Botswana National Library Service

Botswana National Library Service
Name	Botswana National Library Service
Country	Botswana
Established	1967
Location	Gaborone

Botswana National Library Service

The Botswana National Library Service is the statutory public library agency of Botswana, headquartered in Gaborone. It was established to support national literacy, cultural preservation, and information access across urban and rural areas, linking to institutions such as the Botswana National Museum, University of Botswana, Botswana Parliament, Botswana College of Distance and Open Learning, and international partners like the British Council and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The agency operates branches, mobile libraries, and digital services aligned with initiatives from the Southern African Development Community and frameworks influenced by practices at the Library of Congress, British Library, National Library of South Africa, and regional networks.

History

The origins trace to post-independence development initiatives following Botswana independence in 1966, formalized by statutes inspired by models from the United Kingdom and recommendations from missions associated with the Commonwealth of Nations, United Nations Development Programme, and the African Union. Early collaborations involved the British Council, UNESCO, and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions to establish standards and infrastructure. Over decades the Service expanded through projects funded by donors including the World Bank and bilateral partners such as Sweden and Germany, adapting after policy dialogues with ministries like the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development and educational stakeholders, and reacting to regional movements exemplified by the SADC Protocol on Culture.

Organization and Governance

Governance is set by an act of Parliament and overseen through a board connected to ministries including the Ministry of Education and Skills Development and bodies like the National Library Board models in other countries such as Singapore and Canada Council for the Arts. Administrative structures mirror international practice from institutions like the National Library of Australia and the Library and Archives Canada, with divisions for collection management, reader services, outreach, and ICT. Leadership has interacted with university partners such as the University of Botswana and donors including the European Union and United States Agency for International Development for programmatic oversight and capacity building.

Services and Programs

Services include public lending, reference, interlibrary loan with networks like OCLC, children’s programming inspired by UNICEF literacy campaigns, and school support initiatives coordinated with the Botswana Examinations Council. Mobile library units emulate projects seen in India and South Africa to serve remote communities. Adult literacy programs connect to NGOs such as World Vision and Save the Children, while professional development for librarians has involved exchanges with the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals and training at institutions like the University of Cape Town.

Collections and Resources

Collections encompass print materials, periodicals, government publications from the Government of Botswana, legal deposit items, local oral histories tied to groups like the Basarwa and materials in languages including Setswana and English. Holdings include research support for the University of Botswana, archival works similar to those at the National Archives of Botswana, and special collections relating to figures such as Sir Seretse Khama and events like Botswana national elections. Cooperative acquisitions have involved suppliers based in South Africa, United Kingdom, United States, and vendors used by the British Library.

Facilities and Branch Network

The national headquarters in Gaborone coordinates a network of district and village branches patterned after public library systems in Australia and New Zealand. Facilities include reading rooms, community halls, mobile libraries, and partnerships with centers such as the Maun Cultural Centre and municipal libraries in cities like Francistown and Selebi-Phikwe. Infrastructure investments have been supported by regional development banks including the African Development Bank and technical assistance from agencies like UNICEF.

Outreach and Community Engagement

Programs engage communities through collaborations with civil society organizations such as the Botswana Book Development Council and international campaigns like International Literacy Day and World Book Day. Initiatives target youth and marginalized groups, working with partners including the National AIDS Coordinating Agency for health information dissemination and NGOs like Equality Now for rights awareness. Cultural programming has linked to festivals such as the Gaborone International Music and Cultural Week.

Digital Initiatives and Technology

Digital services include online catalogs, digitization projects modeled on efforts by the Digital Public Library of America and the European Library, and internet access points inspired by the One Laptop per Child and Kenya's Digital Learning Program. Collaborations with the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions and ICT partners have advanced e-resources, metadata standards, and preservation, while partnerships with vendors used by the WorldCat network support resource sharing.

Notable Projects and Partnerships

Major projects have included nationwide mobile library rollouts supported by donors such as the World Bank and bilateral agencies like DFID and the United States Agency for International Development, digitization partnerships with UNESCO and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and training collaborations with the University of Botswana and the University of Cape Town. Regional cooperation has involved the Southern African Library and Information Associations', exchanges with the National Library of South Africa, and participation in multilateral initiatives under the African Union.

Category:Libraries in Botswana Category:National libraries