Libraries in Zimbabwe
The library system in Zimbabwe is largely centralized and is still developing:
Libraries in Zimbabwe fall under several ministries, local government and the private sector. For harmonisation of resources and services, the Zimbabwe Library Association (ZimLA) in conjunction with the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe is currently working in putting in place a national library policy and legislative framework to coordinate the existing Library and Information Systems in Zimbabwe.
The proposed policy aims at:
ZimLA is the only professional association that represents the interests of library and information professionals in Zimbabwe. It promotes and upholds professional development and standards among library and information sector for the provision of quality and dynamic services to benefit the citizens of Zimbabwe.
Currently, ZimLA is working with its members in:
Library data
Contextual data
Population
Population Growth
Proportion of Population Younger than 15
Proportion of Population Older than 64
Population Density
people per sq km
Population Growth
Access to Electricity
Internet Users
Female Internet Users
Male Internet Users
GDP per capita
Poverty Rate
2011 PPP
Inequality
2011 PPP
Unemployment
Inactive Youth
2011 PPP
Education Spending
% of GDP
Adult Literacy Rate
% of people age 15+
Female Adult Literacy
% of GDP
Male Adult Literacy
% of people age 15+
Female Youth Literacy
% of GDP
Male Youth Literacy
% of people age 15+
Research Spending
% of GDP
Researchers
% of GDP
Research Spending
% of GDP
Library data
|
Library type |
Total |
National |
Academic |
Public |
Community |
School |
Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Libraries (Service Points)
16,884
Library service point is a fixed or mobile facility through which library provides a service to its users. Central libraries, branch libraries, mobile libraries, and external service points located in different geographical locations and managed by one administrative unit are all each individual service points. Number of libraries is the total number of central/main libraries, branch libraries, external service points and mobile libraries. |
16,884 2018 |
1 2018 |
90 2016 |
10 2018 |
— |
16,783 2017 |
— |
|
Main Libraries
31
Central/main library is usually part or those parts of an administrative unit where the main administrative functions and the important parts of the library collection and services are located. An administrative unit comprising several branch libraries does not necessarily include a central library. |
31 2018 |
1 2018 |
20 2016 |
10 2018 |
— |
— |
— |
|
Branch Libraries
70
Branch library is a part of a larger administrative unit providing, in separate quarters, a service for a particular user group (e.g. children, faculties) or for a locally defined clientele. Institute, departmental and other affiliated libraries are included. Mobile libraries and external service points are excluded. |
70 2016 |
— |
70 2016 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
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External Service Points
—
External service point is a point away from library premises at which a certain service is regularly offered to users. This includes places within a locality at which library material is deposited for informal circulation to a restricted group of users but without other library services, for example, old people’s homes, community centres, collections for hospital patients. Mobile libraries and their stops are not counted as external service points. |
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Mobile Libraries
—
Mobile library is a library, sometimes a division of a public library, using transport means to provide documents and services directly to users as an alternative to access on library premises. |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
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Libraries (Administrative Units)
16,814
Administrative unit is any independent library, or group of libraries, under a single directorate or a single administration. The term “independent” does not imply legal or financial independence but only that the library is a recognisably separate unit, typically within a larger organisation. The administrative unit can be a single library or a larger organisation, typically containing a central/main library, branch libraries and administrative functions. |
16,814 2018 |
1 2018 |
20 2016 |
10 2018 |
— |
16,783 2017 |
— |
|
Libraries with Internet Access
16,783
Libraries (Service Points) that provides internet access from at least one workstation available to the public regardless of whether access is free, and/or provides a wireless network allowing users to connect to the Internet. |
16,783 2017 |
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— |
— |
— |
16,783 2017 |
— |
|
Full-Time Staff
750
Full-time equivalent (FTE) staff are all library employees who work for the library in return for payment. It includes professional staff, qualified staff, project staff and assistants. Other staff (library employees who work in security and on domestic duties, for example, cleaners, porters, caretakers and catering staff) and volunteers are excluded. |
