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The Goal of the Conditional Grant is to enable the South African society to gain access to knowledge and information that will improve their socio-economic status.

The purpose of the Conditional Grant to transform urban and rural community library infrastructure, facilities and services (primarily targeting previously disadvantaged communities) through a recapitalised programme at provincial level in support of local government and national initiatives.

The following are the outcomes of the grant:

• Improved coordination and collaboration between national, provincial and local government on library services;

• Transformed and equitable library and information services delivered to all rural and urban communities;

• Improved library infrastructure and services that reflect the specific needs of the communities they serve;

• Improved staff capacity at urban and rural libraries to respond appropriately to community knowledge and information needs; and

• Improved culture of reading.

Department of Arts and Culture has received the following allocations for the community library conditional grant:

• 2010/11: R512 660 million;

• 2011/12: R543 420 million;

• 2012/13: R564 574 million;

• 2013/14: R597 786 million; and

• 2014/15: R1 016 210 million.

To date, the cooperation between the spheres of government has delivered the following results:

• 69 new libraries were built;

• 323 libraries have been upgraded which provide better facilities and services to their users;

• 207 587 new materials were purchased and made available to readers;

• free services like internet access have been provided, thus connecting users to the global world;

• people with disabilities and the visually impaired are having better access to information. Users who read differently can now access the dedicated computers that are purchased to provide in their needs; and 

• 1274 new jobs have been created.