About Us

The SADC Secretariat Library was established in 1989 to provide services to the staff of SADC Secretariat and SADC Institutions. Our collections and services are also open to university lectures and students, researchers and anyone else interested in our material.

Mission

Our mission is to provide accurate, current and precise information, literature and publications that support research activities of the Secretariat and also other consultancy activities.

SADC Library - Collection

The SADC Secretariat Library holds the following collections:

General Collection – this collection covers a wide variety of subjects related to SADC activities.

SADC Collection – it consists of materials produced by SADC Secretariat, SADC institutions and other materials produced elsewhere about SADC.

It houses the following documents:

• Theses and dissertations on SADC
• Studies commissioned by SADC
• Annual Reports from SADC Institutions
• Proceedings of the Annual Conferences and records of Council and Summit meetings
• Press clippings on SADC
• Reports from workshops / seminars / meetings / conferences /
• Legal documents (e.g. protocols, treaties, agreements, memorandum, declarations, constitutions and instruments of ratification and accession)
• Documents/reports related to or as a product of SADC projects.
• Audio-visual material on SADC events
• Photographs on SADC events

Gender Collection – It includes publications, reports and other documents on gender in SADC and from outside the region.

HIV/AIDS Collection – it consists of printed and non-printed materials related to HIV, AIDS and related literature.

Periodicals and Newspapers

Periodicals - the library subscribes to twelve periodical titles covering topics such as politics, economics and current events. The library also keeps different newsletters published by SADC Institutions.

Newspapers - subscriptions include newspapers from some SADC Member States.

Facilities

The library offers the following facilities:

• Reading area
• Computer use - Staff can use the computers for Internet use and accessing the library catalog
• Photocopying Services
• Scanning
• HIV/AIDS Corner – The HIV/AIDS corner is a place in the Library where staff can find valuable information both print and non-print formats on issues dealing with HIV/AIDS and related literature. Staff also, have the possibility of watching DVDs and Videos.

The main objective of creating an HIV/AIDS corner at SADC Library was to build up awareness on HIV/AIDS to the SADC staff as well as to acquire all valuable materials on HIV/AIDS both print and non-print formats that employees could be familiar with HIV and AIDS for their own personal health.

Publications

The Library produces the following publications:

• Acquisition List (monthly) - list of all the new publications coming into the library every month. The list is divided into three parts: general materials, SADC materials and non-printed materials
• Newspaper Cuttings on SADC – (monthly) – compilation of news and articles from newspapers, periodicals and Internet on SADC and related issues.

Also available:

• CD’s containing the following SADC documents: (English version and only by request)
  • Summit Records 1980-2004
  • Communiqués 1980-2006
  • Council Records 1980-2004
  • Annual Consultative Conferences 1980-2005
  • Annual Reports SCUs (phased out SADC Sector Coordinating Units) 1999-2001
  • Legal Instruments (Agreements, Declarations, Charters, Memorandum of Understanding, Protocols and Treaties)
  • SIPO (Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation)
  • RSDP (SADC Regional Strategic Indicative Plan)
  • Report on Review Operations of SADC Institutions, 2001
  • Study on the Review and Rationalisation of SADC Programme of Action, 1997 (3 volumes)

Automation

The SADC Library migrated from CDS/ISIS to AMLIB software for the storage of bibliographic information. Documents contained in the bibliographic database are catalogued using the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules and classified according the Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme. The documents from SADC Collection are classified using an internally designed filing codes scheme and the Gender materials are classified using a scheme based on WIDSAA (Women in Development Southern Africa Awareness Programme).

Online database will be available soon.

Contacts

Location

The Library is located on the ground floor of SADC Office situated at Millennium Park Plot 116 Kgale View, Gaborone.

Opening hours

The library is open to the public from Monday to Friday during the following hours:

7:30 am – 12:30 pm
1:45 am – 4:30 pm

Contact information

SADC Secretariat Library
Private Bag 0095
Gaborone – Botswana

Tel.: (267) 395 18 63
Fax: (267) 397 28 48

Contact persons

Maria Tali (Librarian) - mtali@sadc.int

Motlalepule Letlole (Library/Clerk) - mletlole@sadc.int