Bulawayo Public Library
The Bulawayo Public Library is a group of libraries in Bulawayo consisting of 4 library locations in the city, the main one being the 8th Avenue/Fort Street one. It is registered in terms of the welfare Organizations Act (Chapter 93).
History
According to the library's records, the idea of the library came about in March 1896 as a result of the First Chimurenga war. Many Europeans flocked into the town to seek protection and it was decided there was a need to get to a place "where one could sit in peace and have something to read."[1]
The Old Bulawayo Public Library operated from a rented eight-roomed prefabricated paper house in Main Street on the corner 6th Avenue. The Library was officially opened on 5th September 1996.[2]
A foundation stone of the 8th Avenue /Fort Street site was laid on the 5th of November 1897 and the New present day Bulawayo Public Library was officially opened on 31 March 1898.
Following the establishment of the library, its wider purpose became catering to European information, recreational, educational, and cultural needs. A twelve-man library Committee was chosen to run the facility and their major role was to fundraise for the library.
Branches
- Bulawayo Public Library at 8th Avenue and Fort Street
- Ascot Library
- City Hall Library
- Cowdray Park Library
- Book Bus Library - Introduced in 1978, this is a mobile library bus to cover schools and shopping centers in the outskirts of the city.
Facilities
- Study Room
- Children's Library
- Braille - The Bulawayo Public Library has a braille section that caters for blind and visually impaired people. The subscription is totally free and the section is now fully computerized and we offer free internet.
- Red Carpet - Red Carpet department where you find a broad assortment of romance and newly published thrillers plus the latest magazines and newspapers.
The Library's Challenges
P Vickery a historian wrote that
"Right from the beginning money was a problem .subscriptions were always way below running costs. In 1897 only $70.00 had come as subs and the library had spent twice as much."[2]
Leaders
- Chief Librarian - Rita Budi
References
- ↑ Welcome to Bulawayo Public Library, Bulawayo Public Library Official Site, Accessed: 9 March 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 About Us, Bulawayo Public Library Official Site, Accessed: 9 March 2023
