Harri Sahavirta, Chief Librarian, Helsinki City Library Finnish public libraries are open and free for all. Often this is interpreted to mean a requirement of a neutral stance on information and current events. Libraries are, however, working against disinformation and ignorance and for equality and freedom of speech. This means that libraries need to take a stance on sustainable development (SDGs), access to reliable information and take into account the biggest current worry for future generations: climate change and environmental threats. #CILIPConf20 #LibrariesforSustainability

1. Public Libraries as Environmentally
Responsible Actors
Harri Sahavirta, Ph.d. , Chief librarian –
Arabianranta and Vallila libraries,
Helsinki City Library
EcoCompass environmental certificate, Vallila library 2010
Green@library – national project 2012
IFLA, Environment, Sustainability and Libraries (SIG),
Convenor 2015 – 2019
IFLA Green Library Award 2016 
Environmental Sustainability in Public Libraries –
national project 2020 -2021

2. Simple and basic model for action
Simplified action model claims that
goal-oriented action follows the
understanding of goals.
- Facilitate the loop!
- Remove the obstacles!
Does environmentally responsible
action follow from sustainable
values and goals in public libraries?
If not, why?
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3. Are public libraries committed to
environmental values?
Environmental Sustainablity ín Public Libraries 2020 – project send
questionaires to all Finnish public libraries – 25 % answered.
Major change factors: digitalization, aging population and changing economy
Core values: equality and learning but also environmental values are
remarkable for the majority – althought also the usual conterarguments are
there.
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4. Public libraries are already
environmentally friendly.
Libraries have been recirculating collections for centuries and offer shared room
and devices (for free).
▶ There is no reason for intensive environmental work in public libraries.
However, states and cities are committed to environmental projects, like UN SDG
and carbon neutrality (Carbon-neutral Helsinki 2035) and our users are committed
to environmental sustainability.
Libraries are supposed to show their commitment (and some measurable results).
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5. Green libraries are all about green buildings.
Architects and engineers design green library buildings, and estate managers run
them in a sustainable way.
▶ It is not librarians’ business to do the environmental work in libraries.
Librarians can save energy and paper, decrease the amount of waste but that is
all.
▶ Green office principles fit also libraries and nothing else is needed.
Green library is not only a green office in a green building.
We should have measurable criteria for environmentally sustainable library
services, a road map what we can do as librarians.
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6. It does not matter what we do in libraries
– the great environmental deeds and
crimes will be done elsewhere.
In environmental issues, libraries are quite insignificant actors
▶ It does not matter what we do.
BUT: at the age of alternative facts and false news, it becomes more and more
important that libraries offer an open access to reliable and up-dated
environmental information.
All sustainable decisions require adequate information which is not easy to find,
or judge, when the amount of information increases.
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7. It is not clear what is meant by sustainable
or green libraries.
Sustainability has become a plastic word (Uwe Pörksen -88) and plastic words
mean so much that they do not have meaning at all.
▶ We do not know what we should do, or there the goal is.
Environmentally sustainable goals should be clarified and made concrete.
Library specific criteria and road maps are needed.
There is work to be done! (ENSULIB & projects)
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8. It is always someone else who makes
the job or the decisions.
Libraries just follow the guidelines or regulations given in legislation, or by the
city or estate managers. Sustainability is not always their primary goal.
A great part of sustainability in libraries is the result of the work of caretakers,
cleaning companies, or municipal waste management, public traffic authorities,
etc.
▶ Libraries are not independent actors. Sustainability is a side-effect of
interrelated networks trying to do their own work or reaching their own
goals.
Interrelatedness means negotiation and co-operation. Luckily - this works both ways:
states and cities are committed to carbon neutrality and UN SDGs.
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9. Libraries do not have a real environmental
mission.
Considering the above counterarguments, it may seem that libraries cannot be
significant sustainable actors.
But there are some things nobody else – but libraries – will do.
Libraries offer an open access to reliable and up-dated information.
Libraries offer shared room to study and work as well as shared devices.
Climate change is the greatest source of distress for young people
– libraries could offer them a forum to discuss and deal with environmental
threats and feelings.
… for all and free (according to the Finnish library law)!
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10. We have tried but with poor results.
We have launched several projects but somehow, they died out after great
enthusiasm in the beginning.
▶ Something blocks the action… and we cannot figure out why.
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11. 19.11.2020 Harri Sahavirta 11
Remove the obstacles

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Facilitate the loop

13. Significant and feasible mission
motivates you to act towards a clear
and concrete goal
… as long as you focus on projects that you can put into practice.
And these preliminaries should be considered before the project begins.
Thank you!
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