The City of Cape Town’s Langa Library has received a loan of 400 CDs from the Performing Arts and Music section at the Central Library. The loan is part of a pilot project to enhance the offering at smaller libraries.
‘Langa is a small library in Cape Town’s oldest township, which for years provided an extremely limited music service. Modern library users, however, need and want more from the libraries that they visit. Even though these are challenging times and budgets are small, public libraries everywhere must still find new ways to provide a wide range of different types of services and materials for users,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia van der Ross.
With this in mind, the Cape Town Library Service has designed a pilot project to take CDs from libraries with large collections to areas where music services are lacking.
Thus, 400 CDs from the Central Library collection have now been transported to Langa Library in order to extend the range of these items and also bring beautiful music to people in the vicinity.
‘Patrons and visitors to Langa Library will find CDs in all genres of music, including jazz and blues, South African jazz, African and reggae and so much more. I encourage our patrons to be musical adventurers and come on into Langa Library to explore the world through music,’ said Councillor van der Ross.
Library services are free and, therefore, patrons won’t be charged when borrowing the CDs.
Sandile Bukani, chief librarian at Langa Library said: ‘We want residents to come to our library, not to only borrow these items, but to also explore these CDs by listening to the music when they are in the library. We do have a sound system, so any CD which interests you and you would like to listen to, we can play for you.’
‘Listening to music has so many benefits. It can elevate your mood, reduce stress and take you on a journey. You do not need a visa when you travel through music, just visit the library,’ added Councillor van der Ross.