A retrospective look at 33 years in the SABC Record Library

Thersia Francis, the Manager of the SABC Record Library, is leaving the SABC Media Libraries today to pursue other interests in life. She started as a woman assistant in the Record Library, and later became the Manager of the Record Library.


How long did you work for the SABC, and where did you start before you came to the Media Libraries?

I started in 1980, 33 years ago. I started in the Record Library.

What did it mean to you to work in the Record Library? 

That was a very big part of my life, and I have enjoyed every minute of it.

Did you meet interesting people, and who?

I have met a lot of bands, singers and artists. 
My highlight was being backstage with Jon Bon Jovi in their first concert in Johannesburg Athletics Stadium.

What do you remember about your time here?

99% was happiness in my job - to work with music and music related functions which I have enjoyed most.

What are your plans for the future?

For the near future; to relax and doing the things I never had time to do previously!


We wish you well, Thersia!


Related post:

Interview with the Manager of the SABC Record Library


Questions & blog post by Karen du Toit, SABC Radio Archives.

Interview with the Principal Librarian, Media Library: Marlene Ungerer – Province Cape Town

Marlene Ungerer
Principal Librarian: SABC Media Library Cape Town

The SABC has branches in the provinces. The upcoming interviews will be addressed to the people of the SABC Media Libraries working in the provinces. The scope and content of their work differs greatly of how we do it here in Auckland Park.

The interview this week is with Marlene Ungerer, the Principal Librarian of the Media Library, Cape Town. She has been with SABC Cape Town for 24 years on the 1st August, 2011.

Marlene, please tell us a little bit about your life and career (Where you grew up, where and what you studied and your work experience before you joined SABC Cape Town)

I grew up in the southern suburbs of Cape Town.  Both my parents played guitar, piano and sang. My parents made a recording with Teal Trutone in 1955 when I was 6 months old, on a 78”.

My brother won first prize for the battle of the bands when he was 15 years old. He is currently a member of the band “Late Final”.  My sister and I sang in a band in our teens and we had piano lessons with Charles Segal whilst we were at school. Because of my parents influence in music, we obviously are all able to play an instrument or two and we are able to sing. Therefore music was more than a hobby it was a normal activity in our family gatherings and we all have a passion for music.  None of us are able to live without music…it’s in our veins. My knowledge of music goes back to my Grandmother’s era up to the current genre’s we hear today.

I cannot imagine my life without music.  It was coincidental that I started working at the SABC Media Library in August, 1987.

My previous work experience was purely administrative. For example: wages, salaries, creditors and debtors, switchboard, secretary and Personal assistant.

How big is the province you serve?

The Province in Cape Town has a total of 170 employees. The Media library provides services to following Radio Stations: - Good Hope FM, RSG, SAFM and Umhlobo Wenene, including Group Sales and Marketing.

Do you have specific challenges in Cape Town?

Yes, we most certainly do!  Firstly we have only two employees, the Principle Librarian and the Librarian. The biggest challenges are when one of the two is off ill or on leave and the other has to juggle the running of the library, seeing the clients from the Record Companies (who samples us with CD’s), assisting the compilers, attending meetings and finally finding the time to catalogue the new releases.  Cape Town Media Library is one of the few Provinces that has a Principle Librarian that is hands on. At present I am coaching two interns since February and we have been requested to do monthly reports and logbooks for each intern.

Please tell us about a normal day in your office. What tasks do you give priority to?

The task which is given first priority is ensuring the new releases are catalogued as soon as possible, to enable compilers and borrowers to have prompt access to compile their playlists and programmes. Managing one’s time to give the Record Companies an opportunity to visit and explain the new CD releases, which are given as free samples. At present I need to give my full attention to the interns while coaching them until November of this year.

Tell us more about the collection in the SABC Cape Town Archives and the scope of material that need to be preserved.

Anything we need to archive we send to the SABC in Johannesburg but we do take a keen interest in preserving CD’s that were released from 1980 to 2000, as these CD’s are not replaceable.  Should a borrower need access to a CD which we only have one copy of, we make alternate arrangements to either copy the CD or download the track requested.

Tell us why you enjoy doing the work that you do.

I have a passion for music and I cannot imagine my life without music. I enjoy every aspect of my job; it is extremely challenging and rewarding to be able to assist people with music requests and knowing that I have the knowledge and experience to find a particular type of genre to suit their programme, drama or an advert. I really couldn’t imagine my life without music.

