Libraries Create a Guide to Mandela’s Life and Work

UW—Madison Libraries compile Research Guides full of useful resources in order to help patrons. These can range from guides to newspapers to cranberries. Guides are available for the public. Links in the guides, save for the licensed resources that are only available to users on campus, are accessible to the public.

This week, librarian Emilie Songolo created a guide for Nelson Mandela and his efforts to end apartheid and advocate for global human rights. Songolo told us, “When I heard the news about Nelson Mandela’s death on December 5th, I decided that it was time to create some type of guide that would help the Library inform people of the unique books, videos and other materials that we have been collecting about South Africa, the Anti-Apartheid Struggle, and Nelson Mandela.”

Songolo spent her childhood in Edéa, Cameroon. Her father used to call her journaliste because of her passion to connect people with information. “Librarianship has enabled me to accomplish this goal because it gives me the skills and tools for finding information and bringing it to people.”

In the wake of Mandela’s death, Songolo and the Libraries hope that this guide serves as a resource to those wishing to learn more about Nelson Mandela’s impact, not only within South Africa, but across the world.

“Above all,” Songolo offered, “it serves as a memorial to his life and accomplishments. For me as a librarian, and an engaged one at that, this is the least I can do professionally to honor someone who has sacrificed and done so much to improve the lives of so many.”

One user, Alan Maki, Director of Organizing of Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council, widely shared the guide with colleagues, saying, “A very good and informative study guide for anyone who wants to learn more about Nelson Mandela and the struggles for freedom in South Africa.”

You can find the Nelson Mandela guide on our website. For more information, please email Emilie Songolo at esongolo@library.wisc.edu. Songolo is the African Studies, Economics, Francophone Studies, Global Studies, & Political Science Librarian. She has written more guides in these subject areas on our website.