Treasures of scholarship lost in fire – UCT vice-chancellor
Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng says the university cannot replace the treasures of scholarship that have been lost, but they can create new treasures.
CAPE TOWN, April 21 (ANA) – The University of Cape Town (UCT) said it is devastated by the loss incurred after its Jagger Reading Room was gutted by the mountain fire that broke out on Sunday.
In a statement released on Wednesday, UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng said it was a sad day for the university and UCT Libraries. She said the loss will be felt deeply across their community as the libraries were critical to all.
“We cannot replace the treasures of scholarship we have lost, but we can create new treasures out of our own scholarship. In the same way, each of us can rebuild our own sense of purpose out of this tragedy.
“Our colleagues in the libraries have a long road ahead of them and many of us feel the devastation of the loss of this significant institutional asset, but we will walk this road to rebuild our facilities together,” Phakeng said.
A mapping exercise has identified materials, but a full assessment of the damage can only happen once the building is deemed safe and staff have been permitted on site.
Phakeng said a list will be made available once donors and owners of collections have been informed.
The Jagger Reading Room’s roof was gutted and the galleries, adjacent stores and offices were destroyed.
“The archival and published print collections kept within the Reading Room were consumed by the flames.
“These include the vast majority of the African Studies Published Print Collection (approximately 70,000 items), the entire African Studies Film Collection on DVD (approximately 3,500), all the UCT university calendars, some of the heavily used government publications documents from South Africa and across the continent, and manuscripts and archives kept in the Reading Room for processing or digitisation or awaiting transfer after being digitised,” Phakeng said.
She said the university had suffered a significant institutional loss from the cards catalogues for the manuscripts and archives repositories, the history of the UCT Libraries and the special collections archive office and administrative records.
The libraries team anticipate residual damage due to the flooding of the building and possible seepage into various spaces and two basement stores.
“These areas house part of the African Studies Collection; the Pamphlet Collections; the African Studies Poster Collection; Rare and Antiquarian Books; primary source materials, including the Manuscripts and Archives repository; the Modern Photography Prints; the All Things UCT Collection, which includes photographs, news clippings, periodicals and publications related to the history of the university; and the Architectural Collections, which includes most oversized architectural drawings,” Phakeng said.
She said the full extent of the residual damage will not be known for a while.
The Jagger Reading Room was constructed in the 1930s and originally served as a main library.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher
