Environment, Sustainability and Libraries (ENSULIB), with generous sponsorship from De Gruyter Publishing (Boston/Berlin), has circulated a Call for Submissions for the IFLA Green Library Award for the 4th year in a row.  34 submissions were received from around the world, including Austria, Botswana, Bulgaria, Colombia, Egypt, France/Reunion, Hungary, India, Iran, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, and USA. The 18  reviewers were as diverse as those who submitted and a blend of LIS students, library professionals (from public and academic libraries) and an architect as well.  After much deliberation, the winner was selected:

Colombia, Cali, Biblioteca Pública Municipal Daniel Guillard:
“Gaia- En mi biblioteca la tierra también es de todos”.

This initiative involves all ages and all the community in generating awareness on sustainability and green practice with visible impact. Thus, the library has innovative projects for all ages, from babies to seniors, including vulnerable people, and these projects combine information literacy, eco-literacy and reading. The library is focused on empowering their community that faces many social and economic problems to help rebuild the neighborhood to make it eco-friendlier, while also improving social and economic conditions – without great economic means.

Five Runners Up

Hungary, Kiskunfelegyha: “Sándor Petöfi Town Library’s Green Road in Art-Relic’s Environment”

This initiative covered many of the different areas and the library is doing significant work at a level that is appropriate to their community and resources. The library has settled many projects from architectural initiatives to librarians’ participation and several activities are offered also to stakeholders. Thus, the library has been remodelled to bring it closer to environmental standards and various projects have been offered to librarians, stakeholders and users. The library has also created an Eco-Work Team to plan and coordinate future work. More..

Ireland, Cork: University College Cork Library – “Love Our Library”

For this project, the University College Cork Library receives a special recognition of excellence! The Boole Library at University College Cork has made real and provable “green” changes to their organisation, i.e., sparked real changes in the behaviour of people using and working in the library – over 1 0000 students signed a pledge to support the changes at the very beginning. Thus, this initiative offered practical solutions to pervasive waste problems and generating a major impact that can be scaled and shared by libraries around the world. The library has developed an excellent road map for other organizations to follow. An additional feature of the project is its strong and consistent communications strategy that keeps all stakeholders updated and involved. More..

France, Reunion: “Media Library of Saint‐Joseph – Reunion Island”

An excellent example of sustainable architectural design: an innovatively designed bioclimatic building in a tropical environment that is open to the elements and mirrors the local lifestyle. Thus, this initiative consisted on an amazing sustainable building that transcends the notion of inside/outside and has nature and green practice at the heart of all their efforts. At the same time, the architecture combines traditional architecture, the functionality of modern architecture and the incorporation of important sustainable and environmental measures. More..

Slovenia, Ljubljana: “Šentvid Library – the Green Library, Ljubljana City Library”

This initiative included environmental management and social engagement: green library building; green collections, etc. Thus, the library covers all of the areas of green libraries in their activities and in their building. The library presents a large range of regular projects that invite the whole community to examine and understand the importance of conserving natural resources and the respect of the natural environment. In addition, the projects help people to understand the importance of acting as environmentally responsible citizens. One reviewer said: “I was impressed by their connections to the local community in developing environmental programming for all ages, staff also follow green practices in their work and in the maintenance/cleaning of the building.” More..

U.S., NY, New York: “Sustainability Initiative of the New York Library Association”

This initiative’s strengths are relevance, visibility and global impressiveness on going green as it brings out the emphasis of green libraries as practical contributors to environmental sustainability. The initiative showed also political courage. Many aspects of the project will serve many libraries and can be emulated by many libraries Sustainability Initiative of the New York Library Association. More..