Cape Town – Athlone, Bellville South, Claremont and Grassy Park libraries are among the 166 libraries in the Western Cape that still do not have wi-fi services.
In a written reply to the Good Party’s Shaun August, Cultural Affairs and Sport MEC Anroux Marais said there were 374 library service points in the province, of which 336 libraries had functional computer laboratories on their premises.
There were 39 libraries that did not provide computers for public use.
In the City of Cape Town, the Tygervalley Library did not have public computers due to a shortage of space.
“(A total of)163 libraries have wi-fi services, 166 libraries do not have wi-fi services yet.
“The department provides access to thousands of e-books and audiobooks to all registered library members in the Western Cape. (There are) 32 mini libraries for the blind across the province (that) provide access to information to visually impaired and blind citizens.
“Currently, there are no formal digital skills programmes at rural libraries within the Western Cape.
“In most of the smaller communities, the free internet services offered at the libraries are the only internet services available to those communities.
"The community makes use of the public access computers for research, writing online exams, creating CVs, job hunting, and to upskill themselves on the general use of a computer and the internet.”
Cape Times