Why do you prefer working in Cape Town, rather than here in Johannesburg?

I was born and grew up in Cape Town and my parents, children and extended family are all based in Cape Town. Cape Town is the only place I would work and it suits my needs at present. Life throws us so many curve balls, who know; maybe at another time in my life it may warrant a transfer!


Questions and blog post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives.

Interview with the Manager of the SABC Record Library

Thersia Francis
Manager: SABC Record Library

The interview this week is with Thersia Francis, the Manager of the SABC Record Library.

The Record Library houses recorded music, previously unavailable, as well as all genres of recorded music, including Jazz, Gospel, Kwaito, Rap, Rave, Classical, World, Light, Mood, Sound Effects and others. The music is regularly accessed by staff and made available to all internal clients.

This interview is part of a series of blog posts to gain a better understanding of the SABC Record Library, as well as part of a series of blog posts about the Media Libraries. It is a way of generating a better understanding of what we do in the different sections that we belong to.


Please tell us a little bit about yourself. (Where you grew up, where and what you studied and your work experience before you joined the SABC Record Library)

I was born, raised and spend most of my life in Krugersdorp.
I’ve started my working career at the Johannesburg City Council at the Commercial Licensing Department were I worked for 5 years, and gained  very valuable working experience.
I applied for a post in the Record Library at the SABC and started in June 1980.  31 years later here I am still in the Record Library and love every minute (OK, 99% of the time). Things really changed a lot over the years…..
When I started there were 3 Record Libraries: Springbok Radio Library (or Commercial Library) Bantu/Black Record Library and the Central Record Library. When Springbok Radio closed down the 3 libraries merged and only one record library was formed.  I started working with classical music, then mood music and sound effects and then light or commercial music and gained knowledge of the different types of music, record companies and our users in the SABC. 

Please tell us about a normal day in your office. What tasks do you give priority to?

My main focus is to have happy, focus and competent staff and a well organized record library that’s looking after the music needs of the SABC.

Tell us more about your collection and the scope of material you need to preserve in the Record Library.

We do have a huge collection of CD’s and LP’s.  Our collection exists of classical music, mood music and sound effects and light music. We try do allocate music from all available sources, local and international.

Do you struggle with technical difficulties with regards your collections? Please elaborate.

On a daily basis we do not have any technical difficulties.  My dream for the library is to digitize and have our collections online.  We are currently busy with a digital project and hopefully this dream will come true.

If you have an anecdote about a specific piece of interesting music, please share it with us.

 A great CD worth listening to is “Amore Infinito” by Placido Domingo with guest appearances by a few well known artists.  It is songs inspired by the poems of Pope John Paul II.

Tell us why you enjoy doing the work that you do.

To work with music is fantastic!  The music industry has its own magic.  The interaction between the record library, radio stations and all the users in the SABC is very special.


Related posts:

Interview with the Systems Administrator in the SABC Record Library
Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC record Library
Interview with an Assistant Record Librarian in the SABC Record Library
Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC Record Library: Sound Effects and Mood Music


Questions and blog post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist at the SABC Radio Archives.

Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC Record Library

Vickey Steyn, SABC Record Library

This is part of a series of blog posts to gain a better understanding of the SABC Record Library, as well as part of a series of blog posts about the Media Libraries. The interviews are generating a better understanding of what we do in the different sections that we belong to.

The interview this week is with Vickey Steyn, a Record Librarian in the SABC Record Library.

The Record Library houses recorded music, previously unavailable, as well as all genres of recorded music, including Jazz, Gospel, Kwaito, Rap, Rave, Classical, World, Light, Mood, Sound Effects and others. The music is regularly accessed by staff and made available to internal clients.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. (Where you grew up, where and what you studied and your work experience before you joined the SABC Record Library)

I grew up in Heidelberg Gauteng, where I am residing to this day. I went to AG Visser Primary School, and matriculated in 2002 at Hoër Volkskool. After school I didn’t want to study, so I worked at Pick a Pay for a year. Following that I waitressed at Heidelberg Pub en Restaurant during the night and worked at Evermaster Int. Import and Export Company during the day.  Evermaster closed down and moved overseas. I then worked for AVBOB as an administration clerk.  In 2007 I joined the SABC as a Receptionist, and after two years I applied for the vacancy in the Record Library…  And this is where my journey began!

