The City of Johannesburg has appointed the Joburg Development Agency (JDA) to implement renovations to the Johannesburg City Library on the corner of Albertina Sisulu road and Pixley Ka Isaka Seme street.

The library is a protected heritage building on the western edge of Beyers Naude Square that opened in 1935, and has more than 1.5-million books and more than 250 000 members.

The scope of renovation work includes roof repairs, waterproofing and gutters, and skylight repairs. The JDA will also upgrade the fire detection and fire protection solutions, which will include commissioning a gas suppression system and putting up fire signage.

The JDA’s objective is to deliver this public infrastructure project using labour-intensive methods with the aim of job creation and income generation. A total of two small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) are involved in the project, and SMME expenditure is approximately R904 000, says JDA CEO Mokgema Mongane.

“The Johannesburg City Library is a heritage asset that adds character and beauty to our city. We hope that once the renovations are complete, the library and information services will again play a vital role in the lives of residents,” he adds.

Further, the contents of the library are invaluable and represent many years of hard work and dedication. The internationally recognised Harold Strange Library of African Studies is one of the notable offerings at the Johannesburg City Library, and consists of vast collections of material on all aspects of the history and culture of Southern Africa.

This collection includes manuscripts, maps, private papers, books, pamphlets and photographs. Of significant interest to researchers are the collections of African languages, literature and ethnology and the history of the Witwatersrand, gold mining and Johannesburg, Mongane notes.

The newspaper section provides bound and microfilmed newspapers dating from the early 19th century and a cuttings collection covering a broad range of topics, he add.