Dr. Graham Dominy National Archivist Department of Arts and Culture

1. Report to NCOP Select Committee ON FINANCE 12 FEBRUARY 2008 COMMUNITY LIBRARY FUNDING Dr. Graham Dominy National Archivist Department of Arts and Culture

2. BACKGROUND • Schedule 5 – Libraries - Exclusive Provincial Legislative Competency • Four old provincial library services and ordinances • Shared service with local authorities • Suite of Municipal Legislation giving effect to Schedule 5 • Municipal funding for libraries in jeopardy

3. PROVINCIAL SITUATION • Provincial Library Services in Depts Sports & Culture (or Tourism - KZN) • Very few provinces have enacted own library legislation • Validity of old pre-1994 ordinances very doubtful • Ability to effect transformation seriously constrained

4. KPMG/Jacaranda Reports • DAC appointed KPMG/Jacaranda consortium to produce 3 reports: • Phase 1: survey of immediate needs • Phase 2: Status Quo report • Phase 3: Funding Model and Norms and Standards

5. KPMG FINDINGS - 1 • Provincial Library Services in Depts Sports & Culture (or Tourism - KZN) • Very few provinces have enacted own library needs assessment revealed priorities and determined formula for distribution of 2007/08 funds (R200m) • R180m distributed to provinces • R20m top-sliced for national project management, co-ordination and promotion • ry legislation • Validity of old pre-1994 ordinances very doubtful • Ability to effect transformation seriously constrained

6. KPMG FINDINGS - 2 • Status Quo report entailed visits to all provinces and 50% of all municipalities • Detailed examination of provincial and municipal expenditure patterns undertaken • Similarities between municipal and provincial priorities noted

7. KPMG FINDINGS - 3 • Recommendations re long term funding - envisage phased folding-in of conditional grant into equitable share, subject to demonstrable capacity to manage project • Executive Assignment by MEC’s to local authorities envisaged, subject to capacity • Norms and standards to be set nationally in terms of Constitution (section 44).

8. “RECAPITALISING” LIBRARIES • R1 billion NOT replacement funds • IS intended to fill gap left by dwindling municipal funding • NOT intended to enable provincial departments to divert the funds they are constitutionally required to spend on libraries for other purposes

9. TRANSFORMATIONAL AGENDA • Promoting a Culture of Reading • Libraries and social cohesion – shared family activities; peer group networks • Libraries and civil rights – promoting critical thinking – essential in a democracy • Libraries and IT – connectivity in rural areas can bridge digital divide • Publishing in indigenous languages

10. LIBRARY TRANSFORMATION CHARTER • An inclusive and consultative process designed to result in broad support for the transformed role of libraries • Will be tabled to MINMEC and SALGA • Process being driven by NCLIS and the National Library

11. INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES • Need for supply of literature in all official languages, especially for young readers • NLSA driving process to identify indigenous language publications and to reprint African language classics • Community library networks provide market for distribution of indigenous language material thus encouraging independent publishing in the medium term

12. WAY FORWARD (1) • Managing the project • Increasing provincial capacity • Harmonizing contributions between national, provincial and local spheres • Reconciling provincial procurement requirements and project compliance requirements and deliverables

13. WAY FORWARD (2) • National monitoring and evaluation – role of Treasury TAU • National sphere constitutionally empowered to set norms and standards • New “South African Public and Community Libraries Bill” being drafted to set norms and standards before conditional grant is folded into the equitable share

14. EXPENDITURE UNTIL THE END OF DECEMBER FOR THE 2007/08 FINANCIAL YEAR

15. NCLIS vision -“Towards the best informed nation” ThankYou