Information has the power to illuminate people, believes Theresa Brink, an intern at the Sol Plaatje University (SPU) Library.
Brink was one of several librarians who attended the South African Librarians’ Day celebrations on 20 July at the Africana Research Library in Kimberley. The event was hosted by the Northern Cape branch of the Library and Information Association of South Africa (Liasa), celebrating its 25th year of existence.
Brink said she had chosen this career and described the internship as extremely rewarding. Growing up in Roodepan, the books she found in the library were often torn, with pages lost.
“I remember opening my first own, new book. It was amazing,” she said.
“We as librarians are social workers, psychologists and more; we assist people in all career fields,” said Constance Ndumela, an information librarian at the SPU.
Librarians talked about their journey, clearly indicating how happy they are in this career. “I am passionate about it”, “I have never looked back” and “It is my reason to get up; to go to work”, were some of the comments.
Bernice Nagel, Liasa branch secretary and professional librarian, talked on Bertram Dyer, South Africa’s first qualified librarian, who was appointed at the Kimberley Public Library on 1 August 1900.
With this appointment, Kimberley became the first town in the country to employ a full-time librarian. It is further said that Dyer was the person who first coined the word “Africana” for use in printed material.
Apart from all the firsts Dyer introduced to the library world, it is also said he is associated with the wandering ghost of the old Kimberley Public Library.
Manda Hough, Northern Cape Liasa chairperson and acting manager of the Kimberley Public Library, spoke about the advantages Liasa held for librarians.
Ndumela advised librarians to join the association.
“This is a space to transfer knowledge,” she said.
