Randburg Library is celebrating a significant milestone on Tuesday, 1 August 2023, as the City of Johannesburg is thrilled to be the recipient of a permanent power solution for it. The City of Johannesburg is pleased to partner with Orchard on 25 on behalf of Nestlé Bar-One.

“The City was elated when approached to identify a library where they could install an alternative energy supply source to enable library patrons to access and use the library during load shedding. The collaboration contributes to the City’s Sustainable Development Goal of forming partnerships,” says Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development, Cllr Lubabalo Magwentshu.

 

Libraries are adversely affected by loadshedding. The increased impact of the national power crisis may lead to disruption to operations, loss in productivity and missed deadlines, and negative perceptions and damage to the organisation’s reputation and decrease in library usage. It may have a negative psychological impact on the many youth that uses our facilities for study and research purposes.

 

Students and learners experience stress and anxiety, feelings of frustration and hopelessness as they become uncertain about their ability to complete their studies. 

 

Back-up power will ensure that the library delivers continuous value to the community, the department, and the City, and it will ensure access to library services by the public during operating hours. It will also improve staff morale and staff morale impacts on productivity levels. 

 

“Nestle Bar-One we thank you,” says Director for Joburg Libraries Nobuntu Mpendulo.

 

Randburg is a vibrant regional library situated in a commercial business centre next to a taxi rank that is accessible to communities in the surrounding suburbs and communities in nearby disadvantaged areas such as Cosmo City.

 

The use of the library projects itself clearly for mainly study purposes. An estimated 50% of the library hours the users require seating to study and use their personal textbooks/notes. Little or no assistance is required from the staff members and only quick reference, manuals and prescribed/additional reading material that are prescribed by tertiary institutions are used. Peak times are during examination periods. 

 

The actual users of library material are scholars who also require assistance from the staff. Peak times are therefore in the afternoons when the schools close and during examination periods when the library is used as a quiet place to study.