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The South African Booksellers Association would like to extend its condolences on the passing of Mr Hargraves to his wife Maureen, son Richard and the Hargraves family. The Hargraves have been actively involved in book selling, the Association and specifically the Library Sector for many decades. At this time we wish the family, their friends and the team at Hargraves Library Services peace, forbearance and patience.

The Library Sector Vic Lopich The library situation nationally is somewhat unclear but there are funds allocated to library services. The Conditional Grant has been reduced from R 1.48 billion to R1.17 billion. Provincial and municipal apportionment towards library purchase will be decided at a later time. In general libraries are struggling with creating protocols that enable them to open and begin servicing their communities but the situation continues to unfold. Provincial libraries in the Free State, Gauteng, Northwest and Limpopo and the Mangaung, eThekwini and City of Joburg libraries are closed. Some Provincial, Municipal and University libraries that are closed have been responsive to emails as staff are working from home. There have been several libraries making enquiries regarding […]

Please join the 2020 SABA virtual conference and AGM – follow the link to the programme here and the link to register here.

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The Library and Information Association of South African (LIASA), the Professional Body for Library and Information Services (LIS) in South Africa, remains in full support of our South African government and the efforts to address the worldwide SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We actively appeal to our members and the wider Library and Information Services sector to adhere to the current regulations and guidelines well knowing the impact on the sector and on its ability to continue providing information and reading services to communities. LIASA continues to assert the intrinsic value of reading and so this is a loss to us all. We note that in the easing of the national lockdown to level 4 that “educational” books only will become available for […]

Initially, employers lodged claims under TERS by emailing a designated UIF email address. However, to simplify and expedite the application process, the UIF has recently developed an online portal to lodge claims under TERS. To assist employers in lodging a claim under TERS using the online application process, the steps to be taken are as follows: Step One: Go to Website Enter the URL https://uifecc.labour.gov.za/covid19 into any web browser. Step Two: Register as User Register as a user by clicking on the “Register” button which appears on the top left of the application system homepage. The employer will have to register as a user of the online platform by providing certain information such as, for example, the employer’s UIF reference […]

With lockdown eased to level 4 and hopefully continuing to open up, managers have to prepare for open up shop. Here are post-lockdown to-do list guidelines and suggestions. Permits, where applicable Deep clean premises (public facing surfaces, multiple times a day) Order sanitiser at doors (preferable single entry/exit) Masks/visors for staff (or see through Perspex screens mounted on counters) Contact-less payment methods Email receipts/ invoices Gloves for staff (difficult to handle money with gloves but OK for back office/receiving) Floor markings for queues (1 m spacing) Social distancing training for staff Thermal scanners to check temperature Covid-19 tests for staff (at Dischem) TERS claims Insurance Laminated poster of government rules where Public toilets are available, touchless sanitary equipment (soap dispensers, […]

Retail space everywhere is being disinfected regularly … including Bookstores.

After the success of their first printed compendium, We Have A Game Changer: A Decade of Daily Maverick in November last year, online newspaper Daily Maverick announced plans to create a permanent book publishing division under the auspices of Ingeborg Pelser (pictured). Pelser has more than 20 years’ experience in publishing, having worked at David Philip, Jonathan Ball and Quivertree, and recently founded Flyleaf Publishing & Distribution in Cape Town. The imprint will be called Maverick 451, and will aim to rock the industry boat by paying its authors a higher percentage than the norm. According to Pelser, the Daily Maverick readership affords the publisher a unique channel to market and sell new titles, while its access to quality content […]

Mr Kepi Madumo is a highly experienced executive who, since early 2002, has gained senior leadership experience in the Library and Information Sector as Director: Provincial Library, Information and Archives Services in the North West Province.  The most notable roles occupied by Mr Madumo include Executive Director in the Department of Community Development, City of Johannesburg; Strategic Executive Director in the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts, Culture and Libraries, City of Tshwane; Director of Information Management in the National Department of Social Development; and Divisional Head of Strategy, Research and Organisation Performance at the City of Ekurhuleni. Mr Madumo holds a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Studies from the University of Cape Town and has completed the Executive Leadership […]

Both national and international stakeholders are concerned about the Copyright Amendment Bill. Concern from Washington (United States) that the bill threatens intellectual property rights could end SA’s preferential access to the US market at a cost of R12 billion in exports. President Cyril Ramaphosa and Sports, Arts & Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa have said that the bill needs to take into account stakeholder concern and needs to be reworked. Read the full story here

