Page 23 - VHSA - Onderstepoort 100 Years - Part 3

ONDERSTEPOORT 100 OVI Library
D.A. SWANEPOEL
Introduction
The following eras can be distinguished in the historical development of the library:
• The early years before the construction of the present lib-
rary in 1932.
• The years between 1932 and the take-over by the De-
partment of National Education (DNE) in 1958.
• The DNE era which lasted until the founding of the Agri-
cultural Research (ARC) in 1992.
• The era of ARC control from 1992 until the present.
The following is reported on: management, stock, physical accommodation and staff.
Early years before the construction of the
present library (1908-1932)
Little information could be found about this period in correspondence files in both the Onderstepoort and National Archives, apart from details on the library building. According to Gutsche, Theiler attempted to overcome his academic isolation from the time of his arrival in the country and throughout the rinderpest and Daspoort periods by obtaining publications from abroad with the assistance of his father and brother who were in Switzerland. She also mentions that the ‘old hands’ at Daspoort accompanied Theiler to Onderstepoort, in- cluding F.T. Mauchle who was in charge of the ‘library’ and stock records. The use of apostrophes around the word ‘library’ in- dicates that a rudimentary collection may have existed at Daspoort which was brought to Onderstepoort.
The first library at the Institute was situ- ated in the Old Main Building, consisting of shelves along the sides and back of the lecture room. Today the room is divided into two offices with some of the shelves still present at the back of one of them. Funding for books was probably in short supply. One of Theiler’s daughters, Gertrud, wrote in her short biography of her father, that later, when the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, improved library facilities were established. A formal budget for information procurement was only in place by 1912,
according to Gutsche.
For the Union government improving agricultural pro-
duction was a priority. Some historians have described the politics of the day as the union of gold and maize. Wool and Angora fibres were staple exports, vital for the national economy. Beef and milk production became increasingly important for feeding the towns and mining compounds. It was therefore in the government’s interests to further scientific research. The colonial governments had in fact been encouraging investigations into serious diseases of livestock from the 1870s and developing the library was an extension of this process.
Many new journals had come into being since Theiler’s arrival in South Africa, and new editions of the old standard textbooks, as well as new publications, appeared on the shelves. Yet Theiler still found it essential to supplement the official library
with a private collection of books, not so
much on veterinary medicine as on ancillary subjects. He felt that improved general knowledge was necessary to understand
the epidemiological problems facing the livestock industry in South Africa. Sadly,
there are not many of Theiler’s personal
books remaining in the library. On his
return to South Africa in the early 1930s,
after retiring to Switzerland in 1927, financial constraints limited his shipment 113 of books and he decided to donate them
to various other institutions. Beneficia- ries were the Swiss State Library at Berne, the Weybridge Bureau of Animal Care, the Berne Botanical Institute, and his family members. There are, however, a few books in the collection bearing a stamp with his name. His thesis ‘Die Malaria des Pferdes’ (1901) can especially be mentioned.
An analysis of the early stock is very interesting. Most of the books/publica- tions of the early 20th century were in Western European languages. German is well represented as can be expected, Theiler being of Swiss-German origin. He also recruited most of his staff from these countries during the early years. French was also well represented, and there are a few texts in Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Flemish and Scandinavian languages. The following are some of the oldest books in the collection. Note that the original
“Theiler found it essential to supplement the official library with a private collection of books, not so much on veterinary medicine as on ancillary subjects.”
OVI Library
1908-2008
Years