with COVID-19 social distancing, only five of the eleven SmartCape terminals are currently available.

Dunoon Library is more than just a space for books and entertainment, but has become a centre for learning and a part of the community by engaging residents on matters of importance and providing assistance. The number of books that were scanned in the last six months at Table View totalled 16 404. Given that libraries offer limited services, the numbers show how popular the Table View library is and how it has become a community asset during the 30 years it has been open. While the celebration to commemorate two decades will be muted, it is nonetheless a milestone we are very proud of,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services & Health, Zahid Badroodien.

‘During January, the Table View Library circulated just over 7 000 items. The librarians here, and at other libraries, have gone the extra mile and arranged study sessions for matric learners from the neighbouring high school during the lockdown,’ added Councillor Badroodien.

Below is a list of libraries offering browsing, study space, SmartCape internet access and drop and collect services:

Libraries open for drop and collect, browsing, study access as well as SmartCape access:
Adriaanse, Athlone, Avondale, Belhar, Bellville South, Bishop Lavis. Brooklyn, Bothasig, Brackenfell, Bridgetown, Brown’s Farm, Camps Bay, Claremont, Central, Crossroads, Delft, Delft-South, Dunoon, Durbanville, Eersteriver, Eikendal, Elsies River, Fisantekraal, Fish Hoek, Grassy Park, Gugulethu, Hanover Park, Harare, Huguenot Square, Kensington, Koeberg, Kraaifontein, Kuyasa, Lansdowne, Langa, Leonsdale, Lotus River, Macassar, Maitland, Mamre, Manenberg, Masiphumelele, Meadowridge, Melton Rose, Milnerton, Moses Mabhida, Muizenberg, Nyanga, Ocean View, Ottery, Parow, Philippi East, Pinelands, Retreat, Rondebosch, Rylands, Colin Eglin Sea Point, Scottsdene, Simonstown, Southfield, Strandfontein, Strand, Suider-Strand, Table View, Mitchell’s Plain Town Centre, Valhalla Park, Vredehoek, Westridge, and Woodstock.

Staff at the above-mentioned libraries will follow strict COVID-19 protocols. Patrons will be screened prior to entering our libraries to ensure the safety of all patrons and staff. All visitors are required to wear a mask, sanitise their hands and adhere to social distancing protocols.

Libraries open for Drop and Collect only
Goodwood, Gordon’s Bay, Lentegeur, Kommetjie, Mowbray, Pelican Park Satellite, Plumstead, Rocklands, Somerset West and Weltevreden

Libraries open for Drop and Collect and browsing only
Edgemead, Khayelitsha Site B, Kulani, Masakhane and Tygervalley

Libraries open for Drop and Collect, browsing and SmartCape access
Lwandle/Hector Pietersen, Kloofstreet, Kuilsriver, PD Paulse, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Tokai and Wynberg

Libraries open for Drop and Collect, browsing and study access only
Bonteheuwel, Heideveld, Hout Bay and Nazeema Isaacs

Libraries open for Drop and Collect, Study and SmartCape access only
Hangberg, Mfuleni and Tafelsig

The following operating hours will apply:

Monday to Friday 09:00-16:00 and Saturday 09:00-12:00.
Loan period – 30 days
Renewal – one renewal for additional 30 days
Borrowing privileges – 20 items including five audio-visual items (CDs/DVDs)
No reservations or inter-library loans will be done at present
Patrons and visitors are requested to acquaint themselves with the capacity limits for each of the services by accessing the information on the Online Public Catalogue (OPAC) at https://opac.capetown.gov.za/client/en_US/a/

End

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office