Sowing the Seeds of Change: how school libraries are the Green Heart of the school

Rachel Johnston
Harrow SLS

Librarian’s view:

Brown rings on the ceiling are not normally good news in a library, especially when accompanied by the distinctive smell of wet plasterboard. Anyone who has worked in a typical 1960s school building will know all too well the perils of flat roofs and internal drainpipes, as well as floor to ceiling windows causing both books and readers to bake in summer and icy draughts in winter.

Our changing climate is already having an impact on buildings that were not designed for extreme weather. Ask any caretaker what a combination of autumn leaves and one tennis ball can do in a downspout, and it will take little imagination to see how vulnerable our libraries and their contents will be to the increased probability of flooding and storms.

What were once considered routine tasks are now becoming ‘future-proofing’ for school buildings, and even in these times of budgetary restrictions, school managers neglect maintenance at their peril, for a well-maintained building will be more resilient and energy efficient, with a reduced school carbon footprint, and hopefully running costs as well.

The challenge presented by climate change to the whole of the education sector is huge, but at the heart of the government strategy are the young people whose lives will be directly affected. Creating an inspiring curriculum and learning environment that embodies the ambitious sustainability and nature recovery aims of government policy has implications for every aspect of a school’s operation, and school libraries are uniquely placed to support these changes. Designing and adapting libraries to be the learning environments of the future requires a willingness to embrace sustainable ideas and practice in the present.

Green Libraries Week is an opportunity for school libraries to showcase how they are working to support new developments in the curriculum and contributing to key targets and policies. Now in its third year, the campaign encourages libraries of all kinds to become involved by making seven key pledges as set out in the Green Libraries Manifesto. The aim is to ‘encourage ambitious, credible and publicly communicated environmental commitment and action’, bringing school libraries into the heart of decision-making in school.

This, of course, is exactly where school libraries ought to be – as librarians we are often our own worst advocates!

With new ways of teaching and learning needed to embed ecology and sustainability in the curriculum, school libraries are the logical place to provide access to the resources needed for innovative, engaging learning.

This is only part of the contribution that our libraries can make. The manifesto calls for libraries to innovate and evolve in our management of resources, and school libraries provide a great example to children of the benefits of borrowing rather than buying, and how individual small actions can collectively have a much greater impact.

Leeds Libraries calculated the impact on the city’s carbon footprint of borrowing a typical paperback book with a carbon footprint of 1kg. Over one year their readers saved 2,550,000kg or the equivalent of 1,300 flights from Leeds to New York, with e-books, e-audio books and magazines lowering the carbon footprint still further.

Conducting a Green Audit to assess your library’s progress is a good starting point and a great way to involve students in learning more about the library as well as sustainable options. What is the alternative to printing lists of overdue books? Could the library phase out plastic waste from lamination, sticky tape and jackets? What about gaps in the library’s book stock in the areas of upcycling, climate action and conservation? Encouraging children’s recommendations for up-to-date information books, fiction and poetry with themes connected to climate and nature is an ideal way to keep the library’s stock relevant, truthful and empowering.

As champions of sustainability, school libraries not only sow the seeds of change, but also can become the green heart of the whole school community, raising awareness, inspiring practical actions, and enabling our young people to discover skills and confidence to build a greener future.

Do you want help conducting a green audit in your school? Find out how environmentally friendly a Schools Library Service subscription can be >> 

FREE RESOURCES AVAILABLE

Inside Track members have access to extra article resources.
View Reading List.

JOIN NOW