The public now has access to Johannesburg-based mining, engineering and related disciplines library The Technical Library through a membership programme, after having been outsourced from diversified miner Anglo American.

In late 2014, the library moved two blocks in the Johannesburg central business district to the seventh floor of the Chamber of Mines (CoM) building, following a decision by Anglo American to outsource its in-house library as a separate company.

The Technical Library has been incorporated into the CoM’s existing library, which had been mothballed for about 20 years; this brings together a significant volume of research material from the two industry-related libraries.

The library contains all the material that has been accumulated by the Anglo American library over the course of its existence.

The Technical Library collections manager Debbie Lievaart says the library at Anglo American existed for about 70 years prior to it being outsourced.

The Technical Library researcher Katinka van Straaten says although the library has been moved from the Anglo American building, it still provides outsourced library services to the company.

Information and material provided by the library could, for example, help a new mining company in various stages of development, from exploration right to mining methods and sustainability, says Lievaart. Other relevant content includes information pertaining to geosciences, metallurgy, and environment and safety. There is also a strong collection of the South African mining industry’s history.

“We have discounted membership models in place with the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and the Geological Society of South Africa. We plan to approach different mining and engineering companies and societies to discuss the same discounted membership model with them,” she adds.

Although information had been collected over the years, it is still kept current with new material being added frequently.

The library reads industry journals and adds current content to the catalogue content, which can meet the specific requirements of members or areas of interest. “The benefit of what our library can offer is . . . that it is such an extensive and comprehensive collection of industry related material,” says Van Straaten.

Membership of the library includes access to its online catalogue – an automated system containing all the library’s information – which enables members to request items remotely. Members can submit a request for information, after which the library will source the material, and send it either digitally or arrange for delivery in hard copy format. Members also receive a monthly bulletin, which comprises all articles selected by the library, which have been added to the catalogue and categorised into sections such as metallurgy and geosciences.

Meanwhile, a pay-as-you-go membership option entails members’ receiving access to the catalogue and monthly bulletins, but paying the standard rate every time material is used. Monthly membership also enables members to access the catalogue and bulletins, but use of material is charged at a discounted rate, as are the research services.

Lievaart says Anglo American saw the need to make this type of information available to assist members in the engineering and mining industry. “Many other engineering and mining companies have closed their libraries, thereby making their content unavailable to anyone else.”

Current library membership mostly comprises people established in the mining or engineering industry such as consultants. A total of 117 new members have joined from January 2015 to June 2016.