Taking Root: Scotland’s Green Libraries Part One

Sustainability and climate action has been taking root across libraries in Scotland for many years now and we wanted to dig a little deeper, surveying the work and projects taking place across the sector. This is why with some very special guests, we’ve created Taking Root: Scotland’s Green Libraries, a podcast celebrating all the ways in which Libraries are playing an essential role in tackling the climate crisis, and as you’ll learn in this podcast, are the inaugural recyclers!

There is an accompanying ‘Green Jargon sheet,’ with all of the sources from the episode, and an index of the environmental language used throughout the episode, to make it as accessible as possible! Click here to see the Green Jargon Sheet. We also created a page of eco-feminism book recommendations from our guests Annika and Christina, you can click here to access the titles and find them on the Glasgow Women’s Library Catalogue!

In the first episode, we’ll explore the beginnings of the connection between libraries and climate action, including where Green Libraries Scotland started. Starting with an encounter with a fellow LIS Professional Ian Littleworth from New Zealand, highlighting the Te Tōtara capability framework. After this, we invite two very special guests to the podcast studio, Annika Norrvik, Facilities Manager and part of the Green Cluster at Glasgow Women’s Library and, Artist, Photographer and Founder of The Nature Library, Christina Riley. In this conversation we speak about eco-feminism, climate imposter syndrome, and how important libraries are in the dissemination and cultivation of evidence based conversations around the climate crisis. What environmental considerations they’ve had to take into account with their individual libraries, and how libraries foster connections with the natural world.

See here to listen via Spotify:

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See here to listen via Youtube:

There is so much of this work to highlight, that fitting it into one episode proved impossible, so please listen to part two of Taking Root: Scotland’s Green Libraries!

Thank you to all of our guests and sources for the episode, we couldn’t possible share the work and story of Green Libraries Scotland without your involvement, and we also recognise all of the incredible work we couldn’t fit into the episode, it doesn’t go unnoticed! If you would like to learn more or be involved with future episodes, then please email admin@cilips.org.uk to get involved!