Five years ago, on 18 April 2021 we watched in collective heartbreak as smoke billowed from the slopes of Table Mountain and several buildings at UCT. The fire that gutted the Jagger Reading Room did more than destroy bricks and mortar, it threatened to erase a significant portion of our continental and institutional memory. On that day in 2021, the loss felt absolute! 

Enduring significance 

Despite the loss, the core purpose of the Jagger Library—as a place of learning, connection, and research—endures in a different form. While the tragedy underscored the importance of preservation, digitisation, and global collaboration in safeguarding knowledge and documentary heritage, it also prompted a reimagining of the future role of libraries and archives.

Opportunity in Loss 

As we mark this fifth anniversary, the story of the Jagger is no longer one of tragedy. It is a story of "Opportunity in Loss." Finding opportunity doesn’t imply that the fire was “good” nor does it diminish the knowledge gap created by the loss, the genuine trauma experienced by many, and the cultural erasure that occurred.

However, the way we address this gap – through better technology, deeper knowledge of the collections, deliberate community engagement, rethinking archives, and a renewed commitment to African knowledge, memory, and creative expression - is where the opportunity lies.

We celebrate a journey of recovery that has redefined how we value, protect, and share our heritage. What was once a tragedy of "unspeakable proportions" and a desperate salvage operation in a flooded basement has become a masterclass in institutional resilience and a catalyst for a new era of Special Collections.  

The Herculean Recovery Efforts 

UCT Libraries did not wait for the smoke to clear. In the weeks and months following the fire, a "new recovery normal" was established. We remember the herculean efforts of thousands of volunteers who helped salvage 1000s sodden materials, the specialised teams who stabilized delicate materials in the triage tent, and the ongoing, varied but disciplined recovery schedules of the Special Collections staff. These efforts are detailed in the wrap-around exhibition. 

Over these five years, the team has successfully:

• Restored Rare and Antiquarian Books: Collaborating with local experts, DK Conservators, we have painstakingly returned over 1,200 rare and antiquarian books to a stable state.
• Advanced Digitization: The Audiovisual Archive (AVA) Digitization project was completed in early 2024, ensuring that irreplaceable film history is preserved in a digital archive. In the 2021 Jagger Library fire, the DVD collection was mostly lost, with only one DVD, "Patrice Lumumba: Death of the Prophet," surviving. Of the over 26 000 successfully preserved AV materials, 874 VHS titles have all been digitized for continued preservation and accessibility. See also: 
  - https://lib.uct.ac.za/articles/2023-03-20-human-rights-av-archive
  - https://lib.uct.ac.za/articles/2023-09-28-fragments-african-film-collection-survived-fire
  - https://lib.uct.ac.za/articles/2025-10-29-rediscovering-past-sound-and-vision-uct-libraries-film-collection
  A generous grant from the National Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities (NIHSS) enabled the restoration and digital preservation of several at-risk primary collections, including the Herbert Baker architectural drawings.
• Explored Lyophilisation/ freeze-drying as a commercial solution: International collaboration led to a commercial solution for the lyophilization or freeze-drying of over 10,000 items by BELFOR Belgium in 2025. This process required shipping materials under controlled conditions. All items were dried in batches over 10 months, categorised according to levels of deterioration and mould infestation, and are now awaiting further preservation efforts to ensure they are shelf ready.
• Progressed Government Publications: In addition to opening the refurbished Government Publications Library on L5 of the Main Library, slow but steady progress has been made in addressing the backlog in the recovery and reconciliation of government publications, with approximately 6 000 items reconciled and processed.
• Established a Conservation Unit: What began as a crisis response in a triage tent has matured into a permanent Conservation Unit, creating a new reality where preservation is integral to our daily operations and providing workplace training to the next generation of South African conservators. This has consolidated partnerships with the Tangible Heritage Conservation programme at the University of Pretoria and IFLA’s Preservation and Conservation Network, with UCT Libraries being named the Preservation and Conservation Hub.

Reinstating the African Studies Collections 

The African Studies Published Print Collection—the very heart of the Jagger—sustained the most visible damage in the gutted Reading Room with its multitude of shelves of Africana content. However, the mission to rebuild the "kernel of the future African Library" has never wavered.

By the third anniversary, the team had already completed the check-in of “survived” materials and the reconciliation, digitisation, and re-boxing of the 35 000-strong Pamphlet Collection.

Today, we can proudly say that the African Studies Library is not just a memory but a functioning collection again. We have turned the page from triage to active rebuilding, reconciling surviving items with new acquisitions to ensure scholars still have a home for continental research. 

A Library That Continues to Grow: New Donations 

Loss often invites generosity. Throughout this journey, the generosity of the global academic community and the public, who have stepped forward, is both heartwarming and an affirmation of their confidence in our efforts and commitment to “build back better”.

