The Library and Information Service is proud to present its Annual Report 2025, reflecting another year of achievements and milestones marked by innovation, collaboration, open science and a strong commitment to supporting Stellenbosch University’s teaching, learning and research priorities.
Highlights from the year include the completion of the Immersive Technology Lab (ITL), an ultramodern, fully immersive environment designed to integrate data visualisation literacy training, advanced visualisation services and immersive headset experiences. We also welcomed the Collection of South African poet Ingrid Jonker, whose documentary legacy was repatriated after decades abroad and will be preserved in the Library’s Manuscripts Section for future generations.
The Theology Library was upgraded to create a brighter, more inviting environment, with reconfigured shelving, collaborative and multifunctional spaces, modern study tables with docking stations and areas with soft seating. International Open Access Week marked the 15th anniversary of Stellenbosch University’s signing of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access, while the Library took the lead in introducing three Open Access Awards as an additional category in the University’s Research and Innovation Excellence Awards.
Our annual Library Research Week, held under the theme “Partners for research impact”, brought academics together to explore the research lifecycle, with a strong focus on intellectual exchange, practical insights, collaboration and innovation.
The Library’s achievements were recognised through the MACE Excellence Awards, with a gold award for our Annual Report 2023 and bronze awards for our Discover. Connect. Learn. Succeed. video and Turning pages: 30 years of democracy exhibition. We also co-hosted the Figshare User Group (South Africa) Conference with Digital Science – the first event of its kind in Africa – affirming the Library’s leading position in open science on the continent.
The Annual Report showcases how the Library continues to evolve through innovation, collaboration and a commitment to preserving knowledge while creating new opportunities for our University community.
Read the full report to discover more about the achievements, initiatives and people that shaped 2025.
For more information, please contact Theresa Schoeman.