Abstract:
Recent transformation in the new democratic South Africa has impacted negatively on
the management of public libraries. Before 1994, public library services was the
responsibility of the municipality. After 1994, the Provincial government was compelled
to render the services. Most of the public libraries are still funded by their municipalities
as unfunded mandate. The uncertainty about a clear definition of the relationship
between municipalities and provincial library service impacts negatively on the
management of public libraries in Limpopo Province. The study intended to investigate
the impact of the management of public library towards community development in
Molepo. The dynamic nature of the functions of management namely planning,
organising, delegating, marketing, policy making and implementation were discussed
in full to show the importance of leadership in the public library arena. In order to
achieve intended objectives of the study, the researcher employed both qualitative
and quantitative research designs. The researcher collected qualitative data through
semi structured interviews while quantitative data was collected through
questionnaires. Target population was librarians working in Molepo library and
members of school management teams. The sample of the study comprised of fifty
school management team and ten librarians. In order to achieve the objective of the
study, the researcher has employed both random and stratified sampling to collect
data from 60 participants. According to the findings, most of the people believed that
the management should be transformed and innovate so as to achieve the intended
objectives of the public library at Ga Molepo. Based on the findings, it is clear that the
success of public library management towards community development in Ga Molepo
depends solely on a visionary leader who has participatory and consultative style of
leadership. In order to achieve the above process, all stakeholders should be
consulted and involved towards the management of the public library. The study
further recommended that the library management needs to adopt the latest business
management strategies