750 2016 |
— |
750 2016 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Volunteers
—
Volunteer is a person working on library tasks without payment. In counting volunteers, the concept of headcount is used. |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
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Registered Users
—
Registered user is a person or organisation registered with a library in order to use its collection and/or services within or away from the library. Users may be registered upon their request or automatically when enrolling in the institutions. |
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Physical Visits
—
Physical visit is a person (individual) entering the library premises. |
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Physical Loans
—
Physical loan is a direct lending or delivery transaction of an item in physical form. Physical loans include loans of items in non-electronic form (e.g. books) and loans electronic documents on a physical carrier (e.g. CD-ROM). |
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eBook Loans
—
eBook is a non-serial digital document, licenced or not, where searchable text is prevalent, and similar to a print book (monograph). eBooks can be lent to users either on portable devices (eBook readers) or by transmitting the contents to the user’s PC or other device for a limited time period. |
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Audio Book Loans
—
Audio book (or talking book) is a sound recording of readings of a book, magazine, or newspaper, usually designed for use by visually impaired people. Audio books can be lent to users either on a physical carrier or other device, or by transmitting the content to the user’s PC or other device for a limited time period. |
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Downloads
—
Download is a content unit that is successfully requested from a library-provided online service or other internet service (e.g. database, electronic serial or digital document). |
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Contextual data
|
Population |
Zimbabwe |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Population Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates. |
16,634,373 2024 |
1,291,044,964 2024 |
8,141,808,945 2024 |
|
Proportion of Population Younger than 15 Age dependency ratio, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population. |
73.6% 2024 |
72.5% 2024 |
38.0% 2024 |
|
Proportion of Population Older than 64 Age dependency ratio, old, is the ratio of older dependents--people older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population. |
6.5% 2024 |
5.7% 2024 |
15.7% 2024 |
|
Population Growth Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. |
1.8% 2024 |
2 2024 |
1.0% 2024 |
|
Population Density Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes. |
42.2% 2023 |
51.5% 2022 |
61.6% 2022 |
|
Urban Population Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division. |
39.9% 2024 |
44.1% 2024 |
57.6% 2024 |
|
Information Infrastructure |
Zimbabwe |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet Users Internet users are individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc. |
38.4% 2023 |
33.6% 2024 |
71.2% 2024 |
|
Female Internet Users This indicator refers to female individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc. |
29.7% 2020 |
29.4% 2024 |
68.2% 2024 |
|
Male Internet Users This indicator refers to male individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc. |
- |
29.4% |
- |
|
Access to Electricity Access to electricity is the percentage of population with access to electricity. Electrification data are collected from industry, national surveys and international sources. |
62.0% 2023 |
53.3% 2023 |
91.6% 2023 |
|
Economy, Poverty, and Employment |
Zimbabwe |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
GDP per Capita This indicator provides values for gross domestic product (GDP) expressed in current international dollars, converted by purchasing power parities (PPPs). PPPs account for the different price levels across countries and thus PPP-based comparisons of economic output are more appropriate for comparing the output of economies and the average material well-being of their inhabitants than exchange-rate based comparisons. Gross domestic product is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period. It can be measured in three different ways: using either the expenditure approach, the income approach, or the production approach. This series has been linked to produce a consistent time series to counteract breaks in series over time due to changes in base years, source data and methodologies. Thus, it may not be comparable with other national accounts series in the database for historical years. The core indicator has been divided by the general population to achieve a per capita estimate. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. The PPP conversion factor is a currency conversion factor and a spatial price deflator. PPPs convert different currencies to a common currency and, in the process of conversion, equalize their purchasing power by eliminating the differences in price levels between countries, thereby allowing volume or output comparisons of GDP and its expenditure components. |
