A CONFERENCE to highlight the role that libraries and their staff can play in the climate change agenda was one of the key goals set out by the Green Libraries Partnership when it was established last year.

Originally set to take place in November 2022, the conference will take place on March 24 at the Wellcome Trust in London. The day-long event includes a key note speech from Lord Parkinson, the minister responsible for libraries, who will acknowledge their role and importance in the sustainability agenda. Delegates will get updates and reflections from the first phase of the project and also a look to the sector’s future with lots of opportunity for networking.

CILIP announced the Arts Council England funded research and development programme back in February. Now, working in collaboration with leading organisations: Arts Council England, the British Library, ¬Libraries Connected and Julie’s Bicycle, it has already delivered its early goals, the results of which can be explored on the Green Libraries hub on the CILIP website – and the Arts Council has agreed more funding for the next phase which takes it up until June 2023.

The focus of the next phase is to continue to support public libraries to:

Reduce the carbon footprint of library operations (including buildings, books, stock, supplies and vehicles);

Inform and inspire individuals and communities to engage with Environmental Responsibility;

Advocate and position libraries as key actors in local environmental programmes;

Engage with outcomes of phase 1 and adapt the Green Libraries Manifesto for practical interventions and strategic planning in public library services in England.

This will also include commissioning research into fundraising and planning for long-term sustainability of the Green Libraries work.

Emma Noyce

Emma Noyce, Assistant Director for Regeneration and Growth in Hampshire County Council, and chair of the Green Libraries Partnership, will give a key note focusing on the context to the Green Libraries Partnership.

Last year Emma announced the short-term aims of the Partnership – to develop an understanding of what’s happening in the sector and develop a tool-kit for public libraries. In her talk she will provide an update on this phase of activities. This included plans to give small grants to fund ideas and initiatives across the public library sector as well as a network for coming together and sharing information.

She will give an overview of the programme so far – why it was founded, what has been learnt and what happens next.

Emma, who contributed to a session on Working towards net zero at CILIP Conference and Expo last year, has overseen a significant shift to greener library buildings and working practices in Hampshire. While she believes the measurable approaches to climate change – planting more trees, de-carbonising buildings, stopping single use plastics – are important, she says the sector should play to its strengths and look at its role in the data, information and culture around these processes. For example, in Hampshire smart meter data is available to library managers making it easier to minimise consumption in inefficient buildings.

And as well as the data and measurable physical changes, she is equally focussed on the interconnected social issues.

“For me there is a real role for libraries to engage all parts of the community, particularly those people who don’t automatically feel that environmental issues are relevant to their own lives. Because the issue of equality and inclusion is ingrained into tackling climate change. Climate change will make existing inequalities more profound. It will affect those people who have the least impact on the climate the most.”

Isobel Hunter

The day will also include two panel discussions. The first of these will be chaired by Isobel Hunter, Chief Executive of Libraries connected, and will explore ideas around reducing the environmental impact of library buildings and stock.

Isobel said: “There are about 3,500 public library buildings across the country – so that represents an enormous volume to heat and light with a significant collective environmental impact. It can be a challenge for libraries to improve the carbon footprint of their branches, as buildings are often not managed directly by the libraries but by council property departments.”

Although she believes most councils have a sharp focus now on improving the -environmental impact of their libraries, she said it may take a while: “Library buildings may be some way down their to-do lists, and as many councils have scores of libraries, then bringing improvements to all of them could take a very long time indeed.”

She said the panel “will take a positive look at what action everyone in libraries can take to make a positive impact”.

The first speaker Colin Jackson is an architect working for Hampshire Council and will talk about his work to improve library buildings across the county.

The panel includes Ayub Khan, Libraries Connected President, head of libraries in Warwickshire, who will be talking in his capacity as Chair of Designing Libraries, which is a treasure trove of designs from all types of libraries across the globe. Ayub will explore how environmental considerations are increasingly important to both new builds and refurbishments.

And finally Cordelia Spalding will talk about a wonderful Natural England project that has worked with libraries to help green their communities. The project helps library communities map green spaces near the library and then helps them transform derelict library gardens, car parks and pavements into planted spaces to help form oases for wildlife and humans.

Isobel said: “The sustainability challenge is huge, but we hope this panel will inspire delegates they can take positive action in their library service that will benefit the environment and bring pleasure to users and staff.”

