Nottingham City Libraries is celebrating Green Libraries Week with the announcement that the service has signed up to the Green Libraries Manifesto. The Green Libraries Manifesto is hosted by CILIP, the library and information association, in partnership with Arts Council England, British Library, Libraries Connected and Julie’s Bicycle and was established to bring library services together around a shared vision of incorporating sustainability into our planning and using our platform and reach to inform and inspire people to take positive action for the benefit of all. This commitment also supports Nottingham City’s Carbon Neutral Nottingham 2028 (CN28) ambition.
Part of Nottingham City Libraries’ commitment to this manifesto is in enabling customers to explore topics linked to reducing energy use, living sustainably and reducing our impact on the planet. During Green Libraries Week the service is showcasing books for adults and children covering topics from climate change to sustainable gardening and eating, tackling consumerism and rethinking fast fashion, including a special collection of eBooks and eAudio on our Borrowbox platform as well as hard-copy books available in libraries.
Other aspects of the library service being highlighted this week include opportunities for Library Gardening Volunteers, helping to maintain green spaces around our library buildings, and the range of information available from our Business & IP Centre to help businesses think about their environmental impact.
Nottingham City Libraries is also excited to showcase the work that has been done at Hyson Green Library thanks to funding from Arts Council England to redevelop the garden into a shared use space for the library and neighbouring Acorn Resource Centre, turning it into a little oasis and a space to use for activities and events. Once work is completed, activities will include a gardening group run by volunteers – thanks to funding from Nottingham GreenSpace project tools can be bought to facilitate this, and there are plans to grow vegetables and more flowers in the garden. These activities will support the community, aiming to improve the health and wellbeing of local residents.
The new Central Library will benefit from a range of initiatives to minimise its carbon footprint. 720 solar panels on the roof of the new development are expected to save more than 53 tonnes of carbon in its first year – that’s the equivalent of driving a standard car almost 500,000 miles! It is also Energy Performance Certificate ‘A’ rated, with ‘A’ rated efficient boilers, construction utilised highly recyclable materials, including steel, concrete and glass and the changes taking place around the new building on Collin Street and Carrington Street will create new pedestrianised spaces and introduce bus-only sections of road by moving traffic away from the city centre, as well as increasing planting and greenery in the area.
Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, said “By signing up to the Green Libraries Manifesto, Nottingham City Libraries are showing their commitment to making our city a great place to live and work, and supporting citizens in exploring how environmental issues affect them, our city and our environment. This takes us one step closer to achieving carbon neutrality as a city by 2028. Libraries are a great place to explore these topics, to be challenged, inspired and informed. ”
Angie Lillistone, Head of Carbon Reduction Projects and Policy at Nottingham City Council, said “It is excellent to see Nottingham City Libraries playing an active part in both engaging with their own environmental impact and encouraging citizens around the city to do the same. By engaging through Nottingham City Libraries we will create more opportunities for citizens to engage with these vitally important topics as we work towards our target of net-zero carbon emissions as a city.”