Please tell us about a normal day in your office. What music do you give priority to?

A normal day in my office is to capture music cd’s on the Record Library system.  Every Tuesday we receive cd’s from different record companies.  You mingle with different personalities at the record companies. After we’ve received the cd’s we have to listen to it so that we can give it a classification to capture it on the system.  I’m also doing the TOP 20 every week. It is called “The Top 20 sales of CD’s sold” which RSG is broadcasting on air every Saturday between 13:00 and 14:00; it’s also placed on the web on a weekly basis. 

Do you struggle with technical difficulties, and if so, what?

Yes, but it usually get sorted out very quickly by Gary from BIT.  Didn’t come across anything yet that couldn’t be sorted out.

Tell us why you enjoy doing the work that you do.

There is not a thing in my work that I don’t enjoy… Everything that I’m doing is satisfying.  Sometimes there are times that you struggle with something, but it’s not a huge thing that spoils your work situation.  I work with great colleagues. I can’t imagine a working day without them.  They make you feel like being part of a team, and with this “team” you can never have a dull moment or feel left out!


Related posts:
Interview with an assistant record librarian in the SABC Record Library
Interview with Aaron Magoro at the SABC Record Library
Interview with a Systems Adiministrator at the SABC Record Library


Questions and blog post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives.

Interview with an assistant record librarian at the SABC Record Library: Oliver Mhlanga

Oliver Mhlanga
SABC Record Library

This is part of a series of blog posts to gain a better understanding of the SABC Record Library, as well as part of a series of blog posts about the SABC Media Libraries. The interviews help us to gain a better understanding of the work that we do here.

The interview this week is with Oliver Mhlanga, an assistant record librarian in the SABC Record Library. He is responsible for the filing of the music.

The Record Library houses recorded music, previously unavailable, as well as all genres of recorded music, including sound effects and others. The music is regularly accessed by staff and made available to SABC internal clients.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am Oliver Fana Mhlanga. I grew up in Mpumalanga in the place called Piet Retief. Before I joined the SABC I was working as a bricklayer (builder).

Please tell us about a normal day in your office. What music do you give priority to?
I need training and understanding of different music genres and how to classify it.

Do you struggle with technical difficulties, and if so, what?

Yes, I am struggling with technical issues because it is not part of my job description to work on a computer most of the time.

If you have an anecdote about a specific piece of interesting music, please share it with us.

Of course I have a specific piece of interesting music which I enjoy!

R Kelly: The Storm is over now.
Quote from the lyrics:

“I was in a tunnel
And couldn't see the light
And whenever I'd look up
I couldn't see the sky
Sometimes when I'm standin'
It seems like I done walked for miles
And my heart could be cryin'
Dead in the middle of a smile
But then I climbed the hills
And saw the mountains
I hollered help 'cause I was lost
Then I felt the strong wind
Heard a small voice sayin'
The storm is over
(The storm is over now)
And I can see the sunshine
(Somewhere beyond the clouds)
I feel Heaven, yeah
(Heaven is over me)
Come on and set me free, whoa”

Tell us why you enjoy doing the work that you do.
Yes, I am enjoying my work because it is encouraging every day!

Related posts:
Interview with Aaron Magoro at the SABC Record Library

Interview with a Systems Administartor at the SABC Record Library

Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC Record Library


Questions and blog post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives

Interview with Aaron Magoro at the SABC Record Library

Aaron Magoro
SABC Record Library

This is an interview as part of a series of blog posts to gain a better understanding of the SABC Record Library, as well as part of a series of blog posts about the SABC Media Libraries. It is a way of generating a better understanding of what we do in the different sections that we belong to.

The interview this week is with Aaron Magoro, a Record Librarian in the SABC Record library.

The Record Library houses recorded music, previously unavailable, as well as all genres of recorded music, including Jazz, Gospel, Kwaito, Rap, Rave, Classical, World, Light, Mood, Sound Effects and others. The music is regularly accessed by staff and made available to internal clients.

Aaron, please tell us a little bit about your life and career.

I was born in Soweto. I grew up in the township and I attended primary & higher primary school in Soweto. I moved to Mpumalanga where I went to secondary school to obtain my Junior Certificate.
Before I joined the SABC I was at CNA Warehouse supplying different outlets with magazines and newspapers of local and international content. It was very interesting to work in that department. I only worked there for a short period. After I had left I had a call that there were vacancies at the SABC, upon which I applied for a job here.

