After successfully implementing extended hours at their municipal clinics, the City of Johannesburg has decided to do the same with 11 regional libraries, including Randburg, Ivory Park, Sandton and Orange Farm, with four more libraries soon to extend their hours.
Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba said in his State of the City Address last year that the City would extend library hours to some of its regional libraries in line with demand, and to redress the imbalances of the past.
In June last year, the City piloted the extended hours at 10 of its libraries by keeping them open until 1pm on Saturdays. The City’s MMC for Community Development, Nonhlanhla Sifumba said since then 11 908 more users have benefited from this.
“Libraries are a fountain of knowledge and with the smart initiatives of the City, users have access to Wi-Fi, connecting them to internet learning resource and potential economic opportunities,” Sifumba said.
“The extended library hours are in line with this administration’s priority to serve the forgotten people of Johannesburg by extending facility operating hours.”
Now, these libraries will operate for four more hours from 1pm until 5pm on Saturdays.
Extending operating hours at municipal centres have been at the forefront of Mashaba’s plans for Joburg. Not only have clinics and libraries’ hours been extended, but the City’s customer service centres also extended their operating hours early last year.
The centres have stayed open until midday on Saturdays.
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