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Library and Information Association of South Africa

Logo: Received from the secretary of the association, Non-free logo, via Wikipedia3

Library organization in South Africa

The Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) is a professional non-profit organisation representing institutions and people working in libraries and information services in South Africa. As a professional body, LIASA is officially recognised by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), with its recognition renewed until March 2030. The association's membership grew to 1,590 in 2023, an increase of 22% from the previous year.2 It is headquartered in Pretoria.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1997Founded1

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The Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) is a professional non-profit organisation representing institutions and people working in libraries and information services in South Africa. As a professional body, LIASA is officially recognised by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), with its recognition renewed until March 2030. The association's membership grew to 1,590 in 2023, an increase of 22% from the previous year. The LIASA National Office is located on the Pretoria campus of the National Library of South Africa (NLSA).2

The story

Background and Unification

Prior to 1997, the library and information services (LIS) sector in South Africa was fragmented. The two largest organisations were the South African Institute for Librarianship and Information Science (SAILIS) and the African Library Association of South Africa (ALASA). SAILIS had been formed in 1979 as a professional graduate body and required formal qualifications for membership, while other organisations like the Library and Information Workers' Organization (LIWO), launched in July 1990, were created in opposition to what they viewed as elitist membership criteria.

The process toward unification began in January 1995 during the Conference on Libraries and Information Services in Developing South Africa (LISDESA), leading to the election of the first Steering Committee for the Unification of Library and Information Stakeholders (ULIS). The first ULIS conference (ULIS-1) was held in Johannesburg from 8–10 July 1996, where then-Deputy President Thabo Mbeki urged the more than 250 participants to unite.

Formation of LIASA

An Interim Executive Committee (IEC) was elected and mandated to draft a constitution. Supported by Provincial Support Groups (PSGs) from all nine provinces, the IEC organised the Constituent Conference (ULIS-2) at the University of Pretoria. The conference took place in July 1997 with approximately 450 library and information workers attending. The primary focus was to debate and approve the draft constitution. After delegates discussed and proposed amendments, the final draft was accepted unanimously, and the name "Library and Information Association of South Africa" was chosen. The acronym LIASA is pronounced "liyasa," which means "the dawning" in the Nguni languages. A Transitional Executive Committee (TEC) was elected to manage the new association and organise the first annual conference in November 1998.

Peter Johan Lor, South Africa's first National Librarian (2000–2003) and a former IFLA Secretary General (2005–2008), is listed as the first member of LIASA.

From Wikipedia’s article on Library and Information Association of South Africa, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Timeline

  1. 1997Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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