Abstract:
Public libraries play a critical role as service providers that benefit various user communities. Such institutions have helped sustain societies’ information, educational, recreational, and leisure needs. Public libraries arose at the beginning of the nineteenth century when Europe and American economies were transforming from a feudal to a capitalist economy based on industrialization. In Africa, Public libraries were established by the colonizers as part of the so-called oxymoronic civilizing mission that sought to turn the local people into labourers to sustain capitalism. The study investigated the accessibility of Mabeskraal Public Library services by teachers in Bojanala in the North West province of South Africa. The public library serves as a democratic institution whose doors are open for all people irrespective of race, sex, gender, educational level, religious affiliation, and any other discriminatory factor. The study sought to discover how teachers in Bojanala can use the Mabeskraal Public Library to fulfil their dynamic, diverse, and growing information, educational and recreational needs. Public libraries have a pedagogical mandate that requires them to support various demographic groups, including students, teachers, and other users, to access their services at no cost. This study examined how the Mabeskraal Public Library addresses the informational, educational and recreational needs of the teachers working near the library. Everyone should access public library services, and teachers were selected as the study’s target population because they serve as opinion leaders and change agents. This study chose a qualitative research methodology underpinned by an interpretive research paradigm. The researcher selected the qualitative approach because it is essential in responding to the research questions and permits subterranean comprehension and apprehension of the social world, particularly experiences, phenomena, and context. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and Associations (IFLA’s) Public Library Manifesto (2022), Oldenburg’s (1989) “third place theory,” Jochumsen Rasmussen and Skot‐Hansen’s (2012) “four space model” and Putnam, Feldstein, Cohen’s (2003) theory of “New Third Space,” and Conceptual model of library resources and accessibility based on an integrated framework of Ranganathan ( 1931) and Gorman’s (1995) theories underpinned the study. The researcher chose a non-probability sample that resonates with qualitative studies and interpretive research paradigms. The study sample was drawn from teachers from five schools serviced by the Mabeskraal Public LibraryData collection methods included interviews, focus group discussions, and literature review. Qualitative data was presented by deducing meaning from the verbatim responses from the research participants. The researcher combined the findings to ensure the study’s conclusions were achieved at the end of the study.
The results revealed that the Mabeskraal Public Library encountered budgetary constraints that ultimately affected service delivery. The organization and representation of library books proved cumbersome for users, thus affecting information searches, discovery, and access. The study recommended adopting modern ways of organizing and representing information using modern technologies by the library, including OPACs. The study advocated using ICTs to ensure teachers’ optimum use of library resources. The Mabeskraal Public Library lacks resources to manage library resources to enhance optimum use by teachers effectively. The study recommends that the Mabeskraal Public Library forge strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, including the government and development partners, to secure resources for leveraging library services for its users. The study contributes knowledge that adds to the corpus on public library service delivery in South Africa. Further research should focus on how the Mabeskraal Public Library can utilize library networks to build social capital for sustainability.
