Natalie Pang’s Post

Spent the past week in Cape Town with library leaders as part of our annual meeting within the International Alliance of Research Universities. Hosted by Ujala Satgoor at the University of Cape Town, it’s been a week of deep learning for me, especially in terms of how a university library bounces back from a disaster in the form of a fire that destroyed most of the Jagger Library - the leadership, collective action, recovery, healing, and subsequent developments in library conservation. It is not for the faint hearted, and I leave with much admiration and many takeaways. As I await for my departing flight, am grateful for the learning from UCT and peers from IARU Libraries - how we are the same but also different in so many ways. So thankful for Ujala Satgoor and her wonderful team! Last but not least, fresh perspectives on Apartheid, Mandela and the ongoing struggles in this country that has so much to give, so much for others to learn from. PS: Picture with the grapevine and bench was where Nelson Mandela had hidden his written manuscript ‘Long Walk to Freedom’ - on Robben Island, where he spent a substantial part of his 27-year long imprisonment With Kira Stine Hansen Barbara Rockenbach Rafael Ball Suzanne Wones @Anthony Brewerton @Lesley Gray #IARUL #futurelibraries