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Arts Correspondent
Half a century ago Harare City Library moved out of a small early 20th century building in the Girls High School grounds (with the children’s library in a prefab next door) to its ultra-modern new building, the first in the new civic centre, which had only recently been declared as such after the race course moved to Borrowdale.
The design looked good, although the roof was never really trouble free, and at least there was room for books, room to read and some decent natural light. But there was never really enough money to modernise the place or do much more than repair the leaking roof. It grew battered and tatty despite the maintenance-free finishes.
Some readers who remembered the old memorial to Queen Victoria in Leopold Takawira Street, and the state that was in after almost 60 years, wondered if history was going to repeat itself and yet another home for the library was going to have to be built.
That is until this year. There is no new building, but the early 1960s architecture has been, in effect, rebuilt.
A highly successful renovation of the City Library jointly facilitated by the library committee, Culture Fund and the Swedish International Development Agency has shown the grandchildren of those readers who moved to the civic centre just what the library should look like.
The library was mended for a dilapidated roof which was exposing books and connections to bad weather, reconfigured in keeping with emerging trends and re-stacked with new titles and electronic resources.
Cultural authorities, artists, critics and diplomats have expressed anticipation for a revived reading culture; thanks to the engaging feel of the new look library. The book sector also stands to be recapitalised from the purchasing of new books for the library.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the completion of the project last week, Sports, Arts and Culture Permanent Secretary Dr Thokozile Chitepo pledged her ministry’s support for nationwide ventures of a similar nature. Sida director-general Charlotte Petri Gornitska said: “When the library committee, the Culture Fund and the Swedish Embassy met more than a year ago to discuss what could be done with the library, they jointly wanted to rehabilitate this building once awarded for its beautiful architecture.
“We set about recreating an environment where people of all kinds; children, students, book worms and ordinary people can meet and to re-establish a place where one can seek information, be educated, critically access and make up one’s own mind. It was also resolved to form a library which can attract modern people, meet the needs, not only for today but for tomorrow, make people of Harare curious; show that something unexpected is happening, send a message of hope,” Gornitska said.
Multiple award-winning sculptor Dominic Benhura told Herald Entertainment that an upmarket look for the library will attract readers and grow the book sector.
“The facelifting of the library will reawaken interest in books and present an environment where all the aspects of culture will converge,” Benhura said.
“I was moved by the importance I assign to learning to build a library for Kambarami in Murewa. Books are what improves and develops a country hence the need to spread such initiatives nationwide,” he said.
National Arts Council director Elvas Mari said that the project was commendable innovation aimed at plugging the generation gap and re-engaging younger readers.
“Today’s youths are different from previous generations as they are part of the digital loop. The upmarket reconfiguration of the library, whereby electronic resources have been stacked back to back with the traditional copy, will strike a chord with the youths and help revive the reading culture,” Mari said.
“It will also encourage generation of new up-to-grade content different from the type of reading streaming on social media which often lacks editing and intellectual rigour.
“A library of this nature is also a step ahead from the old libraries which used to be quiet like cemeteries. The modern library embraces children without dousing their vitality with restrictive conventions,” Mari said.
Writers International Network (WIN-Zimbabwe) director Bevan Tapureta encouraged budding writers to utilise the facility as a way of sharpening their acumen.
Swedish Ambassador Mr Lars Ronnas said: “Reading may not be a game-changer, but it could be a life-changer. It certainly makes your life richer. When reading, new perspectives are brought to you, reading opens up the world to other people’s lives, to other times, to other cultures. Reading brings out your empathy and fantasy.
“When reading, your emotions and common sense are brought together; when reading, you gain new knowledge and new insights. While reading is often – but not always – something you engage in individually, it promotes a sense of community and togetherness. Harare library offers such a place for reading,” Mr Ronnas said.
Mr Ronnas gave delegates a glimpse into Swedish literature including the works of notables such as Selma Lagerlof, Astrid Lindgren and Henning Mankell. Library management committee chair Mr Mike Curling bemoaned lack of assistance from both local and central government which, along with poor subscriptions, led to the dilapidation of the library.
Online Reporter