The problems with the South Gauteng High Court persist, according to a letter from Judge Kathy Satchwell published in the Business Day (and reported on News24.)

 <snip> First, I use that library to the extent that it remains possible. I can personally bear witness to much, if not all, of that to which Judge Claassen has brought our attention. He is correct - the library no longer functions to the professional standard expected in a high court."

Here are links to earlier postings on SALibrariesintheNews.

AllAfrica reports:  "The Department of Justice was yet to respond to a letter about the "complete deterioration" of the judges' library at the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, the Johannesburg Bar Council said yesterday.

The advocates' body's chairman, Lotter Wepener SC, told Business Day yesterday that the council had written to Justice director-general Nonkululeko Msomi in June about the state of the library in SA's busiest court. But it was yet to get a response to the letter, he said."

 <snip>

The council agreed with Judge Claassen's view that the problem lay with the library's management. A qualified librarian had left and had been replaced by "persons without the appropriate levels of experience and skill".

Links to earlier postings, here and here,  on SALibrariesinthenews.

JhbBarCouncilPRstatement.pdf

The Ntsikelelo Tida Library in Richmond was formally opened last week (28th May 2010) by the Premier of the Northern Cape, Ms H Jenkins.

In her speech, Ms Jenkis said that it is often said that the library is the heart of a society, but that she considered it "the brain."  "It is the trajectory that illuminates the mind.  In short a library is indispensible to the intellectual growth of a community, especially our children." 

AllAfrica.com reports more fully on the state of the South Gauteng High Court Library.   See earlier posting carrying the story from Beeld.  And here's the story as carried in the Star. 

In his six-page memorandum to the Department of Justice, Judge Neels Claasen, points out that the problem arose from the vacancy for a chief librarian, who left in 2006.  Since then a number of librarians had been appointment, but none could do the work properly.    Part of the problem was the low salary that had been offered. 

The report goes to say that a decision was taken to send eight librarians from Pretoria to sort out the library, but in fact, in the end, only two were sent.

<snip>

The department's spokesman, Tlali Tlali, yesterday confirmed receipt of the memorandum, but denied that the library was in a shambles. "It is really a case of excessive exaggeration to try to paint that picture," he said.

"What we accept is that there may be efficiency challenges in the management of the library. But this is a matter that is receiving our attention."

Tlali said the department would not succumb to pressure, and it would not be prescribed to on how to deal with the problem. The department had identified a need to have somebody senior appointed, and it was following the correct procedures, he said.

Beeld reports that the state of South Gauteng High Court Library is "chaotic" and that the judges are "not inclined" to use the library.  

English translation of the report is below for the convenience of readers who do not read Afrikaans.

“Chaos” in library can lead to mistakes

Fear of using information from old sources grips judges here

Philip de Bruin

Some of the judges in the High Court in Johannesburg are “not inclined” due to fact that the Court’s library is “chaotic”, which leads to mistakes in their judgments.

This was discovered this weekend, but according to documents in the possession of Beeld this condition of deterioration has been 3 years in the making.

 Judge Neels Claassen,  chairperson of the library committee of the Court, confirmed this fact. One of the biggest problems that is experienced, is the fact that nobody will accept responsibility for this.

“The ball is being tossed from the Department of Justice’s head office and the regional office in Johannesburg.” According to Claassen.

“This Court is the busiest court in the country with the biggest work load. There is therefore already a lot of pressure resting on the judges’ shoulders. Additional frustration mounting due to the library’s content that is not on level with the newest text books, journals and legal judgments, creates a difficult situation.”

Claassen, after many requests for help, has now sent a memorandum to the department indicating that the library’s deterioration has reached critical levels. “Something must be done and it must be done quickly.”

“The library committee now demands – we do not ask anymore – that immediate action will be forthcoming (to appoint a proper librarian) in order to fix serious problems that occur because the department neglects to do anything about the situation.

Judges are not inclined to use the library because they are afraid that any judgment they pass will be based on obsolete or old books/acts. This situation can no longer be tolerated.” the memorandum states.

Mr Tlali Tlali, spokesperson of the Minister of Justice, Mr Jeff Radebe, did not react to any questions posed to him in the SMS sent to him the day before the yesterday. 

South African Library Week (SALW) affords the library and information services sector the opportunity to actively promote and enhance libraries nationally. SALW 2010 will be observed from March 22-27 2010 with a difference. The Department of Arts and Culture is partnering with LIASA to create a campaign for libraries, books and reading with national impact. We urge all libraries, librarians and information workers to embrace this opportunity wholeheartedly so that we may actively contribute towards the development of an informed and reading nation.

SALW 2010 Theme: Reading Changes Lives

Libraries are encouraged to showcase this theme by acknowledging our Nobel literature laureates; local writers and authors; indigenous languages and texts; testimonies of overcoming illiteracy and reading achievements of users of all ages; etc.

SALW 2010 Launch

SALW 2010 will be formally launched at the National Library of South Africa in Pretoria on Saturday March 20 2010 from 09:00 to 12:30. This is an acknowledgement of the opening of the first public library on March 20 1818, which subsequently became the State Library in Cape Town. It also acknowledges Human Rights Day which is celebrated on 21 March. As the freedom of access to information is enshrined in our Bill of Rights, there is an important link between this important event for libraries and promotion of the freedom of access to information to ensure that democracy flourishes.

Library and information workers are invited to attend. All libraries, service providers and vendors to the sector are invited to participate in this launch by displaying their banners as a show of their support towards contributing to the development of an informed and reading nation.

"Every Child a Book" - A month-long campaign in celebration of libraries, books and reading, 20 March - 23 April 2010

SALW 2010 forms the precursor to a month long promotion of libraries, books and reading, which will culminate on April 23 2010, World Book Day. During this month it is our intention to launch and actively promote the idea of "Every Child a Book". This campaign is to ensure that every child in South Africa is given a book to commence their journey towards a lifetime of reading. This may be in the form of an individual gift, presentations to schools, book collections for children's homes, etc.   

South African Librarian' Choice 2010

This was a campaign first held in 2004 in celebration of a Decade of Democracy. We would like to pick up this campaign to promote South African authors and the recommendations/choices of librarians. Please submit your list of ten titles by March 12 2010 so that the South African Librarian' Choice may be announced at the SALW 2010 launch. This list will be actively circulated and promoted in all libraries and book shops. So librarians, please do take up the challenge and let our voices be heard.

Story in the print edition of the Sunday Times (6 September 2009).

The Rand Club Library has been robbed of an entire collection of Mark Twain books -  The discovery was made at the end of August, and now a committee of members is examining how 14 books estimated to be worth R300000 just vanished from the exclusive club’s library.