For over 30 years, Sabinet has been committed to changing lives through providing access to information. Sharing knowledge not only empowers individuals but it supports education and upliftment and in turn influences the greater knowledge economy. As gateways to knowledge and culture, libraries are key partners in the realisation of this vision.
Sabinet’s journey towards becoming the largest source of online information from Africa began in the early 80s, when libraries and corporate members linked to Sabinet and discovered simplified communication and cooperation.
With the launch of an online automated interlibrary solution, libraries experienced greatly reduced costs and extended access to resources. In 1995, Sabinet was appointed as the OCLC distributor for Southern Africa – lifting the barriers of tapping into essential tools and resources.
Two years later, the formation of Sabinet Online strengthened the national information infrastructure while complementing and interfacing with the wider library community in South Africa. This enhanced the ease with which researchers could access information.
In the years to follow, Sabinet continued to innovate to deliver cost savings and enhanced efficiencies while reducing duplication of effort. It offers two library management solutions – Amlib and WorldShare Management Services (WMS). Amlib allows libraries to support catalogue enhancements, circulation, interlibrary loans, acquisitions, reporting and more. WMS gives librarians a comprehensive and cost-effective way to manage workflows and improve access to library collections and services.
These management solutions are further augmented through virtual reference management, digital collection management, discovery services, authentication management and digitisation experience that spans more than 20 years.
Today Sabinet has flourished from providing purely library support services to offering customised information-centric services for libraries, corporates, small businesses, students, the media and researchers. With people-oriented values at their core, they continue to keep their clients in step with extensive local and global knowledge through the integration of content, technology and service.