Welcome to the Green Library website!
These sites promotes sustainable development and environmental work in Finnish public libraries, sharing also environmental information from the entire library field, developed environmental tools and training materials. These materials are free for use.
Please note that the pdf documents are not accessible.
Nordic Libraries for Sustainability, Vol 3
Sustainability in the strategic planning of libraries
Webinar 11.11.2025 
10:00–12:00 CET
Livestreamed by Kirjastokaista Live - Kirjastokaista
Program
1. WELCOME WORDS
Thomas Sture Rasmussen, SDG Coordinator for the Danish
Library Association
2. WEEK17 2026 EUROPA KICK OFF
https://db2030.dk/week17/
Andrew Cranfield
Director of the European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations EBLIDA (DK)
Eliška Bartošová
Czech Republic Libraries Association and Erasmus+ Coordinator. (ČR)
3. 10 STEPS TO SUSTAINABILITY
https://bibliotekutvikling.no/nyheter/10-steg-til-baerekraft/
Siri Vikse, Haugesund Library (NO)
The course 10 Steps to Sustainability is aimed at libraries and how they can work strategically and purposefully with sustainability. What is sustainability, and why is it relevant for libraries to work strategically with it? Through this course you learn to write your own sustainability strategy in ten steps!
4. MALMÖ GREEN LIBRARY MANIFESTO
https://www.cilip.org.uk/page/GreenLibrariesManifesto
Sara Kjellberg, Malmö Library (SWE)
Malmö University Library was the first library in Sweden to sign the Green Libraries Manifesto – a clear statement that sustainability is an integral part of our mission. The manifesto highlights both the library's potential to support others in the green transition and the importance of conducting our own operations in a sustainable way. The presentation showcases concrete examples of how this is reflected in our daily practice.
5. RETHINKING THE STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN LIBRARIES
Harri Sahavirta, Helsinki City Library (FIN)
Sustainability is a challenge which may seem like a mission impossible. Climate change has been called the perfect storm which affects all the aspects of human action. Libraries should acknowledge these facts in their strategic planning and find a positive way to answer them.
6. BEYOND BOUNDARIES: THE WATERDROP YOUNG CURATORS INITIATIVE Vatnsdropinn
Soffía Karlsdóttir and Ingibjörg Gréta Gísladóttir, Mekó (ICELAND)
The Waterdrop is a collaborative project initiated by Kópavogur Municipality, bringing together four cultural institutions from the Nordic and Baltic regions. At its heart, the project empowers children to become curators – designing exhibitions and leading creative workshops that blend the timeless themes of Nordic children’s literature with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This participatory model encourages young people to explore global challenges – such as gender equality, climate action, and social responsibility – through artistic expression and cultural heritage.
Over its 3.5-year lifespan, The Waterdrop engaged nearly 5,000 children and received €450,000 in European cultural grants. It stands as a testament to how creative agency, when placed in the hands of children, can bridge education, activism, and the arts.
7. MISTRA E-C -15
Mistra Environmental Communication
Lisa Engström, Lund University (SWE)
Lisa Engström from Lund university presents MISTA Environmental Communication (M-EC). The program aims to enhance environmental communication to support a sustainable society. It seeks to integrate a comprehensive and inclusive understanding of environmental communication into research, policy, and practice. Libraries are pivotal in addressing environmental and climate challenges through effective communication. The M-EC program underscores the significant potential, expertise, and relevance of libraries in this sector.
Come along!
Nordic Libraries for Sustainability, Vol 2
Webinar 5.11.2024
Nordic libraries together for Week17 – The Nordic Library Week for Sustainable Change and Development
During Week 17 of 2024, pilot libraries across the Nordic countries explored new and innovative ways to promote the Sustainable Development Goals. It was a week filled with creative initiatives and inspiring efforts that showcased how libraries can play a central role in advancing sustainability issues.
We invite you to a unique event where five libraries from different Nordic countries will share their experiences and demonstrate how, with limited resources and time, they managed to elevate the Sustainable Development Goals in their libraries. You’ll receive practical tips and ideas that you can easily adapt to your own context and use to start integrating sustainable development into your library’s work.
In addition, we will hear from Denmark, the country where the Week 17 initiative began. We’ll gain insight into how the idea took shape and what’s planned. This is a unique opportunity to join a growing movement and work together with colleagues from across the Nordics towards a more sustainable future.
We look forward to seeing you and being inspired together! Welcome to an event that could be the beginning of something great for your library and for our shared world.
Where and when:
5th November 10.00-11.30 (CET)
Livestreamed on: www.kirjastokaista.fi/en/live(The Finnish library channel)..
No registration necessary, but don’t forget!
Whats is Week17: WEEK17 is now Nordic theme week focusing on the UN's 17 sustainable development global goals. Based on a combined national and a joint local library campaign building on grass roots, citizen involvement and information around the SDG’s. The basic idea is that local libraries work with the importance of the SDG’s in cooperation with local organizations, institutions and individual volunteers.
