Green Library

The project "Green Library" is being implemented by the SumDU Library with the support of the Goethe Institute (Germany) from September 2018.
The main objective is to facilitate Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2030) and their realization for the community of Sumy Region through informing, training and arrangement of appropriate consumption, sorting, and recycling.

Components of the "Green Library" Project:

1. Sustainable Consumption & Waste Management.

In our activities we follow the concept of "Zero Waste" and the rules of "5R" (REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, ROT):

• mostly reusable household items
• apply electronic document
• make original decor from waste
• sort and recycle waste

35 containers for sorting waste (paper, paper cups, plastic, glass, metal, bottle lids, mixed trash) were installed in our libraries (Central Library, Library of the Medical Institute, Branch Library at the Congress Center, Reading Room of the Scientific and Scientific Building). Partnerships with GO "Ukraine without waste", "Batteries, give up", "Green Bird" were established to support sorting and recycling at the SumDU Library.

In 2018-2019 we collected and sent for recycling:

• 300 kg of waste paper
• 1000 paper cups
• 50 kg batteries
• 30 kg of raw material (plastic, glass, metal)
• 3 kg of lids (donated for the manufacture of prostheses

2. Promotion of Eco-friendly Lifestyle & Academic Culture.

We developed and shared open educational resources, e.g.:

• 13 informational booklets and bookmarks in Ukrainian
• 2 brochures on environmental education in Ukrainian
• 2 brochures on Academic Integrity: "Academic Integrity Guide"and in Ukrainian
• 3 stands: "Green University. Green Library", "Let’s save Earth. Sort waste" and in Ukrainian

To promote the green "life in the style of ECO", librarians conduct interactive events, exhibitions, playing online game Garbage Hero. The main events of 2018-2019 were:

• exhibition-competition "Life in the Eco style with SumDU Library"
• exhibition "Living Planet" for World Earth Day
• photo exhibition "Save our native landscapes"
• eco quest "Life without Trash"
• training seminars with schoolchildren and students
• meetings with eco-activists and scientists

Thanks to support of partners Goethe Institute and Hit FM Radio, interactive events are conducted using state-of-the-art multimedia and audio equipment. Librarians are actively using innovative learning technologies, including Kahoot, Mentimeter, Prezi, Canva, Crello.

In 2018-2019, more than 2000 people attended our events, including students, teachers, students and teachers of colleges and universities of the city and region.

3. Participation in environmental campaigns.

The library takes an active part in university and local environmental cleanup actions.

In 2018-2019 the SumDU Library staff participated in:

• 3 eco-events "Clean Ukraine is a clean Earth" with the participation of the staff of library and SumDU volunteers
• several urban enviromental campain, "Ecocross" dedicated to the World Action "Earth Hour"

The "Green Library" project has a long-term perspective and is part of the Green University program.