Constantiaberg Bulletin of March 22, 2018 published an article on community development which portrays the Tokai Library’s initiative of
promoting their services in the Westlake community as a community building
model and as a social services model. The Tokai Library focuses on the sustainable development of the community by assessing the availability of community resources
such as the Commando Hall, where the library staff began their walk, getting assistance
from the local police, pupils and staff of Westlake pre-schools and primary
schools as well as involving community movements to make this approach
successful.
The Library’s approach stems from its opportunity to
provide services to the community through this year’s South African Library
Week theme, which is “Libraries: Heart of the Community”. The Tokai Library focuses
on the needs of residents as it assists in helping them with job seeking, providing
educational workshops and providing a space for community organisations to host
meetings or run programs such as substance abuse programs. It provides a comfortable
place for learners to do their homework, giving them access to unlimited resources.
As stated in
Constantiaberg Bulletin, Tokai Library is the heart of the community and the
aim of the library is to develop the community. A community is a group of
people living in the same place or people having particular characteristics in
common. One of the focus points of the community building model is to unite people. The Tokai Library promoted
their services to the community and were joined by numerous people from the
community, including the Kirstenhof police, Westlake Primary school learners,
staff and many more.
Empowerment is the process of developing the confidence within people within their own
capacities. Empowerment is when individuals are able to take ownership and
control of their lives through the knowledge and skills that they acquire. Libraries
help individuals gain new knowledge; answer questions, access resources and use
computer networks that help them reach their fullest potential in the real
world.
The programs offered at the library are not only based
on recreational activities during the holidays, but also on educational
activities such as reading literacy, digital access and the social issue of
substance abuse, which is an issue that many households are facing on a daily
basis within the community of Westlake. They also offer guidance and support.
Tracy Stallard, who works for the public organization, SOUL, works with the
Tokai Library to ensure that these programs are successful.
What positions Tokai Library also as a social
services model is the library’s focus on people. People are taught CV writing
skills and can attend workshops based on various careers. Its extensive list of
programs offered, serves as an answer for many social issues. The Library
also offers many recreational activities such as a chess club, knitting and
yoga. All of these services play a key role in establishing Tokai Library as a
major influencer in the community.
Tokai Library displays
elements that are common of both a social services model and a community building
model. The library focuses on needs and responds to problems, such as a lack of
reading and CV writing skills among the youth. The library focuses on
empowerment, by teaching community members skills that will improve their lives
and allow them to create opportunities for themselves.
A combination of people
and programs serves as the answer to the community’s problems. The programs
are not viable without people.
We believe that a
combination of both models is the solution to the community’s issues and it can
serve as a blueprint for other communities to follow in their footsteps.
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