N$18,5 million renovations for National Library and National Archives

THE National Library and Archives buildings in Windhoek are currently undergoing renovations. Charles Mlambo, the chief librarian, recently spoke to The Namibian about the matter to offer more insight.

“The renovation project is being funded through a loan advanced by the African Development Bank to the tune of about N$18,5 million through the government of Namibia,” said Mlambo.

He said the renovations are expected to be completed by the end of March 2020. “We would like to ask our users, students and researchers to bear with us during the time of renovations. We will try to minimise disruptions to our services unless the situation is beyond our control and there will be times the building will be closed when major repairs are underway,” he said.

Mlambo stated that the renovations have been on the ministerial renovation list since 2011 when a feasibility study was conducted by engineers and architects in order to ascertain any structural problems. However, budget cuts and lengthy tender processes caused delays to the implementation of the project.

“The building was commissioned in 1999, making the building 20 years old, and current problems are due to the wear and tear as well as a limited maintenance budget. The building has been experiencing frequent water pipes bursts which is quite problematic, taking into account the safety and security of the collections of both the National Library and the Archives. The air-conditioning also stopped working years ago, making the temperatures for both staff and users very uncomfortable,” Mlambo said.

Once the renovations are finalised, the buildings will have all the water pipes replaced; the fire sprinkler system will be repaired; the air-conditioning system will be overhauled and a new CCTV system and access control will be installed, among other changes to be carried out.

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