MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The Mossel Bay Public Library was recognised as a finalist for the Public/Community Library of the Year Award hosted by the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA).

Officials from the library were invited to the most recent Mossel Bay Municipality council meeting on 31 October, where the library's finalist certificate was presented in front of council.

Mossel Bay competed against five public libraries for this award:
• Molepo Library (Tshebela Village, Limpopo)
• Qalabotjha Library (Qalabotjha, Villiers, Free State)
• South African Library for the Blind
• Groenheuwel Library (Paarl, Western Cape)
• Lusaka Library (Lusaka, Gauteng)

Lusaka Public Library was crowned the winner at the LIASA gala dinner, which formed part of the organisation's annual conference at the beginning of October.

The Public/Community Library of the Year Award is for a rural or peri-urban based library that in the last 24 months has made significant steps in championing the adoption of technological innovation within the library and information service community; such innovation must make a meaningful impact on the sector.

All nominated libraries must:
• Have adopted or implemented a technological innovation that stands out and can be adapted by other libraries in the industry;
• The technology must have been implemented within the last 24 months;
• Be a public/community library in a rural or peri-urban area;
• Have existed for at least three years and more; and
• Have evidence of outreach projects contributing to the sustainable development goals 2030.

Mossel Bay Library developed an electronic system to enhance service delivery, which has since been introduced at all libraries in the Mossel Bay municipal area. 

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