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Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter
THE Bulawayo Public Library (BPL) will next week Monday commemorate its quasquicentennial milestone under the theme “125 years of serving the Bulawayo Community”.

From Rhodesia to the Second Republic of Zimbabwe, BPL has weathered all storms and is the oldest information centre and library in Zimbabwe.

Established in 1896, the library has played an integral part in cultivating a culture of reading in the city.
The BPL also operates a mobile library to reach out to children who cannot access the main library. The mobile librarians tolerate very severe working conditions, having to deal not only with crowds of children but also with periodic mechanical problems on the vehicle. The mobile library is one of the library’s major cash cows and income generators.

Posting on Twitter, Duchess of Madabe announced the celebrations and extended an invitation to citizens to lend a hand in making it a memorable event.

“Bulawayo Public Library is having its quasquicentennial celebration this October. May we be part of the momentous celebration in our beautiful city,” read her post.

For the celebrations, BPL is on a drive to partner with the public in fostering the reading culture, especially amongst youngsters.

The two main focal points are about sponsoring underprivileged children to become members of the library and also the refurbishment of the library’s premises which, for a long time have been dilapidating.

Donors can lend a hand in helping the library to acquire furniture for readers and also special resources for visually-impaired patrons. — @eMKlass_49