Bulletin of the National Library of South Africa, vol. 74, no 1, June 2020 95 T SOGA O ITIRELE BAKGOMA COMMUNITY LIBRARY AS A MODEL FOR RURAL LIBRARIES IN SOUTH AFRICA 1 Samuel Mojapelo and Mpho Ngoepe The necessity for the provision of community libraries by South Africa’s Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), even in disadvantaged rural villages in largely rural provinces such as Limpopo Province, cannot be overempha- sised. Librarians Karla Strand and Johannes Britz tell us that: Many South Africans, particularly those in rural areas, are still living under conditions of information poverty, which we define as that situation in which people, within a spe- cific context, do not have the required skills, abilities, and/ or material means to access and use information in a mean- ingful way to address their needs. 2 In the post-apartheid era, “the right of access to information and knowledge as a human right is now an established part of South African law.” 3 Commu- nity libraries which are responsive to the wide-ranging needs of their users are critical in ensuring an informed public. 4 The ongoing transition from apartheid to democracy involves building a democratic regime while, at the same time, trying to recover from genera- tions of unequal access to information and knowledge. Indeed, community libraries can make a particularly meaningful contribution towards a better life for citizens in disadvantaged rural communities. This is particularly true 1 “Tsoga o itirele” means “Wake up and do it for yourself!” 2 Karla J Strand and Johannes J Britz, “The Evolving Role of Public Libraries in South Africa in Addressing Information Poverty: A Historical Context” Library Management 39, 6-7 (2018): 364-374. 3 Department of Arts and Culture (DAC). National Policy for Library and Infor- mation Services in South Africa: The Final Draft. (2018) [online resource] https:// www.nlsa.ac.za/condgrant/images/PDF/Draft-4-Final-14-March-2.pdf 4 The terms “community” and “public libraries” are used interchangeably throughout this article. Open Rubric