Cultural preservation through public libraries: Lessons from Kanye Public Library

Abstract

The significance of public libraries in preserving and maintaining history and traditional culture cannot be overlooked. Ever since Botswana gained independence, a national process took care of people literacy through the establishment of public libraries. These were placed in various areas across the country with a mandate to provide information and knowledge free of charge to communities for the purpose of research, education and recreation. It is from this purpose that libraries are to envisage in their programmes cultural activities which must be collected, documented and preserved for posterity. The usefulness of preserved information lies in the fact that the generation to come will be able to establish their identity. This will also assist them with a foundation to build from. This paper purports to discuss and share ideas and initiatives from Kanye Public Library on culture collection, preservation and management. The paper encourages that it is necessary and possible for public libraries to collect cultural sources as just like any source in the library they can be accessed and used for different purposes such as research and reference by the future generation. It also argues that public libraries as most of their users are from the public they have to create spaces for storing cultural materials. The study also highlights on some challenges as it tries to gather such information sources and how it plans to overcome them.