BUSINESS
CEMENT AND CONCRETE
LIBRARY AT YOUR SERVICE
By Ntsako Khosa
Situated a stone’s throw away from the Mall of Africa in Midrand, is a library that is known as
the ‘binding agent’ of the cement and concrete industry.
Standing, from left: Bongani Methula (lab technician, switchboard operator, information centre assistant) and Kizzy Shipalana (information
specialist). Seated, from left: Bryan Perrie (MD of TCI) and Susan Battison (Information Centre manager).
T
he Concrete Institute’s
Information Centre holds the
largest collection of cement and
concrete-related reference works in
Africa. The Centre recently celebrated
eight decades of existence and prides
itself in the collection it holds.
Keepers of the library, Susan Battison
(Centre manager), Kizzy Shipalana
22
SEPTEMBER 2018
(information specialist), and Bongani
Methula (Centre assistant), are soft-
spoken individuals who uphold the
library’s reputation.
Disseminating the free information,
Battison explains that they are always keen
to help those who enquire telephonically,
via email, or walk-ins. “We serve the
whole of South Africa. A lot of queries are
for journal articles and conference papers,
so those we scan and email through to
people,” she says.
With a collection that includes
approximately 130 000 items (and
counting) of journals, conference
proceedings, books, DVDs, standards,
and historical data, the Centre caters
for the needs of professional builders,