5,928 2024 |
5,517.4 2024 |
24,405 2024 |
|
Poverty Rate Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.00 a day at 2021 purchasing power adjusted prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions. |
49.2% 2019 |
46.0% 2024 |
10.3% 2024 |
|
Inequality Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality. |
50.3% 2019 |
0.0% |
- |
|
Unemployment Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country. |
9.3% 2023 |
0.0% |
6.2% 2021 |
|
Inactive Youth The share of youth not in education, employment or training (also known as “the NEET rate”) conveys the number of young persons not in education, employment or training as a percentage of the total youth population. Youth not in education are those who were neither enrolled in school nor in a formal training program (e.g. vocational training). For the purposes of this indicator, youth is defined as all persons between the ages of 15 and 24 (inclusive). percentage of youth population |
30.0% 2023 |
0.0% |
- |
|
Education and Literacy |
Zimbabwe |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Education Spending General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments. percentage of GDP |
0.4% 2023 |
3.3% 2023 |
3.5% 2023 |
|
Adult Literacy Rate Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of people ages 15 and above |
93.2% 2019 |
3.3% 2023 |
87.7% 2024 |
|
Female Adult Literacy Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of females ages 15 and above |
93.4% 2019 |
62.7% 2024 |
84.6% 2024 |
|
Male Adult Literacy Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of males ages 15 and above |
93.4% 2019 |
74.9% 2024 |
90.9% 2024 |
|
Female Youth Literacy Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of females ages 15-24 |
94.2% 2019 |
76.6% 2024 |
92.0% 2024 |
|
Male Youth Literacy Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of males ages 15-24 |
90.8% 2019 |
81.3% 2024 |
94.1% 2024 |
|
Research and Innovation |
Zimbabwe |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Research Spending Gross domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, Government, Higher education and Private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development. percentage of GDP |
- |
- |
2.7% 2022 |
|
Researchers The number of researchers engaged in Research &Development (R&D), expressed as per million. Researchers are professionals who conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models techniques instrumentation, software of operational methods. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development. per million people |
95 2012 |
- |
1,516 2018 |
|
Scientific Articles Article counts refer to publications from a selection of conference proceedings and peer-reviewed journals from Scopus in science and engineering fields, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Taxonomy of Disciplines. fractional count |
563 2022 |
- |
3,338,192 2022 |
National Library Associations
ZimLA is run by a National Executive Council (NEC) whose members are elected for two-year terms. There are five branches covering all ten provinces. Branches are supported by Special Interest Groups. The business of ZimLA is guided by a Constitution and Rules of the Association. Major activities carried out by the association include workshops and an Annual Conference.
National Library
The National Library and Documentation Service (NLDS) was established through an Act of Parliament in 1985 and was implemented in 1988. The National Library serve as the national centre for the collection, conservation and appreciation of Zimbabwe’s published national heritage and a national reference collection. The National Library will also facilitate the sharing and supply of resources through access to international electronic bibliographic and information networks, databases and resources.
Policy Making Institutions
The Ministry is responsible for the National Library and Documentation Service (NLDS).
The Ministry supervises university, polytechnic and college libraries in Zimbabwe.
Library Support Organisations
ZULC was established in 2001 with an initial membership of six university libraries. It was formed to provide leadership in access to knowledge and to promote information resource sharing and networking in support of ‘human capital development’. The consortium is keen to expand membership beyond the traditional university and college members to include NGOs, research institutions and government departments. It is working on a recruitment strategy in order to grow over the coming years.
CARLC was formed at a workshop for librarians held at Mont Clair, Nyanga, Zimbabwe in 1999. The members include Polytechnics, Teachers Colleges, and libraries of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development. The goal of the consortium is to promote Library cooperation and resource sharing among member institutions.
The Public Library Consortium is made up of public libraries and is yet to be officially launched. The consortium will provide a platform for public libraries to interact and share resources.
National Policy for Libraries
There is no information available.
