Jagger Library Fire Recovery
This timeline follows anniversary milestones from April 2021, marking the significant recovery and restoration efforts since the fire.
Jagger Library Reading Room Tours (17 April - 15 May)
Year Five (April 2025 – April 2026): Opportunity in Loss
Opportunity in Loss: Reimagining the Jagger Library five years after the fire
UCT Libraries marked five years since the devastating fire on 18 April 2021, which gutted the Jagger Library and several other buildings on campus by hosting an event to launch the “Opportunity in Loss” exhibition in the Jagger Reading Room.
The exhibition is open to the public on weekdays between 20 April and 15 May 2026.
Executive Director, Ujala Satgoor, on the Fifth Anniversary of the Jagger Library Fire
Our Libraries Executive Director, Ujala Satgoor, spoke on the fifth anniversary of the Jagger Library fire.
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Professor Collier-Read speaking at the Fifth Anniversary of the Jagger Library Fire
Professor Brandon Collier-Reed, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning at UCT, speaking at the commemoration event marking the 5 year anniversary of the Jagger Library Fire.
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A steady rebuilding of services, collections and spaces
The bedding down of Special Collections in their new premises at Deneb House in Observatory continued throughout 2025 in what was a steady rebuilding of services, collections and spaces.
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Special Collections Moves to Deneb House
April 18, 2025 marks the 4th anniversary of the Jagger Library fire. A significant milestone was the move from Birkdale 3 to Deneb House, a five-year leased facility in Observatory.
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Recovery and restoration efforts accelerated in 2025.
Year Four (April 2024 – April 2025): Renewal and Progress
UCT Libraries staff continued with the recovery, restoration and collection rebuilding efforts. You can read the 2024 message from our Executive Director, Ujala Satgoor.
Some of the facts and figures highlighting the significant progress achieved up to 18 April 2024.
We have also updated the timeline with some significant milestones from the past year.
Read What we lost in the Jagger Library fire, the open access article written by Special Collections team members Clive Kirkwood, Mandy Noble and Michal Singer, published in Africa Bibliography, Research and Documentation by Cambridge University Press.
Our thanks to the generous donors who have donated books and videos to the rebuilding on the library collections.
The First Three Years
(April 2021 – April 2024):
Salvage, Conservation and Recovery
Two years after the Jagger Fire
On 18 April 2023, UCT in partnership with DStv, began the journey of retelling some of those lost stories and writing new ones.
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One year after the Jagger Fire
Explore the exhibitions held to commemorate the first year since the Jagger Fire. A collaborative initiative between the Centre for Curating the Archive and UCT Libraries.
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Personal accounts from Special Collections staff
Crate by Crate: Making Progress Visible in AV Recovery
The AV Archive (AVA) used to live in the basement of the Jagger Library. It was one of the first areas to be salvaged following the fire. As the water used to douse the flames accumulated in the basement, a decision was made to expedite...
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Human Rights in the AV Archive
The urgency to restore the AV collections in UCT Libraries Special Collections is underscored by their critical role in documenting the history of struggle, and transition to, human rights and democracy in South Africa.
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Published Collections: Our Ongoing Recovery - Nearly Two Years On
Nearly two years on, significant gains are evident during the recovery and rebuilding of our African Studies and Rare Books collections. Our goal is to enable access to users during this interim period, albeit in a small way.
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Fragments of the African Film Collection Survived the Fire
Initially believed to be entirely destroyed by fire, the AV team has recovered at least 850 titles of the original African Studies Film Collection. They were kept in VHS format and have now been digitised.
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Exploring architectural archives in recovery
Promoting public awareness of our rich architectural legacy at the University of Cape Town. The collections include the professional papers and project plans of 20th-century Cape Town architects.
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Recovering the Archive
From salvage to recovery. A story by our Principal Archivist, Michal Singer about the first responders and the relentless efforts to recover our manuscripts and archives.
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Jagger Fire & Recovery Digital Collection
The Jagger Fire and Recovery Collection was launched on 20 April 2022. The collection is a window into disaster recovery and the human experience. Be sure to visit the page to experience the personal stories and reflections of those most impacted by the Jagger Fire.
Follow our Recovery
Ways to help and support
Message to our Donors
Please email our Special Collections Team on lib-spcoll@uct.ac.za if you wish to query the current status of particular collections or those you have donated.