UCT is now in the process of salvaging some of the resources that were lost when a fire that started on Table Mountain blazed through the University and damaged a valuable collection of material from the Jagger Library In 18 April 2021.
The University lost over 90 000 objects to the blaze and some of the material contained in the Library included African and international literature and artefacts from around the world.
According to Nikki Crownster of Information Systems and Resources at UCT Libraries, the Library whose history dates back to the 1940s boasted a collection of over 3 500 films, political posters from the freedom struggle and items that shaped the country's political struggle and that of Sub-Saharan Africa.
A large portion of our African Studies collection was destroyed in the up to 45 000 items, some of which are unique, and some of which are scarce publications from African publishers that might not ever be replaced.
She adds that the university's library collects materials that allow people to research and to affirm their own cultural heritage. Furthermore, there has since been a major initiative at the university to preserve, restore and build on the nation's collective heritage.
It has also been reported that while the fire was still burning the University received support in the form of 2000 volunteers from around the world who banded together to carefully extract thousands of crates of material that would then be restored.
The University also plans to digitize much of the retrieved material and is looking to capture 100 000 items by 2023. There are also global efforts to replace much of what has been lost.
Crownster also points that although some of the collected material has been permanently lost, the incident has also come as a lesson to the University and how they rebuild is what will determine their character.
