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| Exclusive Books donates children’s library to Groendal community at Franschhoek Literary Festival |
The Exclusive Books Reading Trust donated a complete container library consisting of children’s books to the Groendal Community, as part of the celebrations at the Franschhoek Literary Festival on Friday 16 May 2008.
One of South Africa’s favorite story tellers, Gcina Mhlope, opened the library and hundreds of children from the surrounding Franschhoek valley primary schools were invited to celebrate the occasion at a party at the nearby Groendal Community Hall.
Says Penny Hochfeld, Exclusive Books Corporate Social Investment Manager: “Whilst the public image of Exclusive Books is of a chain of bookshops catering to a sophisticated reading market, we seriously regard ourselves as partners of the schools and libraries in South Africa in the attempt to make books accessible to the wider population and to encourage the establishment of a reading culture in this country. “
“We are all so privileged in being literate and having easy access to a stimulating range of books. We feel passionately that it behoves all of us in the book industry to spread the gospel of reading as a means of upliftment and empowerment and pleasure and entry to the modern world.”
The new library is situated in the parking area of the Groendal Community Centre and the Franschhoek librarian, Madelein Koegelenberg, played a vital role in putting the whole project together.
“Exclusive Books has already donated a container library for the informal settlement of Zamimpilo in Riverlea, south-west Johannesburg in 2004, and a brick 2-roomed library constructed and stocked in the rural village of Ndodeni, in the south-west of Kwa-Zulu Natal in 2006. Exclusive Books have also supplied the interior furniture, fittings and book stock for the newly built ITEC Library in the centre of East London 2007”, says Penny.
The library is part of a whole drive by the Franschhoek Literary Festival committee to promote community development in the town. Exclusive Books also donated 900 children's books to the new library in Dalabuhle Primary School, which is also being supported by the Franschhoek Literary Festival; and about 1000 books for young adults and adults to the main library in Franschhoek.
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