The Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) together with the National Library of South Africa (NLSA) will launch the Gates Foundation Global Libraries' Project in South Africa as part of celebrating the South African Library Week. The event will take place on Tuesday, 18 March 2014 at the National Library of South Africa in Pretoria.

The NLSA has been awarded a R32 Million Grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support a pilot project to strengthen selected Public Libraries in South Africa. The pilot project is in line with the DAC’s mandate and is a precursor to a national country grant that is intended to strengthen and enhance current public library services.
The grant from the Gates Foundation will enhance the already started work by the Department of Arts and Culture's Community Libraries Conditional Grant which provides internet facilities in public libraries countrywide.

As we mobilize the nation towards 20 years of freedom and democracy celebrations, government will continue to ensure that libraries uphold the right to freedom of information and access for all, as enshrined in the Bill of Rights.

The event is scheduled as follows:

Date: Tuesday, 17 March 2014
Time: 10:00am
Venue: National Library of South Africa, Pretoria campus

Media enquiries: Mogomotsi Mogodiri, 071 687 4984 and mogomotsim@dac.gov.za, Muponisi Nkuna, 083 471 0061, muponisi.nkuna@nlsa.ac.za
RSVP: Obed Makgoale, 079 311 8546, Obedm@dac.gov.za