Bookworms, researchers and champions for literacy get excited because the five-year-long wait is over. The Johannesburg City Library is finally back in business!
Johannesburg, South Africa (01 September 2025) – After five long years, Johannesburg finally got its library back!
The Johannesburg City Library officially reopened on Saturday, 9 August, coinciding with Women’s Day and – fittingly – its 90th birthday!
The library had been closed since 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions and extensive renovations. The reopening day was a highly anticipated celebration filled with activities, including an official ceremony led by Executive Mayor Cllr Dada Morero, along with the MMCs for Community Development and Development Planning.
Special guests included the Heritage Foundation, which unveiled commemorative plaques, and the Crisis Alliance, which donated books by local authors. A particularly moving moment was the tribute to tireless advocates such as the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation (JHF), Johannesburg Crisis Alliance (JCA), and Griffin Shea of the Johannesburg Literary District.
The official reopening also featured some historic treasures!
During a tour of the library, attendees discovered a rare 1688 Xhosa Bible in the Harold Strange Africana Collection, as well as African newspapers dating back 200 years, including a copy of The Star from 1894. There is also a Library Theatre equipped with full audio facilities, ready to host book launches.
The day ended on a sweet note with an exciting cutting of a cake to honour the library’s 90 years of service to the city, welcoming back readers, researchers, and residents to one of Joburg’s most iconic spaces for knowledge, culture, and community.
Boasting shelves said to hold 1.5 million books across eight collections, the library is a powerful reminder of the role public libraries play in promoting learning and literacy, serving everyone from scholars and students to inner-city residents and everyday Joburgers.
The quiet sanctuary for curious minds is open Monday to Friday, from 9am to 4pm.
Sources: Joburg Libraries | Johannesburg in Your Pocket Guide
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