Sustainability at KIT Library
Public and academic libraries have been increasingly involved in sustainability for some time now and are exchanging ideas on the topic through the Green Library Network. This development was spurred in 2015 by the adoption of the Agenda 2030 adopted by the UN General Assembly, in which 17 goals for sustainability were agreed upon. These goals address both environmental and social aspects, such as ensuring quality education.
Following a strategy workshop in May 2022, the KIT Library decided to focus more intensively on the topic of sustainability and established a working group for this purpose, to which staff members could volunteer. The working group generated significant interest within the library, resulting in ten colleagues from various departments collaborating on the initiative.
Some of the changes and initiatives already implemented by the working group can be found below under the KIT Library’s offerings related to sustainability. The challenge lies in the implementation of these initiatives within a large institution like KIT, as various organizational units are often involved.
The working group’s target is to find long-term solutions for the entire library and to involve users more closely.
If you’re interested in exchanging ideas or would like to implement sustainability initiatives in your own library, please feel free to contact us.
What sustainable services does the KIT Library already offer?
Libraries play a significant role in sustainable development. They promote free access to information and education for everyone. Through the principles of lending and multiple use, they also help conserve resources. In doing so, they make an important contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (SDGs), which focus on the three areas of sustainable development: economy, society, and the environment.
- Provision of information and media in the form of, for example, books, journals, databases, and courses
- The library as a “third place”: Sharing learning spaces also saves energy at home
- Equipment lending
- Rental of energy cost monitors at the media center
- 3D printing / 3D scanning for the production of replacement parts
- Reusable cups can be used at the coffee machines
- Drinking water dispensers in the KIT Library South help reduce plastic bottle waste
- Healthy snack vending machine at the KIT Library South (managed by the Studierendenwerk)
- Fault report form to help report and repair malfunctions more quickly
- Energy-saving tips for students
- Cooperation with Karlsruhe partner libraries: KIT Card can also be activated in other Karlsruhe libraries
- "E-first" strategy for collection development: Electronic versions are prioritized during acquisition, thereby reducing the need for print copies
- Printouts, such as library account notifications and receipts, are produced only when necessary
- Reduction of printed advertising (posters, flyers, etc.)
- (Book) scanners: Scanning instead of copying.
- Copiers and printers use eco-friendly paper
- Compilation of tips on saving energy and resources for library staff
- Contacting publishers to reduce packaging waste
- Use of company bicycles
- Donating furniture that is no longer needed instead of disposing of it
- Exhibition “Perspectives and Insights: Sustainability at the KIT Library” in 2024, featuring a plant swap for students
- The KIT Library as a field trip destination during the KIT Spring Academy on sustainability 2025 on the topic “Why Are Educational Opportunities Important?”
- Participation of KIT Library staff in the Karlsruhe Clean-Up Weeks
- Presentation of the library’s sustainable services in a social media series
- Coffee Lectures on aspects of sustainability
- Collaboration and networking with other sustainability initiatives within KIT and at other libraries (Green Library Network)
