National Library of South Africa NLSA (Nasionale Biblioteek van Suid-Afrika)

History and Founding

The National Library of South Africa (NLSA) traces its origins to 1818, when Cape Colony Governor Lord Charles Somerset issued a proclamation establishing a public library in Cape Town, funded by a tax on wine trade revenue. This institution, originally the South African Public Library, became a legal deposit library for the Cape Colony in 1873, receiving all printed items published in South Africa from 1916. A second national library, the State Library, was founded in Pretoria in 1887 and likewise served as a legal deposit institution. On 1 November 1999, following a review of library legislation in the post-apartheid era, the two institutions were formally amalgamated into the current National Library of South Africa under the National Library of South Africa Act 92 of 1998.

Collections and Holdings

The NLSA maintains two campuses—one in Pretoria and one in Cape Town—and holds one of the most comprehensive collections of South African documentary heritage in existence. Its collections include rare manuscripts, books published in South Africa, periodicals, government publications, official foreign publications, maps, technical reports, Africana, and newspapers. Notable special collections include the Grey Collection, donated by Governor Sir George Grey in 1861, comprising medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and rare books, and the Dessinian Collection, originally bequeathed by Joachim Nikolaus von Dessin in 1761. The Cape Town campus holds nearly 1,000 manuscript collections as well as the first South African newspaper, the Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser (1800).

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

As the national legal deposit library, the NLSA holds a comprehensive archive of South African newspapers from across the country's history, including titles on microfilm dating to the early nineteenth century. The library is a statutory recipient of every newspaper, periodical, and other printed item published in South Africa under the Legal Deposit Act 54 of 1997. These newspaper and periodical collections are a primary resource for research into South African journalism history.

Access and Usage

The NLSA serves researchers, educators, and the public through reference and information services at its two campuses. Materials from some collections are available in digital format or online. The library promotes national bibliographic services, information literacy, and acts as the national preservation library, offering conservation services. Access to reading rooms and research facilities is available at both Pretoria and Cape Town campuses.