National library and archives to close doors temporarily

Staff Reporter Windhoek-Due to emergency plumbing repair work currently underway, the National Library and National Archives will be closing their doors temporarily to the public. According to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, the National Library and National Archives building has major structural problems, which were discovered during a feasibility study carried out in 2012. The emergency plumbing repair work commenced on January 8. “The ministry would like to apologize for any inconvenience that might have been caused by the closure and we would like to assure our stakeholders that we are working tirelessly to ensure that the National Library and National Archives doors are re-opened to the public soon,” explained Sanet Steenkamp, education ministry permanent secretary. The Ministry of Works and Transport over the years did repairs as problems occurred. Given the magnitude of the problem, the ministry has prioritized the renovation of the building as one of the urgent projects to be funded by the African Development Bank, according to the statement. The National Library of Namibia is the only public research institution mandated by the Namibia Library & Information Service Act, (Act No. 4 of 2000), to collect, preserve and promote access to its collection, nationally and internationally. Equally important, the National Archives of Namibia is the only government institution responsible for setting standards, inspecting records and making sure that all offices, ministries and state-owned enterprises follow proper record management as mandated by an act of parliament. The institutions preserve Namibian history and provide access to these records. They hold records dating from the 1800’s. The public are urged to make use of the Windhoek Public Library in Lüderitz Street, the ministry’s library at Government Office Park, the Greavwe Jl Matong Library and the Rössing Foundation Library in Khomasdal and Katutura.
2018-01-29 09:20:52 7 months ago