Early beginnings

The origins of Stellenbosch University date back to the Stellenbosch Gymnasium established in 1866. It became Victoria College in 1887 and in 1918 Stellenbosch University.

In 1895 the College had a Reading and Reference Library for the use of students but by the turn of the century, however, the establishment of a "College Library and Museum" had become a necessity. Thanks to a generous donation from a benefactor of Stellenbosch, Mr CL Marais, the erection of a library building, named after Marais, was completed in 1901.

The first librarian was Mr JH Rose and by 1904 the library possessed 1 000 books. With the establishment of the Stellenbosch University in 1918, the CL Marais Library continued to fulfil its role. Mr GV (George) Marais was appointed Librarian in 1926 and served as Chief Librarian until 1967.

A new line of thought

In 1926 the CL Marais Library required an extension and by 1938 it had become evident that a completely new approach was necessary. A donation from Scots American millionaire Andrew Carnegie, along with contributions from alumni enabled the construction of the Carnegie Library, which would serve as the University Library for the next 50 years. 

In 1967 Mr Francois du Plessis, who had joined the library staff in 1945, was appointed University Librarian.

The library goes underground

Construction of the current building, the JS Gericke Library, named after the Reverend JS (Kosie) Gericke who served as Vice-chancellor of the University from 1952 to 1981, commenced in 1981.

The building occupies the unique position of being built underneath the centrally situated Jan Marais Square. The historical importance of the square meant that this site could not be defaced with a multi-storeyed structure. 

Prof JH (Hennie) Viljoen, became Director of the Library and Information Service in 1984. Milestones reached during this period include the computerisation of the Library and Information Service; the introduction of a collection development policy and a formula for the allocations of funds; the introduction of a successful commercial information service , Infobank; and a formal agreement for regional co-operation among the former five tertiary institutions in the Western Cape.

Ms Ellen R Tise was appointed as Senior Director, Library and Information Services in 2006. Ms Tise has held notable leadership roles and inter alia served as the first President of the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) from 1998-2002 and President of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) from 2009 to 2011. 

Responding to a changing world

In the last two decades the Library has undergone significant changes, introducing new spaces and services to keep up with rapid technological and pedagogical developments. In 2008, SUNScholar, the University’s institutional repository for research outputs, was established, followed in 2011 by SUNJournals, an open-access journal hosting platform. 

Also In 2011 the Learning Commons, a stimulating learning environment and vibrant extension of the classroom in the Library, and Carnegie Research Commons, a research environment intended for use by masters and doctoral students and researchers, were opened in the SU Library.

During this period, the shift to e-resources grew rapidly and the Library adapted its technical and client services to meet this trend. This led to the establishment of new divisions, such as Scholarly Communication and Research Data Services. From these divisions SUNDigital Collections, a digital heritage repository, and SUNScholarData, a research data repository, were established. In 2020 Makerspace was launched, providing an innovative environment for collaborative prototyping, inventing and learning.

Recent years

The main library was renamed Stellenbosch University Library in 2017. Over the past ten years, the SU Library, as well as the Engineering, Forestry, and Medicine and Health Sciences libraries, have undergone physical upgrades. The Library continues to adapt to international standards by embracing technology, thinking innovatively, and providing high quality virtual and in-person research and learning experiences to the academic community. To this end, the Library has hosted several international conferences, e.g. Open Repositories in 2023 and the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres in 2024 and its own Library Symposium over the years, drawing expertise from professionals across the globe. 

More information on these and other initiatives can be found in the Library’s annual reports.