The Promotion of Lifelong Learning Through the Ethekwini Municipal Public Libraries in the Digital Era

The advent of the digital age has provided public libraries with opportunities to support users in accessing diverse information services and engaging in continuous lifelong education. In today’s rapidly changing digital landscape, lifelong learning is essential for information users to survive and adapt. This study examines how public libraries contribute to lifelong learning in the digital era by analysing the services and programmes they offer as well as the technological resources they utilise and proposes ways to promote lifelong learning in these institutions. The study used the positivism research paradigm and a quantitative research approach was employed in the form of closed-ended questionnaires to gather primary data from 25 library users as study participants. Cluster sampling was used to select the participating public libraries, while a convenience sampling method was used to select library users. The study found that public libraries provide various lifelong learning programmes, including literacy classes and storytelling. However, these services are not offered online, despite a growing demand for digital access. The study also highlights a shortage of technological equipment, such as computers, which hinders the promotion of lifelong learning in the digital era. This research is significant to the field of librarianship as it proposes feasible solutions for public libraries to promote lifelong learning in the digital era.