Madeleine Fombad* and Glenrose V. Jiyane School Libraries in South Africa and the Post-2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) DOI 10.1515/libri-2015-0005 Received January 15, 2015; revised May 27, 2015; accepted June 8, 2015 Abstract: Although 2015 marks the target year for attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the United Nations member states are in the process of defining a global development framework to succeed these goals, the MDGs nevertheless remain a development tool for coun- tries’ wider development planning frameworks. In South Africa, various sectors, institutions and organisations are making efforts to attain these goals. Accordingly, the library and information sector is well placed to contribute towards the realisation of the MDGs, as libraries provide a critical support structure for education, economic develop- ment and poverty eradication. As time runs out in terms of meeting the 2015 deadline, this paper seeks to demonstrate that school libraries may be instrumental in influencing the pace and extent of progress needed to realise the MDGs beyond 2015. The research on which this article is based adds to the body of knowledge advocating the importance of libraries in realising the MDGs. It will also generate insights for policymakers on the important role of school library in development. Keywords: Millennium Development Goals, libraries, school libraries, education, information, development, South Africa Introduction Although 2015 marks the target year for attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the United Nations member states are in the process of defining a global development framework to succeed these goals, the MDGs nevertheless remain a development tool within coun- tries’ wider development planning frameworks. In South Africa, various sectors, institutions and organisations are making efforts to attain these goals. In Africa, the MDGs are considered to be a tool within the wider development and planning framework that may help to end the tragic condi- tions that deprive so many Africans of their basic human rights (Economic Commission for Africa 2005). The library and information sector is well placed to contribute to the realisation of the MDGs, because libraries provide a critical support structure for education, eco- nomic development and poverty eradication (IFLA 2001; Namhila and Ndinoshiho 2011). Education is critical for attaining the MDGs, and good libraries, in turn, facilitate quality education. Consequently, improving and expand- ing education has become an essential ingredient of South African development policy. In the 2014 State of the Nation Address (SoNA), the incumbent President reiterated that promoting universal access to education by ensuring that all children between the ages of 7 and 15 are in school remains a priority for the government (State of the Nation Address 2014). Notwithstanding, the role played by libraries has been overlooked in the MDG process. This paper seeks to demonstrate that school libraries are instrumental in influencing the pace and extent of MDG attainment post-2015. It also provides suggestions on the way school library services may be mainstreamed to enhance MDGs. This paper adds to the body of knowl- edge advocating the importance of libraries for the MDGs (Forsyth 2005; Kaniki 2008; Lungu and Njobvu 2008; Amusan, Oyetola, and Ogumodede 2012). It will also gen- erate insight for policymakers on the important role of the school library in development. The introduction to this paper is followed by an overview of the place of school libraries within the South African education system. The third section provides a brief overview of the role of school libraries in education and development, while the fourth provides an overview of the different MDGs within the school library scenario. The fifth section suggests different ways in which school libraries could be mainstreamed to make a quantum leap in enhancing the MDGs beyond 2015. The paper ends with some concluding remarks. School Libraries and the South African Education System In South Africa, the term “school library” denotes “media centres”, “learning resource centres” and “information *Corresponding author: Madeleine Fombad, Department of Information Science, UNISA, Pretoria, South Africa, E-mail: fombamc@unisa.ac.za Glenrose V. Jiyane, Department of Information Science, UNISA, Pretoria, South Africa, E-mail: jiyangv@unisa.ac.za LIBRI 2015; 65(3): 191–205 Brought to you by | University of Exeter Authenticated Download Date | 1/1/18 12:37 PM