Stars and wishes for green libraries

In the face of consumerism and the throwaway society, libraries have become community oases with the potential to embody all three principles of sustainability (as described in the Guiding principles for sustainable development document published by the UK government). Their role will certainly become pivotal in the green future of societies.

Libraries as environmental guardians

At Edinburgh Napier University, Craiglockhart Library quite literally evokes the idea of a green library. The campus is nestled in what we would describe in French as “un écrin de verdure” (essentially, a metaphorical green jewellery box), as the buildings sit atop a small hill, surrounded by trees and green spaces. From the library office, large bay windows face the slope of Craiglockhart Hill West, covered in a tangle of trees and ferns. Slowly coming out of winter this year, we have been eyewitnesses to the re-greening, budding and blossoming of trees, hedges, and shrubs, which have now left a palette of lovely green hues among plants and leaves.

It feels like a privilege to take your eyes off the computer for a few moments and spot and follow the wanderings of a rabbit, a squirrel, or even a fox. You can leave the library building at lunchtime and take a walk around campus while listening to the song of various birds in the trees and you may be rewarded with the sight of a robin performing its lovely song from a high-up branch, its tiny throat quivering as it warbles.

Therefore, Craiglockhart Library is an example of a library which can offer what could be described as “green wellbeing” to people. Library staff there have taken this idea even further by bringing the greenery indoors, with plants lining the office bay windows and dotted throughout the library. Of note from last year – a cherry tomato plant in our office kept producing tomatoes well into the beginning of winter, and this was a source of joy for many of us.

Libraries as inclusive spaces which foster social interactions

Few places offer a stronger sense of community than libraries do. Libraries strive to bring people together in inclusive spaces which can become a lifeline and offer relief from isolation and loneliness. Reading is an excellent way to learn new things, reflect, develop new skills, and broaden one’s horizons. Picking up a book can also open a door onto adventure and feelings of joy, suspense but also tears, and it comes at no additional cost for library users.

At Edinburgh Napier University, our three campus libraries located at Craiglockhart, Merchiston and Sighthill are welcoming and safe places for everybody and offer a wide range of spaces and services to meet the varying needs of our library users.

• Need to focus on your studies or revise for exams? Feel free to use our quiet and silent study rooms.
• Preparing for a group presentation? Why not book one of our group study rooms or use one of our open-space study booths?
• Looking for resources for your assessment? Browse our shelves and use Library Search to access both print and digital items.
• Looking for books to support your wellbeing? Our wellbeing collections of self-help books are available for you at our three campuses.
• Want to take a break after a busy day? Make your way to our relaxation area. If you need quiet time to yourself, why not sit at one of our jigsaw tables and build a puzzle for a while, to take your mind off things? We also have colouring books and board games available.
• Need help accessing our services or any questions? Our friendly staff are here to help at the library desk, Monday to Friday, 8.45am-4.45pm.

Libraries as advocates for a circular economy

The usual “green gestures” for the environment are of course as important as ever to reduce energy and resource waste in libraries, such as (but not limited to): switching lights off after hours, switching electronic devices (such as PCs and laptops) off after use, printing less and using the appropriate bins for the suitable type of waste.

However, libraries go further than just reducing waste and energy consumption – they promote the re-generation of resources, which underpins the circular economy model (as described by the UK Green Building Council). The lifecycle of library’s printed and digital resources and physical equipment (such as desks, chairs, PCs, laptops) shows that items and furniture are constantly being re-used and borrowed by many different users, and this demonstrates how efficient these spaces can be.

At Edinburgh Napier Libraries, physical books at the end of their lifecycle with us are withdrawn from our collections and enter a new life with Better World Books (further details can be found in our “Green and Sustainability Libraries” 2025 blog post).

Merchiston Library also offers a community library space which works as a book exchange corner where people can leave their own books and take new ones. These books are not part of the catalogue and can be taken freely. This supports the community in circulating and reusing books even further.

Libraries are also learning hubs for DIY skills, which are becoming critical in turning our society greener. At Merchiston Library, you can browse our collection of gardening books and learn how to grow your own food, even in reduced spaces in the middle of the city. At Craiglockhart Library, you will find origami guides and origami paper in our relaxation area – why not try and learn to make origami to embellish your flat or house, instead of buying (often industrially-made) decorations from shops?

Re-thinking and recycling library spaces

Libraries are already doing an incredible job as green spaces. Depending on their location, they may promote access to surrounding green spaces or bring plants to the library. They also provide solid support for the community’s wellbeing and inclusion, and they encourage the efficient use and cycling of resources.

Many library spaces are not limited to promoting reading and studying; they also bring people together through reading groups, various clubs, and workshops. This demonstrates how versatile library spaces already are and how reusing the premises themselves for various activities reinforces the circular-economy model of regeneration and recycling.

Why not keep diversifying and re-inventing the use of library spaces? In her book The Green Ages: Medieval Innovations in Sustainability, Annette Kehnel explains how we can learn from the past for our future sustainable endeavours. In particular, she describes how our economy can become more sustainable if we focus efforts on repairing things rather than replacing them with new objects produced from scratch, as was customary in the past.

To do so, we need to learn some repair and DIY skills, and libraries seem to be the perfect spaces to teach them. Providing books to learn these skills is a start, but the idea could be further developed and a whole range of workshops organised. For example, why not organise hands-on sewing, bike or furniture repair workshops so people can learn the basics of mending their clothes, bikes and household items? Gardening books were mentioned earlier – why not try to integrate mini greenhouse projects in sunny spaces of libraries or along windows, with users tending to plants and workshops getting people started on growing their own vegetables at home or in allotments?

Organising more events, activities and workshops in libraries will bring people together more, encourage knowledge exchange and help build trust. This is why libraries have the potential to strengthen and make communities more resilient, enabling people to rely on one another for support.

A wealth of different ways and projects can be imagined that put library spaces at the helm of a more sustainable and nurturing society.

Bibliography

“Guiding principles for sustainable development”, UK government: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7dcc1640f0b65d8863478d/Guiding_principles_for_SD.pdf

The Green Ages: Medieval Innovations in Sustainability, Annette Kehnel, Publisher: Profile Books, 2024, ISBN: 9781800816251.

“What is the Circular Economy?”, UK Green Building Council (UKGBC): https://ukgbc.org/our-work/topics/circular-economy/

By Adeline Tournier

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