Green libraries: barriers to concept development

Abstract

PurposeThe library community is considerably active in environmental issues, but the body of scientific and professional literature in the library and information science (LIS) related to environmental issues is growing slowly. The author attempts to indicate the reasons for the still-low interest in the issue of green libraries on a global scale by pointing to barriers in the development of the green libraries concept in both theoretical and practical dimensions.Design/methodology/approachThe desk research method was used in this study.FindingsBarriers to the development of the green libraries concept include an ambiguous definition of green libraries, a lack of guidelines for green libraries, a lack of criteria for evaluating green libraries, insufficient dissemination of the essence and goals of environmental education, a lack of developed tools for monitoring progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in an environmental aspect at a national level and insufficient integration of environmental topics in LIS curricula at the higher-education level.Originality/valueAlthough, since the 1990s, the body of literature on sustainable development from an environmental perspective has been growing, LIS researchers' activities do not reflect the importance of this issue. The originality of the article lies in the indication of the reasons for the still-low interest in environmental issues in LIS literature. To date, this issue has not been discussed in the literature.