Books transformed into Xmas trees
- Wits University
Wits University’s 11 libraries have ushered in the festive season with a creative challenge that is turning heads and delighting patrons.
This year, librarians across Wits campuses were tasked with crafting Christmas trees made from books and other materials used for preserving knowledge. This initiative, which blends holiday cheer with a celebration of library innovation, has revealed the hidden side of our libraries.
“Librarians are, by nature, creative people, and the profession often demands a level of ingenuity that goes far beyond shelving and circulation,” says Charl Roberts, Manager of Digital Scholarship, Library Systems and ICT Innovation.
 |
 |
 |
 |
“Librarians are, by nature, creative people, and the profession often demands a level of ingenuity that goes far beyond shelving and circulation,” says Charl Roberts, Manager of Digital Scholarship, Library Systems and ICT Innovation.
“Designing these festive trees has proven just how imaginative library staff can be. From spiralling towers to colour-coded displays, no two trees look alike as teams were competing for the title of the Best Xmas Tree at Wits.
The Education Library display won first prize followed by the Cataloguing Unit and the William Cullen Library. The Digital Innovations and Discovery Systems within the Library was acknowledged for contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals for their innovation and using recycled electronics such as laptops, CDs etc.
Beyond the visual spectacle, the initiative aims to attract new visitors and show the campus community that libraries are dynamic spaces and continue to evolve to increase access to knowledge and engage a new generation of users.
Students and staff are invited to judge the creations for themselves by visiting our libraries.
Related articles
Wits Libraries launches the Wits Open Data Vault
Wits Libraries modernises Information Services with Digital Stands and Information Kiosks