Please tell us about a normal day in your office. What music do you give priority to?

A normal day at the office is hectic. We deal with different clients with different needs. Every piece of music to us is a priority as a service to our clients. After I have completed the requests by customers, I do my normal work capturing data. The information being captured is shared with the ten regions of the SABC country wide.

Tell us more about your collection and the scope of material you need to preserve in the record library.

In the library we have a variety of global music. We have a vast collection. It includes the National Anthems of other countries. We came up tops during the Soccer World Cup which was hosted in South Africa. We were the sole independent of the media to rely on in terms of music of other countries.  We receive music as it is presented to us. This point is very important because we don’t limit our collections or censor it.  Different people do research on different projects. It is not up to us to select for them but to cater to their needs of what they require.

Do you struggle with technical difficulties, and if so, what?

Technical difficulties in the record library: It is very few, except for the process and procedures which should be followed very carefully, as well as to remember the password and id users may need in future.

If you have an anecdote about a specific piece of interesting music, please share it with us.

I like a selection of evergreen music with the message of courage; lifting up one’s spirit when you are feeling down. To name a few: Mahalia Jackson, Uncle Satchmo, Brook Benton, Aretha Franklin, and local northern Sotho tradition and township music with a vibe.

Tell us why you enjoy doing the work that you do.

I enjoy a social life. My daily life at work involves socialising with different people, sharing different ideas and most of the time I assist when more information are required.


Related posts:
Interview with a Record Librarian in the SABC Record Library: Sound effects and mood music
Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC Record Library: William Rapabi
Interview with a Record Librarian in the SABC Record Library: Justice Muthakhi
Interview with a Systems Administrator at the SABC Record Library: Marinda Wolmarans

Questions and blog post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives.

Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC Record Library: William Rapabi

William Rapabi
SABC Record Library

This is part of a series of blog posts to gain a better understanding of the SABC Record Library, as well as part of a series of blog posts about the SABC Media Libraries. It is a way of generating  a better understanding of what we do in the different sections that we belong to.
The interview this week is with William Rapabi, or Raps, the Record Librarian in charge of the check-out counter at the Record Library.

The SABC Record Library houses recorded music, previously unavailable, as well as all genres of recorded music, including Jazz, Gospel, Kwaito, Rap, Rave, Classical, World, Light, Mood, Sound Effects and others. The music is regularly accessed by staff and made available to internal clients.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. (Where you grew up, where and what you studied and your work experience before you joined the SABC Record Library)

My name is William M. Rapabi, and I was born in Soweto (Molapo location) where I started primary schooling. In 1976 I went to Witsieshoek now called Qwaqwa to do high school studies. Having completed high school, I then attended college in Johannesburg doing a mixture of courses that included switchboard, office administration, typing …… aag I have forgotten the others, and please don’t ask me what the diploma was called. While still in college the SABC came looking for workers and I got my employment.

Please tell us about a normal day in your office. What music do you give priority to?

My job mainly entails signing in and out of music(CD’s) to compilers, dj’s, producers, to mention but a few doing different programmes on radio or television.  Naturally their choice of music would differ according to content required. Reminders are always send to users to check in what they loaned from the library because if after 6 weeks CD’s are still outstanding, deductions from their salaries is done to replace those CD’s.  The packing slips and audit trails are filed daily to keep record of what went out and came back.

Tell us more about your collection and the scope of material you need to preserve in the record library.

The collection and scope of material we have has already been elaborated on by Justice Muthakhi. I would specifically want to talk about the indigenous music that only the SABC has on transcriptions that really needs preserving. It is gold to this company.

Do you struggle with technical difficulties, and if so, what?

Talking about technical difficulties Here I don’t wish to do deductions on the same day that salaries are done because then I have time frames and unfortunately we both tap into main-frame and the system becomes very slow.

Tell us why you enjoy doing the work that you do.

Why I enjoy doing the work: I love working with music and enjoy listening to music. Whatever circumstances I’m in, music will always pull me through. Thank you.

Related posts:
Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC Record Library
Interview with a Systems Administrator at the SABC Record Library

Questions and post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives.

