We are so pleased to announce that Theresa Denton has been named LIASA Western
Cape Librarian of the Year for 2012.
Theresa is the Senior Librarian at
Rocklands Library, and she is passionate about libraries and believes that
libraries can become an active role player in changing communities. Theresa
lives out this passion for her community and her library. The sustainable
partnerships that she has established with various organisations within her
community demonstrates this. These organisations range from the Community Care
Organisation; "Hands off our children" NGO; to the Carnation Ward at G F Jooste
Hospital; to the Rocklands Primary "Siyafunda Community Project". There is an
early childhood development forum and she established sustainable literacy and
reading programmes in the library and surrounding schools.
To empower the
women in her community, she started an Adult Matric group, which met regularly
in the library where they were provided with question papers, memos, support and
motivational talks. over the years , more than 20 women, older than 30, have
been helped through their matric - and this included having matric ball to
celebrate the achievement. What is absolutely fantastic is that most of the
matriculants are actively either working in libraries, or establishing school
libraries in the area or studying further for their library degrees! What a
wonderful inspiration!
What makes this even more inspiring, is the road
that Theresa took to get here - having walked a similar walk to these women she
inspired. With finishing her matric at night school, and then completing her
studies at UWC; and then getting offered a junior lectureship, but opting
instead to take up a post as a librarian at Rocklands. Academia's loss is
public libraries' gain!
Under her leadership, Rocklands has scooped four
provincial awards over the last five years from the Western Cape Department of
Cultural Affairs and Sports. These were for "Most Involved Community Library",
"Best Children's Services", "Best Youth Services" and "Best Public Library".
One of her nominees remarked that she hoped that this time, Theresa would win an
award for herself, for inspiring us all. A real role model and example
for us all!
Congratulations Theresa! She now goes forward to represent
the Western Cape at the national leg of the LIASA Librarian of the
Year.
Kind regards
Ingrid Thomson
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