Ethnic Identity and Library Development in Apartheid South Africa: The Cape Library Association, 1960–1975

Abstract

In June 1960, the Cape Library Association (CLA) was founded with the aim to establish library services and promote librarianship among Coloureds in South Africa, especially in the rural areas of the Cape Province. This article asks why the CLA had felt the need to operate along ethnic lines, and examines its relationships with the South African Library Association (SALA), the Cape Provincial Library Service (CPLS), and rural municipal authorities. It draws on interviews with former office holders, newsletters, tour reports, annual reports, issues of its own bulletin, and secondary sources to shed light on debates about an ethnic focus and social uplift. An analysis of contemporary historical circumstances offers insights into how a small library association dealt with the challenges of inclusion and exclusion, and of belonging to the South African library community. Ultimately, two Coloureds served as presidents of the new unified Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA), which was launched in 1997.