IFLA’s Environment Sustainability and Libraries Special Interest Group (ENSULIB) is pleased to announce the winner of the IFLA Green Library Award 2023. The IFLA Green Library Award was established in 2016 by ENSULIB (SIG) and generously sponsored by De Gruyter Publishing.

The full details about the 2023 award appear in this Press Release: [English – PDF]

The award was presented at the 2023 World Library and Information Congress in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Session 130: IFLA Green Library Award Session

Winners of the IFLA Green Library/Grand Scale Project Award 2023

1st Place: Biblioteca EPM, Cucuta, Colombia: Biblioteca EPM – Education for Sustainable Development

This project truly deserves the Green Library Award, demonstrating that sustainability is at the heart of their strategy and embedded in all their activities: storytime programmes, lectures, robotics/new technology, and business development. Through their sustainability education, they demonstrate that the goal of continuous improvement over time is what they value. A great initiative in a low-middle-income country.

2nd Place: “Illyés Gyula” Library of Tolna County, Hungary: Library at the Gates of Cultures & Gemenc

 This project truly deserves to be awarded as it demonstrates a strong community commitment that includes several partnerships with local, national and international organisations.  An impressive aspect is their commitment to collaboration and learning about sustainable initiatives from other libraries around the country, enabling the growth of a county-wide green library network.  Worth noting, the library also has set sustainability issues as a core of its mission statement.

3rd Place: Vietnamese-German University Library, Thoi Hoa ward, Socialist Rep. of Vietnam: Vietnamese-German University Inclusive Library for Sustainable Development

This project truly deserves to be awarded as a green library, through its intentionally designed, energy efficient, symbolic building closely linked to the campus.  A committed team also effectively implements action programmes to promote sustainability as part of an overall strategy – an example that deserves to be disseminated worldwide.

Winners of the IFLA Green Library Project Award 2023

1st Place: West Vancouver Memorial Library, BC, Canada: Climate Writer in Residence at the West Vancouver Memorial Library: A Novel Solution

This project truly deserves to be awarded for its innovative contribution that combines literature and climate in a unique way by creating programmes of education for sustainable development that involve the entire community through a variety of events.  In addition, effective energy-saving measures led to a “greener” design of the library itself.  Finally, the programme not only has a positive impact on a significant number of its local users but can also serve as a model for other libraries around the world.

2nd Place: Biblioteca Civica Villa Valle, Italy: The Seed Library

This project truly deserves to be awarded as the idea of the seed library takes on a new dimension. It influenced the city’s decision to become more bee and butterfly friendly. By involving customers in decision-making processes, long-term effects on sustainable community engagement have been achieved. The programme can serve as a role model for other libraries around the world, no matter whether they are large or small.

3rd Place: Seoul Metropolitan Library, Seoul, Rep. Korea: Eco Project in Seoul Metropolitan Library for SDGs

seoul metropolitan library

This project truly deserves to be awarded as a green library for their comprehensive submission with good storytelling. The submission describes how the library, with its focus on 11 SDGs, is driving the way they operate towards Net Zero, as well as educating citizens on NetZero.  Citizens were encouraged to follow suit with many interesting events and workshops for people of all ages, along with lectures, cooperation programmes and collections on the environment. The programme can serve as a role model for other libraries, no matter whether they are public or academic libraries.