Stellenbosch University’s (SU) language centre recently hosted an early celebration for International Literacy Day by handing out free books at the Neelsie Student Centre.
Elzette Wickens, Vernita Beukes and Ydalene Coetsee, lecturers and representatives from the language centre, set up what they called a “book tsunami” at the Neelsie on 2 September. Books from every genre were available, all free for the public to take at their leisure.
Pictured above from left to right are Elzette Wickens, Vernita Beukes and Ydalene Coetsee, employees at Stellenbosch University’s language centre. They are passionate about literacy, literature and languages, and told MatieMedia they believe their event, in which free books were made available to students passing by in the Neelsie, served to encourage a culture which emphasises the joy reading can bring. PHOTO: Jessica Hillier
International Literacy Day has been commemorated since 1967 to celebrate literacy “as a matter of dignity and human rights”, according to the SU language centre’s social media pages. The celebration takes place annually on 8 September and this year’s theme is centred around the transformation of literary learning spaces, said Beukes.
“It’s really heart-warming to see the number of books available,” said Wickens, a language practitioner at the language service unit. “All the books here were donated to us by our colleagues at the language centre to give away at the event today.”
In addition to the donations from her colleagues, Wickens added that the estimated 360 books collected were from “readers who pay it forward”, members of her church, and people who have emigrated or moved to retirement homes needing to “cull their collections”.
Educational recreation
“For me, it’s a really fun way to remind students about the importance of literacy,” said Beukes, lecturer and coordinator at the academic literacies unit. “Everybody loves a good book, and what better way to encourage recreational reading than by handing out free books?”
In a concept note published on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s website, the organisation emphasised that, with the re-opening of formal educational institutions across the world, individuals must remain cognisant of those who will not be able to return and obtain their education, owing to the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic. PHOTO: Jessica Hillier
This year, International Literacy Day aims to bring light to the world’s emerging post-pandemic context, which has left approximately 24 million children unable to return to formal education, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) website.
Creative and engaging
The initiative piqued Coetsee’s interest because it served as a great resolve to many a book lover’s issue – owning too many books on cluttered shelves, she stated.
The stall was set up and available for browsing between 08:00 and 10:30 and drew the attention of multiple students and passers-by, said Wickens. “We were busy for two hours straight and we went home with only seven homeless books.”
“It’s difficult to part with a book you really love,” Coetsee said. “This initiative provides the perfect opportunity to clear up some shelf space, because you also know the books are going into loving homes. Students love to read.”
“This is incredibly enjoyable for people,” said Vernita Beukes, a lecturer and coordinator at the academic literacies unit of Stellenbosch University’s language centre, about their International Literacy Day event. “People coming to this table are enthusiastic people who love books and, in a way, events like these really create a shared experience, and spread joy,” added Elzette Wickens, a language practitioner at the language service unit. PHOTO: Jessica Hillier
“It’s such a nice initiative to redistribute the old books to students, especially considering that it is at no cost,” said Lynette Geldenhuys, a third-year fine arts student at SU. “It prevents them from going into landfills, or just gathering dust.”