The University of South Africa (Unisa) has been in existence since 1873. The Library came into being in 1946 when Unisa introduced distance teaching as a mode of tuition.
The last 50 years have been a period of rapid growth, with the printed book collection now totalling over 1,5 million items. In addition, the Library stocks over 300 000 other items as well as 4 000 current periodical titles. The Library also subscribes to an increasing number of electronic journals (e-journals). Both the e-journals and the growing collection of electronic books (e-books) are available to Unisa students and staff online 24/7 via the Internet, regardless of the user’s physical location.