02 Apr 2014

The newly built Molepolole Public Library will have the Internet connection during the current financial year, according Mr Jacob Sekgoni, the chief librarian at the Botswana National Library Service.

Mr Sekgoni said in interview that their collaboration with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation continued to bear fruit as various libraries across the country had the Internet.

He said the library’s endeavour to promote the use of e-resources to access information by customers and carry out research rather than rely entirely on the book material continued to bear fruit.

He said restocking of the ibrary was underway, adding that the readers’ collection was built over a long period of time and what was currently available was meeting the needs of the customers.

While that was not enough and that more could be done, a budget had been drawn to restock most of the libraries, but funds were never enough to complete the book collection instantly as there were other equally competing needs’.

Mr Sekgoni said, “libraries all over the country have been stocked with official documents including acts, policies, development plans and official reports.

As soon as new official publications are published by the Government Printer, such are procured and distributed to all libraries for use by customers,” he pointed out.

He also explained how they promoted the works of local writers as the custodians of written material for general reading and research. He said The Botswana National Library Service had an arm called the National Reference Library (NRL) mandated to administer the Legal Deposit Act.

“It is the National Reference Library that is responsible for the collection, processing and preserving the literary heritage of Botswana,” he said.  

The National Library Act (CAP. 58:02) Section 10 stipulates that, “The publisher of every book published in Botswana shall within one month after the day on which such book is first delivered out of the press, and notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary with any person, deliver at his own expense one copy of the book to the Librarian of the University of Botswana and two copies of the book to the Chairman of the Board (Library Board) or to such person and place as the Board may direct at (National Reference Library).

He said that was an important function of the department as it helped preserve and document Botswana’s literary heritage.

NRL also procures all literary works by Batswana authors and publishers published according to international standards for use in various public and community libraries’. Ends