From left: Ellen Tise, Marié Theron and Ria Olivier in the JS Gericke Library with part of Bianca Lawrence’s donation starting the ALSA Antarctic Collection
The Antarctic Legacy of South Africa has received several requests from previous SANAP team members and others involved with or interested in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions about the preservation of their polar book collections. ALSA has looked into the matter and realised that although there are collections of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic books in a few scattered public libraries and institutions around South Africa, there is no comprehensive collection at any one locality that could even start to approach, for example, the library of the Scott Polar Research Institute in the United Kingdom.
Because ALSA is based at Stellenbosch University, with its digital repository hosted by the university’s JS Gericke Library, it seemed a logical development to set up a polar book collection on campus, noting that up to now the university library has not had a particularly large holding of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic books.
With the help of the Science Faculty Librarian Marié Theron of the JS Gericke Library we submitted a proposal for a polar collection to Ellen Tise, Senior Director of the Stellenbosch University Library and Information Service. ALSA’s proposal was accepted and so we could then start processing the first batch of donated books – the 150-odd volumes ranging from the heroic age of Antarctic exploration to more modern works received from Bianca Lawrence, herself a librarian (click here).
Anché Louw and I had a wonderful time browsing through this treasure trove, which had arrived in several large boxes from Bianca in Kwa-Zulu Natal earlier in the year. There were some duplicate volumes already held by the university so they have become part of the projects’ own reference library for day-to-day consulting. A valuable addition to ALSA’s shelves is the book (now a rare piece of Africana, long out of print) edited by E.M. van Zinderen Bakker Sr, J.M. Winterbottom and R.A. Dyer on Marion and Prince Edward Islands published in 1971 that covers the major findings of the First Biological & Geological Expedition to the islands in 1965/66. Previously we had to borrow this large volume from the university library and renew it multiple times. Now we have our own copy for reference purposes.
We added our own specially designed bookplates and delivered Bianca’s books to the library last month where Ellen and Marié were on hand to accept them. As soon as the library has completed the necessary classifying and cataloguing a reference list of titles will be added to the Antarctic Legacy archival database and be available online.
Early in the New Year is expected the second donation of ALSA books will be transferred to the JS Gericke Library, that from retired CSIR Scientist, Patrick Morant (click here).
Anyone else who might be thinking of donating their polar books should first contact the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa to discuss which of their volumes would add to the collection.
Grateful thanks are due to Bianca Lawrence whose original query about what to do with her books as she down-sized her accommodation led to the creation of the ALSA Antarctic Collection in the Stellenbosch University’ Library. The project is thankful that the JS Gericke Library is also as enthusiastic as we are about creating in time a unique and comprehensive collection of books about the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic in South Africa.
Ria Olivier, Archivist, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, 07 December 2016