Do South African libraries and information centres contribute to development? Such interventions would require the effective addressing of poverty and social exclusion. This article refers to a two-phase survey which identified, documented, and shared examples of local instances of social exclusion initiatives in the public library sector. The research is qualitative, based on a simple form of thematic analysis. The article concludes that the initiatives identified in the survey do contribute to fostering social inclusion and that public libraries have the potential to be key role-players in development efforts. Adequate measures, using specific criteria, should be developed to enable effective evaluation and monitoring.