The North-West University (NWU) Library and Information Service (LIS) proudly celebrated South African Library Week (SALW) 2025 under the theme, "Libraries for Sustainable Communities." Held from 17 to 23 March 2025, this week-long celebration unified all three NWU campuses—Mahikeng, Potchefstroom, and Vanderbijlpark—through a series of engaging, educational, and community-focused activities that showcased the library’s commitment to supporting academic success and building sustainable communities.
A wide range of interactive events and innovative initiatives were hosted across NWU LIS, including:
Library Amnesty Week, encouraging users to return overdue books without penalties
"Ask and Win! – Got a question? Need support?" A LibChat-driven campaign where users asked library-related questions for a chance to win a R200 Takealot voucher, promoting the use of virtual support tools.
A pilot curbside book delivery service, offering convenient access to books for staff in their offices and students in nearby residences, improving service accessibility.
Among the week's highlights were:
Information Literacy Outreach, including a training session at Mahikeng Nursing College, aimed at equipping students with critical information-seeking and evaluation skills.
Interactive Learning Activities, such as a Scavenger Hunt using QR codes to locate e-resources, Library Scrabble, and Q&A quiz competitions testing users’ knowledge of library services.
Collaborative Community Engagement, including a visit to Rebatla Thuto Secondary School in Koppies, where over 150 books were donated, and a partnership with Flavius Mareka TVET College. In the interim, NWU LIS donated 115 academic books and committed to offering training in referencing, research, and plagiarism across both Sasolburg and Kroonstad campuses.
Entertainment and engagement were central to the week, with Eagie, the NWU mascot, energizing the crowds, and support from partners like Red Bull, Standard Bank, the Writing Centre, and the Golden Key Student Chapter, who added to the atmosphere with giveaways, drinks, and academic support.
The LIS staff were also featured on various radio stations, reflecting on the importance of library services in advancing literacy, innovation, and academic excellence.
South African Library Week 2025 at NWU LIS was a resounding success. It not only celebrated the power of libraries in shaping sustainable futures but also reaffirmed NWU LIS's role as a hub for knowledge, innovation, and community empowerment.