Interview with a systems administrator in the SABC Record Library

Marinda Wolmarans
SABC Record Library

This is the second interview as part of a series of blog posts to gain a better understanding of the SABC Record Library, as well as part of a series of blog posts about the SABC Media Libraries. It is a way of generating a better understanding of what we do in the different sections that we belong to.

The interview is with Marinda Wolmarans, a Systems Administrator in the Record library. The SABC Record Library houses recorded music, previously unavailable, as well as all genres of recorded music, including Jazz, Gospel, Kwaito, Rap, Rave, Classical, World, Light, Mood, Sound Effects and others. The music is regularly accessed by staff and made available to internal clients of the SABC.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. (Where you grew up, where and what you studied and your work experience before you joined the SABC Record Library)
I was born in JHB. I worked at Trust Bank now Absa and from there started at the SABC.

Please tell us about a normal day in your office.
When I arrive in the morning the first is checking e-mails and regularly during the day as well.  The Regions and JHB send performers and labels to be added on the system to be able to capture the information on the system.  Not one day is the same, some days problems that affects all the Regions will be send via e-mail or I’ll be contacted telephonically to rectify the mistakes made on the systems.  I check CD information and send the mistakes back to the regions and JHB personnel to rectify.  It takes a lot of time because you have to check who added the CD first, everything needs to be written down and checked thoroughly. People need to be focused when capturing of CDs are being done.

What does the future have in store for us digitally?
I can’t wait for the Digital System but I foresee we might have problems with the information on the CD’s and the actual songs on the disc. I hope that all the information that we currently have will be transferred without any major problems.

Tell us why you enjoy doing the work that you do.
Every day has a different challenge.

Related post:
Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC record Library

Questions and post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives

The Library and Information career and Social Media

Through RSS feeds I get a regular update of what is happening in the Library and Information world. The Library and Information Specialist (LIS) is in a field of expertise where the fast pace of information and change effect their role and duties constantly. LIS professionals are lucky that they are in constant barrage of new information, and actually thrive on the new technologies and new information. But it is also a fact that LIS career options are diminishing worldwide because of budget constraints, and dare I say: that same “new technologies”.

It is up to the LIS profession to constantly look at ways of reinventing themselves and their professional careers. One of the new ways of doing that is through social media technologies and building up a social media presence. It is difficult for old school LIS professionals who are by nature introverted (a generalization, I know) to “convert” to the idea of selling themselves and their expertise and their “business” through an active online presence. We need to change our thinking and our way of working to incorporate social media into our daily work/networking activities.

A subgroup of the American Library Association on LinkedIn has been formed, called LIS Career Options which discuss topics such as:

• How do you market LIS skills?
• What is various skills worth?

The discussions demonstrate the need to build up a social media presence, albeit personally, but the presence of the person linked to a service/company is always inclusive. We work within a certain framework of business.

As archivists, information specialists and record librarians we are still in infancy in our company with regards to social media presence. We are beginning to notice the importance of being actively engaged online. Our recent endeavours on social media have opened up our eyes to the possibilities. We are getting more feedback, more requests and more awareness of our services.

Check us out:
SABC Media Libraries Blog
SABC Media Libraries site
Twitter:
SABC Media Libraries
SABC Radio Archives
SABC Music Library
SABC Record Lib
SABC Information Library
SABC Audio Restoration

We also started with Facebook presences, but that's for another post.

Karen du Toit
Senior Afrikaans Archivist
SABC Radio Archives

From the Record Library

The historic event which will take place from the 11th June 2010 in South Africa, namely the 2010 FIFA World Cup, does not exclude the Record Library. Our local artists are already targeting all sectors of the market and are gearing up to make the event even more enjoyable. Some artists started to sing about the 2010 soccer spectacular as early as 2004. They would like to get us all involved - it is for South Africans, it is for Africa!

The personal favourites at present in the Record Library are as follows - Solly Moholo’s song 2010 SA We are the hosts from the cd Mandela O Llela Bana has the potential to become a great hit. So has the song 2010 by Mzwakhe Mbuli (The People’s Poet) from his cd Tribute to Mandela. Even the stalwart Afrikaans singer Laurika Rauch has recorded the song Skouspel 2010 for her cd called Tweeduisend-en-Tien!

These are just a few examples of the 121 songs which the Record Library has received up to now, and with all the hype surrounding the World Cup, one cannot help but become more involved in this great show coming our way!

by Justice Muthaki, SABC Record Library