Want to get involved or learn more? Visit WEEK17 | DB2030 or join our up and coming Facebook page Nordic Libraries for Sustainability | Facebook
Organizer: Nordic Libraries for Sustainability
Nordic Libraries for Sustainability, Vol 1
Webinar 3.11.2023
Program:
SDGs in Danish Libraries & Chora2030, View of UPSCALE (tidsskrift.dk) / Kristine Fjord Tolbor & Thomas Sture Rasmussen
Carbon Footprint of Finnish Public Libraries 2019 and 2022 / Leila Sonkkanen & Harri Sahavirta
Hållbara bibblan / Victoria Lagerkvist, Sweden
The Sustainability Lab / Benjamin Mekki Wideroe, Norway
Fridge Movement / Hrönn Björgbinsdóttir, Iceland
The Nordic Library Associations on Sustainability in Libraries -panel.
Sharp and Visible Environmental Work at Public Libraries Project (2023)
Sharp and Visible Environmental Work at Public Libraries (Yleisten kirjastojen ympäristötyö näkyväksi ja teräväksi) is a national research and training project managed by the Helsinki City Library and funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. It is aimed at promoting environmental awareness, carbon neutrality and the sharing economy of libraries. The project is based on a survey, carbon footprint measurements and the mapping of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) carried out by the Bringing Environmental Awareness of Public Libraries to the 2020s project (Yleisten kirjastojen ympäristötietoisuus 2020-luvulle, 2020–2021).
The project supports the objectives of the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Strategy 2030 to promote sustainable development measures, such as climate change mitigation, increased environmental awareness and an operating environment favourable for carbon neutrality and everyday solutions that support it. The project also promotes the aim of the Ministry of Education and Culture’s strategy to reform society through creative, inquiry-based and responsible action. In addition, the project contributes to national and municipal climate and carbon neutrality targets and complies with the spirit of the Public Libraries Act.
Project partner libraries:
Why was the project launched?
The national project aims to sharpen the environmental work of public libraries, produce new information on the environmental awareness of libraries and create common materials and operating methods.
With the help of an expert partner, the project will measure the carbon footprints of public libraries, determine measures suitable for libraries and support the monitoring of measurements, as well as find ways to promote the sharing economy and the implementation of the SDGs at libraries.
Carbon calculations will help make the sector’s climate impact visible and enable libraries to better respond to the climate targets set by municipalities. This will make for more efficient resource use in climate work, reduction of emissions and allocation of cost savings. The aim is to produce environmental indicators for the national statistics on public libraries.
Objectives of the project
The project will enable libraries to expand their environmental awareness and strengthen the image of their environmentally aware and ecological operations. Another objective of the project is to provide a discussion forum for local residents to explore environmental themes, such as the carbon footprint, carbon handprint and the sharing economy, together with experts. The sharpening of the environmental work of public libraries will also make the environmental work of libraries visible to customers, local residents and municipal decision-makers.
Implementation and deployment of the project
The project is based on a survey, carbon footprint measurements and SDG-mapping carried out by the Bringing Environmental Awareness of Public Libraries to the 2020s project.
The project measures the carbon footprints of partner libraries and identifies suitable measures to reduce them. These measures are carried out together with an expert partner.
Tools for systematic change will be used to deepen awareness of the sharing economy, the carbon handprint of libraries and the SDGs. In addition, workshops will be organised with an expert partner. The project will improve communication of the environmental work of libraries, activate local residents to discuss environmental issues and bring an environmental perspective to collection development.
The partners’ task is to participate in the planning and implementation of the project, to organise regional training, to test, develop and implement new practices and ways of working and to deploy them in libraries.
The Green Library page and materials at kirjastot.fi can be freely used as a source of information. The project will update the site with new material and articles.
The partner libraries and webinar participants will implement the results of the project in their own networks. The results and reports of the project will also be presented internationally in various library-sector forums.
Environmental awareness of public libraries to the 2020s project (2020-2021)
This project was a national research and training project managed by Helsinki City Library and funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The aims was to promote environmental awareness, carbon neutrality and the sharing economy in libraries.
In this project, a survey on the environmental awareness of public libraries conducted in 2012 was renewed and supplemented. In addition, libraries' carbon footprints were calculated and libraries' carbon handprints were examined.
Summary: Bringing environmental awareness of public libraries to the 2020s (pdf)
Infographics (pdf)
Senior expert Outi Ugas from Positive Impact gives a video presentation with English subtitles “The results of the libraries’ environmental awareness survey and the library’s carbon footprint”., 2021
Youth and Environmental Emotions project (2021-2022) 
This project was a national development project managed by the Helsinki City Library and funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The purpose was to test and develop the library's environmental and climate activities using a method where the young people themselves can choose the topics, methods and forms of work that interest them. The goal of the project is to create an operating model that can be implemented in different libraries.
Libraries’ role in Environment and Climate activities for young people – a practical guide (pdf)
Finnish Library Association
The Finnish Library Association is a non-profit organisation that promotes the status of public libraries. Our members include library users and professionals who work at libraries.
We produce new and topical information regarding libraries and inform politicians about the importance of supporting libraries. We also organise events and train professionals in the field.
Read more: Finnish library association – Suomen kirjastoseura
ENSULIB announces the Top Six Green Libraries and Green Library Projects 2023
The Award committee received 28 submissions of which 19 were qualified to the long list and evaluated by our international pool of reviewers. The Award was divided into two categories Best Green Library (including grand scale projects) and more modest Best Green Library projects.
Read more:
ENSULIB announces the Top Six Green Libraries and Green Library Projects 2023 – IFLA