The Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) spearheads the South Africa National Library week with the aim of promoting access to public libraries, create awareness about libraries as well as to strengthen access to information annually.

This year, the celebrations took place from 18 to 26 March 2017 with the theme “My library, your library”.

As part of this initiative, the librarians from the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) set out to establish an astronomy corner at the Sutherland Public Library to advance astronomy literacy. This was done in conjunction with the Sutherland library in the Northern Cape. The SAAO librarian, Ms Zuthobeke Mvakade, says, “this year's theme means bringing libraries into the heart of communities, which instills a sense of ownership in each and every community member".

In part, the library corner initiative in Sutherland seeks to strengthen the link between the Observatory and the Sutherland community through science awareness. Working together with the Sutherland Public Library to create a space that will be dedicated to hosting astronomy resources ensures a symbiotic relationship between the SAAO and the community of Sutherland through education. There are many challenges faced by educators when tackling topics such as the Earth and Beyond theme. The SAAO librarians therefore hope that the resources will enhance the way learners and educators engage with this topic.

The library corner programme also consisted of school visits, hands-on astronomy activities, access to astronomy information on computers, thereby promoting Information Communication Technology, and motivational talks about the benefits of using libraries. “We are planning a follow-up library week to hand-over a prize to the patron who has made use of the library consistently since the launch in March,” says Mvakade.

The library corner was made possible by generous funding from the Office of Astronomy for Development (IAU/OAD). The library is also thrilled with wonderful educational material in Dutch and in English donated by Universe Awareness (UNAWE). The Sutherland community is predominantly Afrikaans and they will be able to understand and make use of Dutch content. "We are looking forward to expanding our reach to more libraries as well as more learners in the future with the hope that all our stakeholders will be available to help us carry this dream forward," says Mvakade.