A year of acheivements The Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) celebrated 20 years of existence in 2017 with amazing achievements, among others Professional Body Status, and having six members serving on the African Library and Information Association and Institution (AfLIA) Governing Council, acknowledgement as a key stakeholder in the development of Library and Information Services (LIS) in Africa. The Association is driving LIS for the growth and development of South Africa and in the continent. Below are some highlights of the past year.  LIASA Conference 2017  We have hosted a very successful 18th Annual Conference 2017 in Boksburg with the theme “Re-envisioning the role of Library and Information Services” and presented a very positive Annual Report on […]

New York City’s most iconic library is set to receive a $317 million makeover. The Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo and New York and D.C. firm Beyer Blinder Belle will overhaul the landmarked Stephen A. Schwarzman Building–the Beaux Arts masterpiece located on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street and famous for its sweeping outdoor staircase and lion statues–to add 20% more space for public exhibitions, research, and educational programs. The project, scheduled for completion in 2021, is emblematic of a broader transformation of libraries from bastions of public knowledge into fun houses–for better or worse, depending on who you ask. Read the full article by Diana Budds on Fastco here.

It has been another year of fluctuations for library business with changes in some major metropolitan areas adding to this. Northern Region Polokwane have opened their systems for purchases. There is no tender in place but there are preferred suppliers. City of Tshwane have advertised their new tender. There is no confirmation on who was awarded the new tender. There has been a change in the Senior Management as the Director for libraries Mr Mogora retired earlier this year. What the changes will be at this library service remains to be seen. Ekurhuleni has a tender still in operation although I am certain a new tender will be advertised this year when the current one comes to an end. The […]

With the NLSA The NLSA through the Mzansi Libraries On-Line Project have partnered with Business Connexion (BCX) to recruit and develop skills among school leaving and unemployed youth in the career field of ICT Librarian. The objective is to put them through a graduate internship programme to train and deploy them for ICT technical support capacity at community libraries. This partnership will assist the libraries in maximizing the potential of new access to information services and technologies offered through the Mzansi Libraries On-Line Project. Professor Rocky Ralebipi-Simela, the National Librarian and CEO of the NLSA said, “This programme, which we are proud to host, will see valuable contribution to skills development among youth. Increasing ICT support in community libraries will […]

Russian librarians may stage significant protests to a planned consolidation of the domestic library industry. The reform could trigger extensive layoffs of workers, the librarians say, and precipitate a crisis in the industry.Earlier in March, the government announced plans to complete a merger of the Moscow-based Russian State Library (RSL) and St. Petersburg’s Russian National Library (NLR)—the country’s two biggest libraries—in coming months. Publishing Perspectives reported, that merging the libraries is part of a major state reorganization of the Russian library system, the idea for which was introduced two years ago.The planned merger has triggered public response and protests before, as well as objections from representatives of both libraries, leading book-industry specialists, and even some state officials. Read more here

The goal of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) project is to create a new city library in the late monarch’s honor by converting an existing structure into a Library scheduled to open in March this year. This is welcome news in comparison to the pressure currently being placed on library budgets in the US and the UK. The project, situated on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue, is part of a campaign to advertise Bangkok as a City of Learning, one that promotes a culture of reading. The initiative was launched in 2013, when Bangkok was named by UNESCO as a World Book Capital. BMA officials say they hope that the library’s prime location—accessible to both car and public transportation, and “just a […]

Baroness Gail Rebuck, chair of Penguin Random House UK, delivered an educated and insightful speech on Thursday 13th October as part of a debate in the House of Lords, where Lord Bird moved that the House of Lords take “note of the cultural, civic and educational significance of local libraries and independent bookshops in the United Kingdom. “My Lords,” she said. “I would like to thank the noble Lord, Lord Bird, for initiating this debate. The big issue for me – if I may borrow a phrase from my noble Lord – is books and their enduring importance to civil society and the extent to which both bookshops and libraries are essential to their continued success. Without both, we will […]

Libraries are cornerstones of civic space, providing a free hub for learning and ideas. But with the rise of the internet, the role of the library has come into question all over the world and things are changing. American architectural photographer Elizabeth Felicella has spent the past eight years riding public transit to all 211 library branches in New York city, photographing not only their architecture and their nooks and crannies, but also the little adaptations that librarians and custodians have conjured to better retrofit the space to changing times. she argues that these buildings are not only historically significant—they are also living reflections of the communities they serve. Read more about her series, Reading Room, here.

By Richard Hargraves. I would really like to start a report with, “Full steam ahead!” but I am afraid this is still not the case. Library supply is a case of stop, start and return to the start with reams of paperwork in between. Always have twenty sets of original and certified documents on hand at all times is my advice to people wondering how to break into the market which one would think a very strange requirement. It is an administrative nightmare and ensures you to have a good collection of rubber stamps.

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