Davidsonville Library shares reading culture at 2023 Arnold Classic Africa

The Davidsonville Library showed off its culture of reading and love for the arts at the 2023 Arnold Classic Africa sports festival as part of an annual campaign that encourages literacy and access to information services among children.

The branch represented libraries around the City of Johannesburg in Region C as part of its community development strategy. The team participated in the festivities by setting up a marquee with face painting, book stalls, and other promotional materials to encourage fun while learning. The campaign aimed to raise awareness around the issue of illiteracy and to encourage youth participation in the area by providing services that are accessible, therefore fostering a culture of active reading.

Branch Librarian Beaula Jones, whose vision for the library is to increase its membership by 50% by December, says that events like this are important as they offer a platform, especially to young people in a culture whereby information should be easily available.

“Children do not make use of the library often, and if they do, they normally would just inquire in passing. Parents should encourage their children to adopt a culture of reading and should bring them to libraries,” she said.

The unique experience offered by the library, according to Jones, is the untimely value that physical books hold. The ease of access, vocabulary which is tailored to individual audiences, colors-pops, pictures, and textures are some of the elements that make the library stand out.

Partnership with a nearby school saw almost 50 new members joining in the past weeks and Jones encourages parents and role models to promote the joys of reading. Members are reminded that the library offers free membership cards to take out books, printing facilities, access to free Wi-Fi for educational purposes and assistance with research for homework, proposals and other projects. Library times are from Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.