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Students from the Regional English Language Office’s English Access Micro Scholarship Program in the Library researching the Civil Rights Movement for a project
AMERICAN LIBRARIES & READING ROOMS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Our libraries welcome serious questions from South African residents about the United States, its policies, practices and viewpoints. You can also sign up for our topical alerts and other services.
Our resources include commercial subscription databases such as Factiva, Lexis-Nexis and ProQuest, CD-ROMs, magazines and reference books.
Our lending libraries in Durban, Johannesburg and Soweto have collections on small business practices, HIV/AIDS, American society and values, and other subject areas such as politics, education and economics. Any South African resident over the age of 16 is welcome to become a member of these libraries.
Our reference libraries in Cape Town and Pretoria welcome queries by phone, fax or email, as well as visits by students, teachers, researchers and members of the general public who wish to consult our encyclopedias & other reference books, journals and electronic resources.
We have expanded our services by opening reading rooms, kiosks and American corners in community (municipal) libraries which offer collections of books, magazines, AV-material and Internet access for your use.
LIBRARIES
The American Library in Cape Town
Telephone: (021) 702-7300 x 7463/7443
Fax: (021) 702-7372
Email: irccapetown@state.gov
Street address: 2 Reddam Avenue, Westlake
Postal address: Postnet Suite 50, Private Bag X26, Tokai 7966
Hours: Mon - Fri: 08h30-16h00 (visits by appointment)
The American Library in Durban
Telephone: (031)305-7600 x 3215
Fax: (031) 305-7164
Email: ircdurban@state.gov
Street address: Old Mutual Centre (30th floor)
Postal address: 303 West St., Durban, 4001
Hours: Mon-Fri: 08h00-17h00 (visits by appointment)
The American Library in Johannesburg
Telephone: (011) 290-3000
Fax:
Email: ircjohannesburg@state.gov
Street address: 1 Sandton Drive (Opp. Sandton City Mall), Sandhurst
Postal address: PO Box 1762, Houghton 2041
Hours: to be announced
The American Library in Pretoria
Telephone: (012) 431-4400
Fax: (012) 342-5502
Email: ircpretoria@state.gov
Street address: 877 Pretorius St., Arcadia
Postal address: PO Box 9536, Pretoria, 0001
Hours: Mon-Fri: 08h00-17h00
Rosa Parks Library, Soweto
Telephone: (011) 982-5580
Fax: (011) 982-5844
Email: ircsoweto@yahoo.com
Street address: Ipelegeng Community Centre,
1283 Phera & Dlamini Sts, White City, Jabavu
Postal address: PO Box 1762, Houghton 2041
Hours: Tues-Fri: 09h20-13h00, 14h00-17h20
READING ROOMS, KIOSKS & CORNERS
The Mae Jemison U.S. Science Reading Room(Gauteng)
Visit our Web page and Facebook page
Address: University of Pretoria, cnr Hans Strijdom Dr. & Hinterland Ave., Mamelodi.
Tel: (012) 842-3723
Fax: (012) 842-3610
Email: MJRRpretoria@gmail.com
Opened in November, '08 and situated on the Mamelodi campus of the University of Pretoria, the reading room has approximately 2500 books and DVDs, 26 magazine subscriptions, 7 computers, a fully-equipped auditorium (including video conferencing facilities) and a display room.
U.S. Health Kiosk at Stanza Bopape Community Library (Gauteng)
The PEPFAR-funded information kiosk was officially opened on September 12, 2008. Situated in the Stanza Bopape Community Library in Mamelodi East, the kiosk includes books, magazines, DVDs and internet computers.
U.S. Reading Room at Bodibeng Community Library (Gauteng)
This was officially opened by the U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Helen La Lime on October 21, 2008. The reading room includes 6 internet computers, around 1700 books, 32 magazine subscriptions and over 100 DVDs. We plan to put 300 of the books into one of the Tshwane Metro's mobile libraries. The Bodibeng Library is in Soshanguve.
USinfo@Central (Reading Room, Cape Town)
Visit our blog for programs and events
The American reading room in Cape Town’s new downtown Central Library, was officially opened in October 2008. Located inside the newly renovated library in the Drill Hall, USinfo@Central is a partnership between the United States Consulate General and the City of Cape Town. In addition to a collection of books and magazines, it includes a multimedia seminar room equipped with a digital video conferencing facilities.
American Corner in Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg, KZN)
Address: Bessie Head Library, Msunduzi Municipality, 260 Church Street, Pietermaritzburg, 3201
Tel: (033) 3922634
Fax: (033) 3940095
E-Mail: Thembani.Langa@msunduzi.gov.za
Hours: Open to the public during municipal library hours
Inaugurated on July 3, 2006 in the Msunduzi Municipal Library in Pietermaritzburg , the Corner has a collection of books, periodicals, CD-ROMs and DVDs containing information about U.S. culture and society, as well as educational and business opportunities. Five computers will provide access to the optical discs and to the Internet...
American Corner Mangaung (Bloemfontein, Free State)
Address: Cnr. West Burger & Charles Sts.
Tel: (051) 405-8250
Hours: Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00; Sat 8:30-12:00; Closed Sun & public holidays
Opened in June '07, The corner is located in the Bloemfontein Public Library, features more than 1 200 books; two internet workstations; access to EBSCOHost (a full text journal database); Gale e-books on multicultural America, business plans handbook and entrepreneurship; American DVDs, videos, plasma TV, and an annual subscription to 12 journals.
