Historic Johannesburg library reopens on Women's Day
Johannesburg City Library has officially reopened its doors to the public, with the second phase of its long awaited return unveiled on Saturday, 9 August.
The library also celebrated its 90th anniversary on Wednesday, 6 August 2025.
Closed for five years since the Covid-19 lockdown, the historic institution has been restored through the efforts of the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation and Johannesburg Crisis Alliance.
Reopening on Women's Day carried added significance, as the city paid tribute to Anna H. Smith, the library's first female librarian and a trailblazer in a male dominated field.
First opened in 1935, the current library replaced two earlier versions – a humble corrugated iron building launched in 1893 on Kerk Street, and a more substantial double storey brick and iron structure completed in 1898.
Tebogo Letsie
In 1974, the library broke new ground as one of South Africa's first public libraries to open its reading rooms to all by ending racial segregation.
Located at the corner of Albertina Sisulu Road and Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Street in Johannesburg's CBD, the library remains a cultural anchor in the heart of the city.
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