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2. Libraries Sow the Seed of a Sustainable Society

A Comparative Analysis of IFLA Green Library Award Projects 2016
  • Katharina Leyrer
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Going Green: Implementing Sustainable Strategies in Libraries Around the World
This chapter is in the book Going Green: Implementing Sustainable Strategies in Libraries Around the World

Abstract

The IFLA Green Library Award shows that libraries all over the world are committed to environmental sustainability: Thirty libraries from five continents submitted their green library projects to its first round in 2016. Based on the submissions to the competition, this paper offers a summarising overview of green library projects worldwide. It addresses the following questions: how are green library projects similar and how do they differ concerning their goals, thematic focus, implementation and visibility on the library’s website? What motivated the librarians who submitted a project to launch a green library initiative? To answer these questions, three data sets have been collected and interpreted: the submissions to the IFLA Green Library Award 2016, screenshots of the participating libraries’ websites and an online survey of those who submitted a project. This analysis shows that IFLA Green Library Award projects feature a wide range of topics and forms of implementation. The most significant commonality is that more than half cooperated with partners to implement their project. The differences between projects primarily lie in their visibility on the library’s website, their duration, funding and staff resources.

Abstract

The IFLA Green Library Award shows that libraries all over the world are committed to environmental sustainability: Thirty libraries from five continents submitted their green library projects to its first round in 2016. Based on the submissions to the competition, this paper offers a summarising overview of green library projects worldwide. It addresses the following questions: how are green library projects similar and how do they differ concerning their goals, thematic focus, implementation and visibility on the library’s website? What motivated the librarians who submitted a project to launch a green library initiative? To answer these questions, three data sets have been collected and interpreted: the submissions to the IFLA Green Library Award 2016, screenshots of the participating libraries’ websites and an online survey of those who submitted a project. This analysis shows that IFLA Green Library Award projects feature a wide range of topics and forms of implementation. The most significant commonality is that more than half cooperated with partners to implement their project. The differences between projects primarily lie in their visibility on the library’s website, their duration, funding and staff resources.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. About IFLA IX
  4. Preface 1
  5. Part 1: General
  6. 1. A Garden on the Roof Doesn’t Make a Library Green 5
  7. 2. Libraries Sow the Seed of a Sustainable Society 22
  8. 3. Contemplative Pedagogy 32
  9. 4. Public Libraries’ Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals 46
  10. 5. Environmental Responsibility in Brazilian Libraries 60
  11. Part 2: Public Libraries
  12. 6. The Green Corner at Vaggeryd Public Library 77
  13. 7. Action to Combat Climate Change and its Impact 86
  14. 8. The BookboXX 94
  15. 9. Garbage Hero 103
  16. 10. From a Green Library to a Sustainable Library 110
  17. 11. Urban Gardening, Foodsharing and Makerspaces 122
  18. 12. Green Library of the Neighbourhood 135
  19. 13. The Green Story of the Public Library Užice, Serbia 142
  20. Part 3: Academic Libraries
  21. 14. More Than Just a Green Building 155
  22. 15. The Awareness of Young African Students to Protection of the Environment 173
  23. 16. Challenges and Opportunities in Implementing a Sustainable Approach at Academic Libraries 181
  24. 17. Information Dissemination is Not Enough 197
  25. 18. Going Green to Embrace Aesthetic Reflections and Sustainable Library Buildings 210
  26. Appendix
  27. Abbreviations 229
  28. Contributors 232
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110608878-004

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. About IFLA IX
  4. Preface 1
  5. Part 1: General
  6. 1. A Garden on the Roof Doesn’t Make a Library Green 5
  7. 2. Libraries Sow the Seed of a Sustainable Society 22
  8. 3. Contemplative Pedagogy 32
  9. 4. Public Libraries’ Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals 46
  10. 5. Environmental Responsibility in Brazilian Libraries 60
  11. Part 2: Public Libraries
  12. 6. The Green Corner at Vaggeryd Public Library 77
  13. 7. Action to Combat Climate Change and its Impact 86
  14. 8. The BookboXX 94
  15. 9. Garbage Hero 103
  16. 10. From a Green Library to a Sustainable Library 110
  17. 11. Urban Gardening, Foodsharing and Makerspaces 122
  18. 12. Green Library of the Neighbourhood 135
  19. 13. The Green Story of the Public Library Užice, Serbia 142
  20. Part 3: Academic Libraries
  21. 14. More Than Just a Green Building 155
  22. 15. The Awareness of Young African Students to Protection of the Environment 173
  23. 16. Challenges and Opportunities in Implementing a Sustainable Approach at Academic Libraries 181
  24. 17. Information Dissemination is Not Enough 197
  25. 18. Going Green to Embrace Aesthetic Reflections and Sustainable Library Buildings 210
  26. Appendix
  27. Abbreviations 229
  28. Contributors 232
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