Library Law
The Act provides for the establishment of the National Library and Documentation Service (NLDS) and the establishment of a Council to advise on the administration of the NLDS. The Act also applies to affiliate libraries which are registered with the NLDS as well as to constituent libraries which are staffed by public officers and which the NLDS administers; these include government ministerial and deparmental libraries, government educational libraries, and other libraries. The act aims at (i) promoting the widespread enjoyment in Zimbabwe of publications of an educational, scientific, cultural, recreational or sporting value; (ii) ensuring, maintaining and developing a high standard of library facilities; (iii) operating a documentation facility and an inter-library loan facility; and (iv) training librarians and to ensure, maintain, co-ordinate and develop a high standard of librarianship.
There are plans to have the Act reviewed or replaced with the National Library Council Bill.
Legal Deposit Law
Three copies of each printed or published material are to be deposited. One copy each to the National Archives, National Library and Documentation Service, and Bulawayo Public Library. Newspapers, periodicals or other printed publications published at a regular or irregular intervcals, and every part or division of a book, pamphlet, sheet of printing, map, plan, chart or table separately published are covered by legal deposit. Digital materials are not covered by the Act.
Copyright Law & Library Exceptions and Limitations
The law allows for basic library activities as itemized below: The following acts do not result in copyright infringement: Fair dealing with a work for private study or for the purposes of research done by an individual for his personal purposes, otherwise than for profit. Fair dealing with a work for the purposes of criticism or review, whether of that work or any other work, provided there is a sufficient acknowledgement The reproduction of a work by a library or archive designated for the purpose of making a copy of any item in the permanent collection of the library or archive- (i) in order to preserve or replace that item by placing the copy in permanent collection either in addition to or in place of the item; or (ii) in order to replace in the permanent collection of another designated library or archive an item which has been lost, destroyed or damage provided that it is not reasonably practicable to purchase a copy of the item in question.
Professional Qualification Requirements
The professional qualification requirements in Zimbabwe are largely dependent on the Private, Public and Academic sector one wishes to work in. The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa launched the Zimbabwe National Qualifications Framework (ZNQF) on Tuesday, 11 July 2018. The ZNQF seeks among many objectives, to provide a mechanism to harmonise national qualifications, enable vertical and horizontal mobility of learners and graduates. There is an ongoing discussion by information professionals on the impact of the ZNFQ in relation to work qualification requirements.
Education
There are a number of library schools in Zimbabwe that offer courses in librarianship. The library schools include: Bulawayo Polytechnic, Gweru Polytechnic, Harare Polytechnic, Kushinga Phikelela Polytechnic, Mutare Polytechnic, National University of Science and Technology, and Zimbabwe Open University. A person with five ‘O’ level subjects may start studying for a National Certificate (1 year) in Library Management and Information Science and pursue a National Diploma (3 years including attachment year) and then study for a Higher National Diploma (1 year). A person with a Higher National Diploma may apply to study for a Bachelor of Science Honours in Library and Information Science (2 Years) at the Zimbabwe Open University. The National University of Science and Technology offers a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Library and Information Science (BSc. Hon. LIS) (4 Years); a Master of Science Degree in Library and Information Science (MSc LIS) (2 Years) and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Library and Information Science (PDLIS).
Professional Publications
“The Zimbabwe Librarian” is the official journal of the Zimbabwe Library Association (ZimLA) and was formerly published as ‘The Rhodesian Librarian’. The association suspended the print copy in 2004 and plans to resume publishing in the near future. The publication shares information on the professional association, information sector and global trends in librarianship.
Professional Events
The Zimbabwe Library Association holds an annual four day conference in July and a Pre-Conference for schools libraries. The Library Association extends its invitation to Library and Information Professionals, Publishers, Authors, Book Distributors, Academics, Researchers, Policy makers and relevant stakeholders with vested interest in the library and information services sector. The main goal of the annual event is to create opportunities for local, regional and international practitioners, suppliers and policy makers in the library and information services sector to convene, discuss, share ideas aspirations; and learn from each other.
The Zimbabwe International Book Fair Association (ZIBFA) hosts a five day event each year. The first two days are for an Indaba Conference, the third is the opening day, the fourth day is for the Publishers Workshop and the fifth day is for the Librarians Workshop.
Library Location Resources
No information available
Contributors