Closed to the public since August 2022, the National Geoscientific library (NGL) has undergone extensive renovations which included refurbishing 40-year-old shelves and purchasing new furniture. The upgrades include a new reception area, the acquisition of a cutting-edge library and knowledge management system, and the installation of advanced ICT equipment to facilitate easy access to books, journals, reports, and rare historical African geological maps and reference materials. This revitalised library is an invaluable resource for junior miners, scientists, and the broader community.

The new NGL was officially  opened on National Librarian Day, under the theme “Libraries Foster Social Cohesion,”  by Mosa Mabuza, CEO of the Council for Geoscience, along with Siphelele Buthelezi, Executive Manager: Geoscientific Services officially .

The NGL serves as an institutional repository, curating geoscience collections through cataloguing, accessioning, and more. By providing comprehensive access to geoscience resources, the library aims to support education, research, and knowledge dissemination in the field of geosciences.

As the most comprehensive Earth Science library in Africa, the NGL boasts 17 000 book publications, 2,846 journal titles, 16,500 map sheets including the Africa map library, 18,000 internal reports with some dating back as far as 1859.

Mosa Mabuza remarked, “On this special day, where librarians are honoured around the country, we are excited to be making available, once again, a sanctuary of knowledge for those curious minds that seek to know more about the world we live in. We look forward to seeing many people engaging with our knowledgeable staff about all this geology and science.”