The Library Cat and the Bookworm

I thought long and hard, since October 2019 in fact, about the blog you are about to read. My purpose with this entry is to explain my side and defend some of it, but also to apologize to a certain extend. I realize that I am in danger of justifying myself, but I would like to make certain points clear. So, a bit of background: In 2019 I read a book which I did not like and gave it a negative review and one star rating (to protect the author I will not mention the author’s name or the book title). Shortly afterwards I received a message from her on Facebook Messenger and then two more in January and December 2020. Without editing it (except for removing the name of the author), here is what I said about the book: First time I read an Afrikaans fantasy and I am disappointed. I have no idea what … tried to said and the what the moral of the story was. Would not recommend it at all, felt like a total waste of time. One thing I apologize for is not giving proper attention to what and how I...

I was privileged to attend a lecture, titled Recovering the Indigenous African Knowledge Systems for Youth Development, given by Professor Mathole Motshekga at the National Library of South Africa (NLSA), Pretoria campus on 25 November 2020. The audience were filled by various information workers such as teachers, librarians and the media. As an information worker myself, studying Library and Information Science and working in a library, I was glad and excited to be present. When I first read the title, I expected a lecture explaining how all Africans, no matter what race or ethnicity, can work together to recover these indigenous knowledge systems which can be used to help the youth in upliftment, better living and more harmony. Instead, there was a quasi-religious cultural exposition on how (black) Africans forgot their roots and how everything that does not sound like it is from a (black) African language should be changed. Now I have no problem with ‘returning to our roots’ and w...