As we celebrate National Library Week with the theme Your Partners for Life, it’s an opportune time to reflect on the benefits that can be achieved by the power of partnerships. Partnerships have been part and parcel of Sabinet’s DNA from the very beginning. In fact, with our roots in library services, we have built our business on the founding concept of sharing resources.

In choosing the theme Your Partners for Life, the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) is highlighting how “libraries and communities from all walks of life will derive mutual benefits from forging relationships”. Whether this is achieved by working together, sharing resources, forming teams, or developing relationships and collaborations, it’s something that Sabinet is passionate about.

A proud supporter of LIASA for over 20 years, we also take pride in the meaningful and positive impact our contributions and collaborations have had on all South Africans. These are some that we are particularly proud of. 

Donating books to address literacy issues

Biblionef is a non-profit company that donates new storybooks to organisations with an educational focus, e.g. schools, ECD Centre’s, literacy organisations, drop-in centres, children’s homes, etc. These books support endeavours to improve literacy levels and help create the right circumstances to foster a love for reading. Last year Sabinet supported Biblionef to provide quality books to 10 under-resourced schools in Limpopo. In addition, an early literacy specialist was engaged to carry out workshops with the foundation and intermediate phase teachers of the 10 schools to ensure the successful rollout of the project.

The most recent Progress in International Reading Literacy study revealed that a devastating 78% of South African Grade 4 children cannot read for meaning in any language. In an effort to address this literacy crisis, Sabinet will be partnering with Biblionef once again. This partnership will support foundation phase teachers from 10 primary schools in the KwaNdengezi area of KwaZulu-Natal with crucial reading-for-meaning workshops and in-class mentorship sessions. Each school will also receive a donation of new storybooks in the learner’s home language and in English.

Providing free access to resources for online users

Libraries play a central role in enabling access to information, particularly in supporting community-based solutions to meet information needs and development. Facilitated by funding from the Sabinet Chairperson’s Fund, we are proud to partner with the National Library of South Africa (NLSA) to provide free access to the Sabinet African Journals research services for all users of the campus facilities at the NLSA in both Pretoria and Cape Town. Most of the users of the libraries are students who will greatly benefit from having access to these resources.

By sponsoring access to the Sabinet African Journals Collection to all on-site users of the National Library in Pretoria and Cape Town, Sabinet can ensure that these users have access to reliable and credible online information.

For Sabinet, it is about more than just the facilitation of access to resources, the company places strong emphasis on empowering people through access to information and supporting education and upliftment to support partnerships for life.