▁▁ ▁The ▁library ▁was ▁hous ed ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁building ▁in ▁S ow eto ▁designed ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁public ▁library ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 . ▁It ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁M ook i ▁Street ▁by ▁people ▁from ▁the ▁local ▁V oc ational ▁Training ▁Centre ▁and ▁impress ively ▁it ▁was ▁larger ▁than ▁other ▁public ▁library ▁then ▁available ▁in ▁the ▁main ▁city ▁of ▁Johannes burg . ▁It ▁was ▁probably ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁library ▁for ▁Afr icans ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁the ▁libraries ▁in ▁S ow eto ▁said ▁they ▁had ▁nearly ▁fifty ▁thousand ▁members . ▁▁ ▁The ▁Library ' s ▁collection ▁was ▁given ▁a ▁substantial ▁gift ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁when ▁Mad ie ▁Hall ▁X uma , ▁the ▁American ▁born ▁wid ow ▁of ▁Dr . ▁A . B . X uma ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁African ▁National ▁Congress ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁gave ▁his ▁book ▁collection ▁to ▁the ▁library . ▁Her ▁husband ▁had ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁and ▁she ▁moved ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Mad ie ▁Hall ▁X uma ▁had ▁also ▁been ▁active ▁in ▁South ▁African ▁politics ▁becoming ▁ ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁national ▁council ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁Young ▁Women ' s ▁Christian ▁Association . ▁ ▁Today ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁the ▁library ▁was ▁updated ▁and ▁extended . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁a ▁blue ▁pla que ▁was ▁installed ▁to ▁recogn ise ▁the ▁library ' s ▁importance ▁as