‘Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities’: – Professor R David Lankes

Although FRTC is a higher education institution, it is committed to quality education that starts from Grade R up to the completion of tertiary education. Therefore, as part of its social responsibility programme, FRTC donated 200 books to St Theresa’s RC School. The school principal Mr G.E Akkers was pleasantly surprised and thanked FRTC fortheir generous donation. Mr G.E Akkers said, “St Theresa’s RC School is in the process of establishing a library, therefore, the teachers and learners are excited about these donations as it helps as to start our library’.
FRTC understands the realistic challenges most public and private education institutions are experiencing, especially with the accessibility to basic and tertiary education and trade books due to the excessively high costs involved. Most institutions and students simply cannot afford the books because the value chain of sourcing paper, printing, publishing, distribution, and bookselling involves exorbitant costs.

Notwithstanding the several challenges South Africa has experienced with regards to libraries FRTC believes that

• A school, college or academic library is effective and efficient when teamwork exist amongst teachers/facilitators / lecturers and the librarian; – A library can be used as a platform to display the student’s success, publish academic bulletins, newsletters and educate students on media and information literacy skills;
• A library provides an encouraging environment for the students to host special events, receive tutoring , form a book club and work independently with access to the internet, computers, printers and research materials etc; – A library plays a vital role in promoting the progress of knowledge in different subjects which helps the academic staff and students to enhance and learn new knowledge;
  -A well-resourced library plays a key role in raising the standards of literacy and contributes to excellent academic performance.
  In essence, FRTC’s ambition is to promote the power of reading, teaching and learning through the use of libraries and create awareness that libraries have the potent ability to transform not only individual lives but an entire nation.

“What a school thinks about its library is a
measure of what it feels about education”