IFLA’s Environment Sustainability and Libraries Special Interest Group (ENSULIB) is pleased to announce the winner of the IFLA Green Library Award 2017. 

The IFLA Green Library Award was established 2016 by ENSULIB (SIG) and generously sponsored by De Gruyter publishing. The award is 500 Euros for the first place winner.

Objectives

  • to reward the best Green Library submission that communicates the library’s commitment to environmental sustainability; 
  • to create awareness of libraries’ social responsibility and leadership in environmental education.

To ENSULIB’s great delight, 35 submissions were received from around the world, including India, Ukraine, Serbia, China, USA, Colombia, Italy, Portugal, Kenya, Nigeria, and Iran. When the call for reviewers went out, 15 people stepped up to help with the process. The reviewers were as diverse as those who submitted. Coming from Australia, France, Finland, Kenya, Germany, Portugal, Saudi-Arabia, Spain, Sweden, U.S. and other countries, they were a blend of LIS students, library professionals (from public and academic libraries) and an architect as well.

See full details in the Press release [English – PDF].

The award will be presented at the ENSULIB Satellite Meeting in Berlin, Germany, 16 Aug 2017, and at the World Library and Information Congress in Wroclaw, Poland, Session 154, Special Presentation of Awards Session, held on Tuesday, 22 Aug 2017, 12:45–13:45, Expo Pavillon.

Winner of the 2nd IFLA Green Library Award 2017

The winner of the IFLA Green Library Award 2017 is the public library “Stadtbibliothek Bad Oldesloe”, Germany.

Three Years of Green and Sustainable Library Commitment in the Stadtbibliothek Bad Oldesloe

Their project, “Ernte deine Stadt – Harvest Your City: Three Years of Green and Sustainable Library Commitment in the Stadtbibliothek Bad Oldesloe” combines urban gardening with makerspaces and community building efforts, demonstrating that libraries are more than just book-lending-stations.

Another byproduct has been the launching of regions' first Community Supported Agriculture.  More…

Five Runners Up (alphabetic order)

China 1

Sun Yat-sen Library, Guanghzhou, China

Sun Yat-sen Library is located in downtown Guangzhou and is more than 100 years old. The building has been transformed into a green library with concepts of ecological and environmental protection. More…

Hong Kong

The Chinese University, Hong Kong

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Library argues for a holistic approach, embedding sustainability in the Library strategy, and formulating wider green strategies beyond the green building. More…

 

Kenya

Library Reading Tree, Kenya

Library Reading Tree is a project started in Nakuru region of Kenya in 2015 as part of introducing children’s book clubs into six public primary schools. The Reading Tree is a painting that invites children to attach a sticker bearing their names, age, school and class after they read a storybook in the library. More …

Serbia

Uzice’s public library, Serbia

Uzice’s public library is located in the center of a small town. Despite the poor conditions, enthusiasm and creativity rule the day. They are building an awareness of sustainable development and environmental protection among the local youth of all ages.  More..

 Ukraine

ECOeducation project, Lviv, Ukraine

The ECOeducation project serves children 4–10 years old, as well as their parents and teachers. In the duration of the project, they held 38 events with 971 participants (children and adults). More…