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Gauteng Research Triangle
Museums, Libraries, Archives and Special Collections (GRT-MLASC)

The Gauteng region is the mining, manufacturing and financial hub of Southern Africa,  with a growing and cosmopolitan population of great diversity drawn from all corners of the continent and the globe.

The cities and towns of Gauteng host a large agglomeration of museums, libraries, special collections, and archives in many different forms, and many of these are to be found at Wits University, the University of Johannesburg and the University of Pretoria.  

The GRT MLASC collective has been formed to focus and centre the precious assets that these three centres of learning steward, in a quest to amplify, grow and project their use into the second century of their existence. These assets lie at the core of what a university claims to be, and are central to their missions and visions. As such, they must be digitally legible, responsive to research and teaching imperatives, and partner with commercial entities where beneficial and ethical. In this way, they will meet the larger mandate of public citizenship engagement that is at the centre of each collection, library, archive and museum imperative.

The GRT MLASC collective aims to:

  • Work with those at the centre of expertise in data and digital humanities methodologies to make collections visible online, and to conduct comprehensive audits of all holdings, assets and collections at each university to ensure that they are harnessing funding opportunities.
  • Create a community of best practice amongst researchers in museums, collections, libraries and archives that will generate impact beyond what any single university can do alone.
  • Connect these special collections, libraries, museums and archives through public-facing and research intensive exhibitions and activations that emphasize their individual and collective value and uniqueness.
  • Use our collective assets to raise new funds from partners and collaborators.