Pietersen is the province’s best librarian

UCT librarian Jeremiah Pietersen has won the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) Librarian of the Year 2017 Second Runner-up Award, a national prize. In addition to this, he has also received the Western Cape Librarian of the Year Award. Pietersen, who currently works in the UCT Libraries as a junior librarian in subscriptions, won the Sabinet-sponsored award in October.

Pietersen is studying towards a PhD – “studies are going slowly, but I’m soldiering on”. He joined UCT Libraries on a contractual basis in January 2014 as a senior library assistant. He was permanently employed as a junior librarian in July of that year and was responsible for subjects in engineering.

“It is really an honour to have been considered for the award of the LIASA Librarian of the Year – an award of prestige in the library and information sector in South Africa,” he said.

“I have to thank Ingrid Thomson in the libraries for nominating me and the Western Cape branch for choosing me as Western Cape Librarian of the Year.

“I think being awarded the second runner-up for the National Librarian of the Year award while being at such an early stage in my career is a reflection of the opportunities – both for development and to participate in the activities of the professional body – afforded by my employer, UCT Libraries, and UCT.

“Lastly I’d like to thank and acknowledge Sabinet for sponsoring the prize of R10 000.”