Brümilda Swartbooi
Njabulo Mdunge recently got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent the City at an international conference in Brisbane, Australia, alongside other emerging leaders in the library profession from across the world.
Njabulo, a librarian at Emmarentia Library in Region B, is driven by a hunger to learn and an inquisitive mind. The topic of digital transformation is especially close to his heart, which led him to apply for a subsidy to attend the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ (IFLA) international conference.
He submitted a detailed document discussing the City’s stance on digital transformation and its strides in being a Smart City. After an interview process, he was one of about 20 librarians selected to attend the exclusive conference, which brought together library leaders from across the globe.
The conference took place from 30 September to 2 October. “I got an opportunity to stand on the stage and to speak about how I see the future of libraries. I spoke in front of over 1000 attendees from the different spheres and parts of the world. I was very nervous,” he recalls. He gained valuable insights from the experience and conference.
“I’ve been blessed to broaden my network. I also gained insights from presenters at the conference on how libraries are adopting Artificial Intelligence technologies to improve services,” he explains. He is also grateful for the support of the National Librarian of South Africa and CEO of National Library of South Africa, Kepi Madumo, who attended the conference.
Njabulo visited the local library in Brisbane during his stay and were fascinated by the self-check-out systems and efficient handling of books.
Njabulo hails from Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, and obtained his Bachelor degree, honours, and master’s in information science from the University of Zululand. Although he is “all about work”, he finally bid farewell to his bachelorhood days when he recently got married and now enjoys taking good care of his wife. He remains a learner. “I love research with all my heart. I believe research will shape the future.”
Without divulging much, Njabulo says he is keeping busy and is bubbling with excitement over upcoming innovative projects.
“Being a librarian allows me to educate, grow the community, and share knowledge in ways that are unmatched. It’s a privilege I don’t take for granted. I’m also grateful to the City and my seniors for always being supportive of my ‘crazy’ and ‘impossible’ ideas. It’s comforting to have caring people in your corner,” he adds with a smile.
SOURCED FROM THE JOBURG WEBSITE.
