There are plenty of Rea Vaya stations within walking distance of the Joburg central library, giving easy access to this revamped centre of excellence.

Revamped centre of excellence

REA Vaya stations form a gateway to the revamped Johannesburg City Library, providing residents easy access to the treasure trove of dynamic and rare materials available at the facility.

The library reopened on 14 February after being closed for several years while renovations and construction was undertaken.

There are plenty of stops within walking distance of the state-of-the-art centre of excellence: Chancellor House Eastbound Station, Library Gardens Eastbound Station, and Carlton Eastbound Station on Market Street; Chancellor House Westbound Station, Library Gardens Westbound Station, and Carlton Westbound Station on Commissioner Street; and Rea Vaya bus stops on Harrison, Rissik and Kerk streets. Rea Vaya buses can be boarded in Soweto, at Ellis Park, and at other areas in the Inner City.

Renovations and refurbishments began in 2009, after the library closed for the work. There is now a modern element added to its original classic design. Work on the protected heritage building cost some R68-million to complete.

It is bounded by President, Market and Sauer streets, and can easily be reached by hopping on a Rea Vaya bus – easy access is crucial for bridging the education divide.

The Johannesburg City Library has been transformed with technological upgrades to become a learning centre of excellence. It is now able to accommodate some 566 people, compared to its previous 255 seats.

"In South Africa, libraries are playing an increasingly critical role in improving literacy levels, encouraging young and old to partake in the joy of reading, and providing access to the information that is so crucial for extracting the most from modern-day living," Chris Vondo, the city's portfolio head of community development, said at the reopening.

COMPUTERS

Study spaces, meeting and discussion areas, and a centre to teach computer literacy have all been included. Three new floors have been added, which rise in the centre of the original building. The facility has been brought up-to-speed regarding electronic information, and has 212 public access computers and wi-fi areas.

The old theatre has also been restored and is now a public activity space or conference venue.

Apart from the other amenities, there are also collections such as the Africana in the Harold Strange Collection of African Studies, the Michaelis art collection, the performing arts collection, the newspaper and picture collection, and the children's book collection.

Additional toilet facilities, modernised lifts, and upgraded electrical and air-conditioning systems help make both the old and new sections fully functional spaces more like a socially inclusive living room or home-from-home.

A number of interventions to alleviate high levels of poverty, unemployment and social exclusion have been incorporated into the facility's centre for excellence. This centre has a focused support area that will work to narrow the skills mismatch between industry needs and the available labour force, to help ease the unemployment rate.

Supporting under-resourced school libraries with professional staff members skilled in assisting any task or activity is another of the facility's mandates.

The Johannesburg City Library is open on Mondays to Fridays, from 9am to 5pm, and on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. For more information, contact the library on 011 226 0953.

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>Related links:

• Revamped library to open
• Centre of excellence opens