• Continuous Acquisitions: We continue to accept and process significant new donations from academics and the public.
• Institutional Support: Suppliers and bookshops continue to play a critical role in filling the gaps left by the fire, ensuring that our collection remains a living, breathing entity rather than a frozen legacy to the past. 

New Premises and Research Support Services

Perhaps the most tangible sign of our progress is where we are today. Special Collections has successfully transitioned through several temporary homes—from Maitland House/ Birkdale 3 to our current premises at Deneb House in Observatory. In these new spaces, we haven't just stored boxes; we have:

• Reintroduced World-class Reference Services: Researchers can once again access archives and books by appointment, with demand—especially from international scholars—returning to pre-fire levels.
• Embraced Digital Innovation: Through the Jagger Fire & Recovery Digital Collection pages, we are turning our own history of recovery into a research resource for others facing heritage disasters.
• Reclaimed a new sustainability: The Special Collections team, five years later, is a team that stands tall and confident in their knowledge and custodial responsibility, and most importantly, adaptive to changing and new conditions. See:
  - https://lib.uct.ac.za/articles/2026-03-06-uctl-special-collections-2025 

Rebuilding the Jagger 

The Project Implementation Committee (PIC) was established to oversee the rehabilitation of the Jagger Library following the 2021 fire. Chaired by Prof. Alta Steenkamp, it includes representatives from various UCT departments and is funded with approximately R96.8 million from the insurance payout. The committee aims to ensure effective fund usage in alignment with the Vice-Chancellor's aspirational vision.

A comprehensive master plan for UCT Libraries will guide the refurbishment, with key next steps including final project brief approval and the procurement strategy. A professional architectural team is expected to be appointed by Q4 2026.

The refurbishment focuses on creating a contemporary library that enhances high-tech and high-touch experiences. It will prioritize public, research, exhibition, and staff spaces while integrating below-ground storage and campus areas, positioning Jagger Library as a key component of the UCT libraries network. 

Conclusion: The Future of the Jagger 

As we look toward the physical reconstruction of the Jagger building, we are not simply rebuilding a reading room. We are reimagining an African Library of note. The future of the Jagger is not a return to what was, but an evolution into a living laboratory of African memory. This future Jagger will:

• Be a "Third Space": A hub for public engagement and experiential learning, rather than just a silent hall of books.
• Amplify African Voices: By actively accepting new donations and documenting oral histories, we are ensuring the archive reflects the diverse, multilingual, and chequered reality of our continent.
• Bridge Tradition and Innovation: Utilizing AI-enhanced metadata and digital accessibility to ensure content accessibility often restricted by physical barriers.

The fire took much from us, but it also burned away the barriers of the old "ivory tower." It forced us to ask what a library for a 21st-century African university should truly be. Five years on, we have our answer. The new Jagger will not be a monument to what was lost. The new Jagger must stand as a global monument to recovery. It becomes the premier training ground for disaster risk management in documentary heritage, teaching others how to salvage hope from ashes. It is no longer just a library about Africa; it is a library of and by Africa!

The commemorative event serves as the launch for the:

• month-long exhibition, Opportunity in Loss. Guided tours will be held twice a day, and bookings may be made online.
• buy-a-brick campaign for the Jagger rebuild. For donations, details are available on our website.

I wish to acknowledge and appreciate:

The UCT leadership: your support of our work, and the confidence and trust in our capabilities, have enabled us to reach this day with a tremendous story to share.

The UCT community: P&S, CMD, DAD, ICTS, Finance, and their various sub-units– your support, advice, and prompt action over the years, as well as the collaboration for the commemorative event, have been outstanding.

UCT Libraries: An organisation is as strong as its people, and UCT Libraries continues to be strengthened by the adage “one organisation, many leaders”. A special acknowledgement of the staff, LITO, CPS, and CCS teams, volunteers, and the Directorate for their ongoing support, collegiality, professionalism, and solutions mindset at every turn.

To the Special Collections team: You have turned a day of darkness into five years of hope. You have proven that from the ashes, something stronger and more accessible can indeed arise. Your efforts, together with the Dijon Design team, have resulted in a thoughtful and special exhibition. I also dedicate this moment to Vernon Bryant, a long-standing member of UCT Libraries and the Special Collections team, who passed on 19 April 2026.

Our friends, donors, sponsors, and supporters: thank you for your encouragement and contributions during every stage of our journey.
Reflecting on the past five years—transitioning from despair to quiet optimism and eventual achievement—I’m confident that the next five years will yield substantial progress and even greater success.

Ujala Satgoor
Executive Director: Libraries