Botswana - Libraries and museums

The Botswana National Library Service was founded in 1967 to provide nationwide public library service and act as the national library. There are 21 branches located throughout the country holding a total of 160,000 volumes; mobile library service is also provided. The main library is located in Gaborone, has 65,000 volumes, and the University of Botswana (1971) has over 250,000. The National Archives, with 20,000 items, are in Gaborone.

The renovated National Museum and Art Gallery in Gaborone houses a collection of the ethnography and natural history of Botswana, and sub-Saharan African art. There are also ethnographic museums in Kanye and Mochudi and a postal museum in Gaborone. In 1986, the Supa-Ngwao Museum Centre in Francistown opened, holding ethnographic and historical installations. The old colonial jail in Francistown is set for renovation to house the Supa Ngwao museum in 2003.