THE Alliance Française of Durban in collaboration with eThekwini Municipality will launch the opening of a new Francophone section of books in French on 17 January at Central Library, City Hall.
This launch is the continuation of the symbolic handover from Alliance Française of Durban of more than 2400 Francophone books at Westville Civic Center in September 2012. Biblionef, an international NGO dedicated to the donation of books in collaboration with the French Institute of South Africa, has since added another couple of hundred brand new books to that collection.
eThekwini eventually plans to open French sections in several additional strategically chosen libraries in order to provide a much needed source of reading to speakers of the French language, mainly immigrants from African countries.
“We believe that a Francophone book section is a good way to integrate the French-speaking communities, and this project is part of our aim to host migrant communities and to make our libraries a social inclusion space,” said Guy Redman, head of Libraries and Museums at eThekwini Municipality.
“This project is a fantastic achievement in collaboration with eThekwini Municipality, in our mutual effort to promote culture, education and mutual understanding. Although we have donated books to the municipal libraries and advised them in the acquisition of further French books, this was not a one-sided event, but an exchange, as eThekwini International Relations has given our library isiZulu books for our learners,” said Sarah Doignon, Director of the Alliance Française of Durban.
Situated in Morningside, the Alliance Française hosts a modern library where members can go online, borrow books, DVDs and CDs.
Alliance Française of Durban is one of 16 Southern African non-profit and public benefit organisations dedicated to the promotion of the French language and cultural diversity. It offers French classes for adults, children and corporations as well as isiZulu and Portuguese, and also French classes for learners from the refugee French-speaking communities in partnership with Refugee Social Services. It also organises and hosts cultural events, offer classes, and presents Café Saint Germain for French breakfasts and lunches.
Over and above books and DVDs, the Alliance Française library now offers access to a dynamic multimedia online library called Culturethèque. Alliance Française offers members of municipal libraries free subscription to this online resource which provides access to thousands of online books, comics, audiobooks, videos, newspapers, magazines, etc. to improve their French.
For more information visit the Central Library, City Hall, and the Alliance Française at 22 Sutton Crescent, Morningside, library.afdbn@alliance.org.za or 031 312 9582.
