Extended Hours, Extended Opportunity: JCA Pushes for Full Weekend Access

From Advocacy to Action: Joburg Libraries Begin Limited Weekend Opening

The Joburg Crisis Alliance (JCA) welcomes the City of Joburg's announcement to extend library hours, in selected areas, allowing students to use these libraries on Saturdays and Sundays to prepare for exams. This confirms that the opening of community libraries on weekends is possible. The JCA calls on the City to accelerate consultations with labour unions to ensure that all libraries can open during weekends, with fair compensation for staff. Community libraries are vital hubs for learning, inclusion, and civic engagement — bridging information gaps, promoting equality, and providing safe spaces for citizens to connect, learn, and grow

Johannesburg residents have long called for extended library hours — and now, it’s finally happening. The City of Joburg’s decision to open select community libraries on weekends marks an important victory for students, parents, and community activists who believe that access to knowledge shouldn’t be limited to office hours.

The Joburg Crisis Alliance (JCA) has welcomed this move, calling it proof that weekend library access can be done. The organisation, which has campaigned tirelessly through its “Reopen Our Libraries on Saturdays” initiative, urges the City to go further — by engaging labour unions to ensure that all libraries can open on weekends with fair and flexible staffing arrangements.

While the current extended hours , running from 11 October to 16 November 2025, limits services to study and reference use, it still represents meaningful progress. Libraries are more than quiet reading spaces; they are vital hubs for learning, social connection, and civic participation. They bridge the information gap by providing access to books, technology, and free Wi-Fi, while also offering inclusive spaces that foster community pride and lifelong learning.

JCA is calling on communities to make full use of these extended hours and to support their local branches. Residents are encouraged to join or establish “Friends of the Library” groups to strengthen advocacy for better resources and programmes.

As JCA notes, “Community libraries can, and must, provide services beyond just lending books.” A well-run, active local library can become a hub of community development and democratic engagement. The organisation will continue pressing for these extended hours to become the norm — and for all closed branches to reopen.

This is not just about books; it’s about access, equality, and opportunity for every Johannesburg resident.

Join the movement for a better Joburg.