Luke Burton

The role of libraries in empowering communities to address social and environmental justice will then be looked at by another panel of sector experts chaired by Luke Burton, Director of Libraries at the Arts Council who said: “Libraries sit at the heart of the communities they serve and have a key role to play in empowering and informing their users, ensuring they have access to reliable information. The Arts Council is committed to supporting the library sector in its critical role to inform users and support their local authorities in combating climate change.”

Julies' Bicycle

Much of the insight and direction of the project has come from Julie’s Bicycle, one of the four partners. It is a pioneering not-for-profit organisation that mobilises the arts and culture to take action on the climate and ecological crisis.

Julie’s Bicycle has, among other things, helped to shape and lead the work and provide specialist expertise for the delivery of Programme activities. Also the planning and delivery of research to establish an overview of the ‘state of the sector’ in Environmental Responsibility including a sector-wide survey, the results are on the Green Libraries hub.

Claire Buckley, of Julie’s Bicycle, said:“While the environment is on everyone’s radar, overall library services are in the earlier stages of their environmental journey in terms of library place and practice. This is particularly true where bigger changes and investment is linked to local authority decision-making. What has also become very clear, is the potential for libraries to play a key role on public engagement, and supporting a green and just transition in particular with local communities, as demonstrated by the case studies and small grants projects done in 2022.” Find out more about grants awarded on the website.

Lord Parkinson

The other key note speaker for the day will be Lord Parkinson, a Conservative member of the House of Lords who, as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Arts and Heritage, is the minister responsible for libraries. He has held this post twice, serving under Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. He will look at the motivation behind the Green Libraries Partnership and take questions.

A number of travel bursaries, up to the value of £150, are available to people working in public libraries in England. To apply for a bursary and to find out more about the Green Libraries Conference, contact Yvonne Morris at yvonne.morris@cilip.org.uk.

Preference will be given to people who have not attended a national library conference before.

Places are strictly limited, but the conference will be recorded and a package of digital outputs released in April, enabling anyone who can’t attend to discover more.

The Green Libraries Partnership board is taking steps to lessen the environmental impact of the Green Libraries Conference, and there will be information on what steps delegates can take to help minimise their impact. These will be shared on CILIP’s Green Libraries Hub and you can view Wellcome Trust’s environmental practice guidelines here.

For more details and to book a place visit the Green librariesevents pages.

Programme for Green Libraries Conference

Sessions Timings

Registration 9.45-10.00

Session 1 – Opening session 10.00-11.00

Welcome from Emma Noyce, Chair of the GLP, including an Update on Green Libraries Partnership Phase 1 activities.

Survey findings with Claire Buckley, from Julie’s Bicycle.

Icebreakers: an opportunity for delegates to get to know each other.

Welcome and introduction from Liam Callebout, conference illustrator.

Break: networking and marketplace showcasing a variety of projects and initiatives. 11.00-11.30

Session 2 – Reducing our environmental impact. 11.30-12.30

Library leaders and experts from the sector will explore ideas around reducing environmental impact of library buildings, stock and look at the role of staff.

Panel:

Chair: Isobel Hunter

Colin Jackson (Hampshire Libraries)

Ayub Khan (Designing Libraries)

Cordelia Spalding (Natural England)

Flash Talks from panel members, followed by Panel discussion and questions from the floor. Lunch: networking and marketplace showcasing a variety of projects and initiatives 12.30-13.30

Session 3 – Engaging and informing communities 13.30-14.30

Speakers will share ideas on empowering communities and the role of libraries in addressing social and environmental justice.

Panel:

Chair: Luke Burton (Arts Council England)

Melissa Matthews (Suffolk Libraries)

Eleanor Booth (Inspire Midlands)

TBC

Flash talks from panel members, followed by Panel Discussion and questions from the floor. Break: networking and marketplace showcasing a variety of projects and initiatives 14.30-15.00 Session 4 – Keynote speech Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, Minister for Arts and Heritage 15.00-15.45

Followed by Q&A.

Session 5 – Illustration and plenary discussion 16.00-16.30

Liam Callebout reveals his drawing, followed by a plenary discussion about the conference themes chaired by Maja Maricevic.

Session 6 – Individual commitments 16.30-16.55

All participants will be invited to make and share a Green Libraries pledge.

Emma Noyce (Chair)

Session 7 – Next steps plus closing 16.55-17.00

Emma Noyce