17 Mar 2014

The Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, Mr Shaw Kgathi says libraries are not just development projects to change the rural landscape, but rather information resource centres intended to transform lives of the rural people.

Speaking at the official handing over of the Sebina Community Library and Cultural Centre on Thursday, March 13, Mr Kgathi said through utilisation of libraries communities could be developed into knowledgeable communities  who are able to participate in the global economy.

He said apart from reading, the library would also bridge the information divide that prevails between rural and urban communities.

“The Sebina library comes at a time when the Botswana National Library Service has diversified its services with the introduction of Information Communication Technology (ICT),” said Mr Kgathi.

He noted that until 2008, no library had computers or Internet for public access but that to date 75 libraries countrywide offered access to computers, among them 51 which offered Internet access.

The minister, who is also Bobirwa MP, explained that while the Sebina library was the 10th to be completed under the partnership of the government, the community and the Sara and Robert Rothschild Family Foundation, the computers and the Internet were a collaboration between the government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

He said to date 350 computers have been installed in public libraries and village reading rooms across the country. He added that since 2009, 62 000 community members have been trained on basic ICT skills.

Mr Kgathi urged the Sebina community to use the library and to learn how to use computers and access the Internet in order to interact better with the world.

He said in addition to computing, libraries also have programmes which serve to develop and empower community members on different aspects of life such as chess, scrabble and monopoly.

“These programmes are both educational and recreational and can assist young persons to develop cognitive skills and enhance creativity as well as boosting decision-making skills,” said Mr Kgathi.

The minister said the completion of the Sebina library brought the number of libraries to 101 which translated to 34 public libraries and 67 village reading rooms.

Mr Rothschild said his foundation was committed to constructing two libraries per year in selected villages starting from 2007 up to 2016.

He also encouraged the community to use the library in order to be better positioned to communicate with the rest of the world.

Sebina Community Library and Cultural Centre committee chairperson, Mr Moses Mphuchane applauded the Sara and Robert Rothschild Family Foundation for their gesture.

Mr Mpuchane also thanked Ms Emie Smart, who was a Peace Corp in Sebina in 2012, for seeking assistance from the Sara and Robert Rothschild Foundation Family Foundation regarding the construction of the library.

Mr Mphuchane said the library has a registered membership of 116 people which translated to 14 adults, 35 youth and 68 children.

He appealed to the community to continue registering and utilising the library as the current statistics indicated that it was under-utilised. Mr Mphuchane further implored the community to guard against theft and vandalism of the library.

Tutume Sub-district chairperson, Councillor Phillip Makale said the construction of the library in Sebina was a positive step in the right direction. He added that funds permitting, the village would be a service centre just like Nata. ENDS