The City of Cape Town on Wednesday said it was planning to spend more than R40 million this financial year on library maintenance and upgrades across the city.
In a statement, the City said its Library and Information Services (LIS) plans to spend more than R43 million on library upgrades, the completion of the Dunoon library, new Wi-Fi connections, services and the acquisition of reading materials.
LIS will spend just under R18,5 million on books, magazines, newspapers and e-resources subscriptions to ensure that the City’s libraries have appealing reading materials to engage all library patrons. Other City libraries will receive R7,7 million for proactive maintenance.
“In a technological and digital age, the City is often asked why it spends money on upgrading and maintaining these spaces. Libraries have always been at the heart of the communities they serve and are accessible and safe spaces, providing access to a huge repository of information and knowledge,” said the City of Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith.