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To mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day---and recognize the American Library Association adding sustainability as a core value---American Libraries returns with its ongoing sustainability series. In these posts, information professionals share their experiences with sustainability in libraries. Want to establish sustainability programming for your library, but wonder where to start? We developed the Sustainability Canvas, a simple planning tool for designing green projects, and have used it successfully in Michigan State University's (MSU) Main Library in East Lansing.

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Paper recycling is a fitting endeavor for an academic library. A literature review and a feasibility study revealed that the benefits can include reduced costs to the university, librarians' involvement in a cooperative campus-wide project and improved staff morale throughout the library.

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How do we build more resilient communities? It’s a question that Matthew Stinchcomb, cofounder of the Lifeboats HV initiative and keynote speaker at the American Library Association’s 2021 Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits Virtual on-demand session “Resilience: How Libraries Can Partner to Reshape the Future,” thinks about often. “If you look at the data on climate change and ecological destruction, there’s no doubt that it’s pretty dire. Continuing on our current path is untenable for humans and all living beings,” he said. “The current pandemic is showing just how irresilient many of our communities are and just how much inequity there is in our current economic system.” Stinchcomb thinks the answer lies in lifeboats, the concept after which his Hudson Valley, New York–based, resilience-building initiative is named.

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The first edition of 'People places: a guide for public library buildings in New South Wales' was prepared by consultants Heather Nesbitt in association with Bligh Voller Nield, endorsed by the Library Council of NSW and issued in 2000. Since then it has been applied to many public library projects in NSW and elsewhere. A second edition, also prepared by Heather Nesbitt and Bligh Voller Nield after extensive consultation with the NSW Public Library Network, was published in November 2005. There are complementary case studies of six post 'People places' public library buildings on the State Library of NSW website. Some of the issues which have prompted changes, including colocation, ecologically sustainable development, safety and security and social capital, are discussed, together with the method of assessing library space requirements. This article is based on a paper presented at the inaugural Public Libraries Australia conference in Albury 9-11 November 2005. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of APLIS is the property of Auslib Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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Müller, Christiane: Bücher leihen, Ideen teilen – Bücher in der Sharing Economy. Berlin: Simon Verlag für Bibliothekswissen, 2017. (Rezension)

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This article stresses the importance of building design above technology as a relatively inexpensive way to reduce energy costs for a library. Emphasis is placed on passive solar design for heat and daylighting, but also examines passive ventilation and cooling, green roofs, and building materials. Passive design is weighed against technologies that actively capture renewable energy. Best practice examples include new construction and retrofits. Active technologies for capturing renewable energies, such as photovoltaic panels, can be employed when passive solutions are not realistic due to limitations resulting from site selection. Building or remodeling an environmentally sustainable building is more costly than a conventional equivalent, but long-term savings in energy and maintenance can more than compensate for the initial investment. Passive solar heat is particularly compatible with library functionality because it invites natural light into living spaces and eliminates noise that would otherwise exist with forced-air HVAC systems. Practical suggestions for subtle improvements to existing buildings are offered in addition to more ambitious construction projects.

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University Libraries in Africa have a role in driving the destinies of their nations in the provision of information that inform leadership on pertinent issues. Today, more than ever, the well being of humanity and social equity is threatened as a result of the imbalance created by the economic system against the earth’s capacity. While, great effort has been made to contain it, there is urgent concern that the situation is out of control and to continue on the same path is suicidal. Like the clapping of thunder from a distance, momentum has picked to combat the impending disaster of increased environmental risks and ecological scarcities. University libraries have immense potential to position themselves as drivers of change in the strive for green transformation, environmental sustainability and sustainable development. Preparedness is a prerequisite for all key players and Libraries and those who manage information cannot be excluded. This paper uses the University of Nairobi Library to expound on the debate on the preparedness of Libraries in Africa to engage and pick momentum needed to be relevant to the cause of green transformation and environmental sustainability. Being the oldest well known University in Kenya and beyond, it has an immense collection of information that can be utilized to help inform direction in the green transformation discourse. The paper examined the University of Nairobi Library holistically, the staffing skills, the infrastructure as well as the digital repositories, the online materials including the existing subscription databases for relevancy, currency, accessibility as well as availability of the materials in the green transformation and sustainable development. The result confirms the extent to which the University of Nairobi Library understands, has captured and projects information that is in tandem with emerging new frontiers of studies in the subject. The gaps are isolated and areas for improvements are highlighted.

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The aim of this paper is to show how small and locally oriented projects like the Green library project can grow and expand to a national level. The Green Library project was first initiated in 2011. by the Librarian Association of Istria, with the goal of educating the public and raising awareness about sustainable development and the necessity for environmental protection. The project was received exceptionally well in the County of Istria, and its activities were well attended. Since the beginning of 2013. Public library Fran Galović in Koprivnica implements this idea and integrates “green” topics into its regular programs. Most of the programmes were oriented on small practical steps and advices on what we can do in our everyday lives to contribute and participate in sustainable development and environmental protection. During National assembly of Croatian Library Association in October 2014. Project Green library has expanded on a national librarian level by establishing the Working group for Green libraries. The aim of this Group is to establish a network of libraries ready to be involved in an existing form of the project and to participate in the education of general public and raising the awareness about the importance of a sustainable society as well as to advocate for the environmental protection through libraries and library associations.

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Green information literacy, accompanied by the heightened awareness of the sustainable development, thinking, and individual and collective behavior shift in confrontation with environmental crises, includes skills such as demand analysis, information resource identification, familiarization with searching methods, and information assessment and organization, in order to help the environment, and fosters the conscious decision-making in people to resolve environmental issues. Public librarians in Iran have passed and operationalized a bill under the title of ‘The Promotion of Environmentalism through Green Information Literacy in Iranian Public Libraries’, supported by Iran Public Libraries Foundational and Art and Cultural Organization of Tehran Municipality, to handle the national environmental crises. This bill played a key role in the promotion of environmentalism by holding sustainable green literacy workshops, fostering the skills of people in dealing with environmental issues, accommodating green literacy standards to popularize the sustainable environmental thinking, gathering information about the impacts of the information behavior and performance on the environment, and sharing these pieces of information with people on the social media.

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As motors of change driving development, public libraries, with their commitment to information provision and access, are crucial to the realization of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This article contributes to emerging Library and Information Science scholarship on the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by arguing for the central roles played by public libraries in realizing its goals. The purpose is twofold. First, it overviews the agenda's history coupled with the start of a literature review of the Library and Information Science research on it. Second, it presents a conceptual framework in which to approach the agenda's goals and associated targets within the context of public libraries. The ultimate aim is to establish a base for and expand awareness of the UN 2030 Agenda within the Library and Information Science discipline, in addition to promoting the importance of public libraries in advancing sustainable development efforts generally and the agenda specifically.

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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the shaping of public libraries as an infrastructure for a sustainable public sphere through a comprehensive literature review. Design/methodology/approach: In order to capture the whole picture of this research field, we utilize comprehensive review methodology. The major research questions are: first, to what extent have research topics regarding libraries as public sphere institutions expanded and diversified? Which theoretical perspectives inform research? Second, which challenges and topics does the research focus upon, such as: social inclusion and equal access to information; digital inequalities; censorship and freedom of expression; and access to places and spaces with a democratic potential and the role of libraries in that respect? Third, what influence has social media exerted on libraries in the context of the expanding digital world? Findings: The authors identified mainly four themes regarding the public library and public sphere, such as: the importance of public libraries by using Habermas's theory; the function of meeting places within the public library and setting those places in the center of the library in order to enhance and encourage democracy; the relationship between social inclusion and public libraries and its functions in current society such as diminishing the digital divide; and the emerging electronic resources and arena of SNS in public libraries and utilizing them to reach citizens. Originality/value: Capturing the recent history of this research field through comprehensive review is valuable.

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Introduction. The aim of this paper is to critically examine how public libraries are portrayed as contributing to social sustainability. Meanings ascribed to the concept are investigated and if, and then how, the public library is shaped in relation to it. Method. Library plans from five municipalities in Sweden are analysed and discussed in the light of previous research. Analysis. Bacchi's method `what´s the problem represented to be' is used to scrutinize what problem the public library is supposed to be part of the solution of. Results. Three policies represent the `problem' as a current threat to democratic values, safety and stability. By favouring social sustainability, the library contributes to robust communities and to enable trust. In two policies, sustainability is related to development and change. Conclusions. When libraries are put forth as places encouraging users to take responsibility for social sustainability a tremendous responsibility is placed on individuals. Our suggestion for disrupting this argument is to recognise social unrest as a consequence of inequalities and unequal distribution of resources and to acknowledge pluralism and difference. Thereby, libraries may contribute to social sustainability and democracy by being places where social antagonism can be transformed to agonism.

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study how Swedish local politicians perceive the impact of public library digital services on public libraries and to discuss how this can affect the sustainable development of public libraries. Design/methodology/approach Empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with local politicians from 19 different Swedish municipalities. Data were treated to qualitative content analysis and discussed based on the concept of sustainable organization. Findings According to local politicians, public library digital services may affect public libraries through changes to libraries' physical spaces, librarians' tasks and competencies and libraries' economic situations. Based on these findings, public library digital services can both strengthen and weaken public library sustainability through, for example, increased access and expenditures, the latter of which may threaten public library sustainability. Research limitations/implications Interviews did not focus specifically on the politicians' views on public library digital services but dealt generally with their views on public libraries. To identify reasons for variations in views on this topic, follow-up interviews should be done. Data on views from public library managers would also be of use to determine the degree to which they are shared with local politicians. Originality/value When sustainability and public libraries are discussed, the focus is generally on the library's contribution to a sustainable society. Here, the focus is instead on the sustainability of the public library itself.

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Initiated in November 2016, the project Public Libraries and Sustainability: Gathering Evidences of Contribution to SDGs (Project PLS) aims to develop a framework for evaluating public libraries’ contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and tailor it to Portuguese public libraries. This paper discusses the role of impact evaluation practices and competencies in evidence gathering and advocacy processes of libraries’ contribution to the UN 2030 Agenda, focusing on the Project first stages. After presenting the research background and general methodological frame, the relevant approaches, methods and tools for assessing libraries’ contribution to SD are examined, particularly the impact evaluation perspective. The resulting Model for Evaluating Public Libraries Contribution to SDGs is discussed, as well as the alignment process with SD goals and national priorities through the SDG# Mapping Tool. Finally, some key aspects of the ongoing research are presented.

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This paper focuses on literary art activities in public libraries. The aim is to stimulate discussion on how literary art activities can promote socially sustainable development, a sense of community, and social inclusion. In Finland, public libraries organise low-threshold literary art activities that encourage both written and verbal expression, e.g. literary art clubs, rap and comics workshops, and creative writing groups. Literary art activities provide opportunities for the improvement of literacy, self-expression and social readiness, and the strengthening of self-esteem and identity. Moreover, they can promote community spirit. Libraries respond to current societal challenges and the needs of special groups by tailoring activities for immigrants, people requiring special assistance, and people at risk of social exclusion. For the promotion of social goals, it is important that libraries reach out to people who are not active library users. Finally, the paper presents an ongoing doctoral research on literary art activities in Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Icelandic public libraries. The hypothesis of the research is that literary art activities in public libraries prevent social exclusion and promote social inclusion equality, and well-being.

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