Sustainability in the strategic planning of libraries

For the third consecutive year, the Nordic Libraries for Sustainability Network is hosting a webinar to inspire, highlight, and share how libraries are contributing to a more sustainable future.

This year, we explore how Nordic libraries champion community sustainability through innovative strategies and align with global manifestos to advocate for change, with a focus on stronger strategic work around sustainability.

The webinar will at the same time be the kickoff for WEEK17 2026.

WEEK17 for the international! We also welcome Eliška Bartošová from the Czech Republic, who will tell how they in one year got over 20 libraries (+ 16 in Slovakia) to join WEEK17.

We will then hear inspiring stories from each of the Nordic countries about how innovative projects, strategic decisions, and collaborative partnerships are driving sustainability in libraries. These presentations will showcase practical examples and best practices for integrating sustainability into library operations and community engagement.

WEEK17 2026 EUROPA kick off

Thomas Sture Rasmussen

SDG Coordinator for the Danish Library Association (DK).
Andrew Cranfield, Director of the European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations EBLIDA (DK).

Eliška Bartošová, Czech Republic Libraries Association and Erasmus+ Coordinator. (ČR).
https://db2030.dk/week17/

10 steps to sustainability

Siri Vikse, Haugesund Library (NO)
The course 10 Steps to Sustainability is aimed at libraries and how they can work strategically and purposefully with sustainability. What is sustainability, and why is it relevant for libraries to work strategically with it? Through this course you learn to write your own sustainability strategy in ten steps!
https://bibliotekutvikling.no/nyh…/10-steg-til-baerekraft/

Malmö Green Library manifesto

Sara Kjellberg, Malmö Library (SWE)
Malmö University Library was the first library in Sweden to sign the Green Libraries Manifesto – a clear statement that sustainability is an integral part of our mission. The manifesto highlights both the library’s potential to support others in the green transition and the importance of conducting our own operations in a sustainable way. The presentation showcases concrete examples of how this is reflected in our daily practice.https://www.cilip.org.uk/page/GreenLibrariesManifesto

Rethinking the strategy for sustainability in libraries

Harri Sahavirta, Helsinki City Library (FIN)
Sustainability is a challenge which may seem like a mission impossible. Climate change has been called the perfect storm which affects all the aspects of human action. Libraries should acknowledge these facts in their strategic planning and find a positive way to answer them.
Bókasafn Kópavogs, Beyond Boundaries: The Waterdrop Young Curators Initiative

Beyond boundaries: The waterdrop young curators initiative

Soffia Karlsdottir and Ingibjörg Gréta Gísladóttir, Mekó (ICELAND)
The Waterdrop is a collaborative project initiated by Kópavogur Municipality, bringing together four cultural institutions from the Nordic and Baltic regions. At its heart, the project empowers children to become curators – designing exhibitions and leading creative workshops that blend the timeless themes of Nordic children’s literature with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

MISTRA E-C -15

Lisa Engström, Lund university (SWE)
Lisa Engström from Lund university presents MISTA Environmental Communication (M-EC). The program aims to enhance environmental communication to support a sustainable society. It seeks to integrate a comprehensive and inclusive understanding of environmental communication into research, policy, and practice. Libraries are pivotal in addressing environmental and climate challenges through effective communication.