This document discusses how sustainability can be used as a tool for advocacy in libraries. It outlines how the UN's Sustainable Development Goals are implemented through a multi-level approach at the local, regional, national and global levels. Libraries contribute to sustainability through services like access to information and promoting literacy. The document argues that sustainability provides opportunities for libraries to advocate for themselves with local, regional and national politicians. It provides examples of how libraries in Germany engage in sustainability advocacy at different levels of government.

1. IFLA/ENSULIB
presents
Sustainability as a Tool for
Advocacy in Libraries
Jacqueline Breidlid
IFLA WLIC 2022, Satellite Meeting, Cork, Ireland, 22-23 July 2022
ENSULIB, Management and Marketing, Preservation and Conservation Sections

2. Sustainability as a tool for
advocacy in libraries
Jacqueline Breidlid
Political Communications
German Library Association/ Deutscher Bibliotheksverband e.V. (dbv)

3. Sustainability is …
on everyone`s lips
Paris climate agreement 2015. © Reuters
Sustainable housing. © Reapit
Sustainable finance, © Romolo Tavali
Sustainable cities. © Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL)

4. …and libraries make an important
contribution to sustainability!
Libraries
„an early
example of
the sharing
economy“
(IFLA, 2018)
Access to
information
Promotion
of literacy
Promotion
of media
compe-
tences
Information
about
environ-
mental
issues
Sustainable
building
techniques
…

5. This is a great opportunity for
political advocacy at every
political level!

6. Outline
• Multilevel approach of the SDGs
• Implementation of the SDGs and political advocacy at
• the local level
• the regional level
• the national level
• How are the three areas interconnected?
• Conclusion

7. Implementation through a multi-level
approach
The SDGs are not a legally binding document, but an “urgent call
for action”: countries are “expected to take ownership and
establish a national framework for achieving” them (UN, “The
Sustainable Development Agenda”).
The SDGs thus offer a framework with a “common language for
multilevel action” (OECD, n.d., “The multilevel governance”).

8. National framework for implementation in
Germany
Local level: Cities, towns, municipalities
• Responsible for basic public services tasks: schools, retirement homes, kindergartens, parks, etc.
• Actions include: Sustainability strategies, prices, consultations, working groups
• Example: „Agenda 21“ of the city of Karlsruhe (www.agenda21-karlsruhe.de)
Regional level: 16 Federal States
• Competence over: education, culture, right of assembly, historic preservation, etc.
• 2019: Declaration to jointly drive transformation towards a sustainable society
• Actions include: Roadmaps, appointment of a sustainability council, or sustainability strategies, stategies on
education for sustainable development (ESD) – examples: Sustainability Strategy Brandenburg
National level: Federal government
• Countries have the „primary responsibility […] with regard to the progress made in implementing the Goals
and targets by 2030” (UN, n.d., “The Sustainable Development Agenda”).
• National Sustainable Development Strategy (2016, update 2021); National Action Plan on Education for
Sustainable Development (2017)
© MLUK
© Die Bundesregierung
Agenda 21 of the city of Karlsruhe

9. Adcocacy at local level
• Many public libraries funded through „Kommunen“
Funding may strongly vary from one city, town or municipality
In order to secure funding, the library needs to be in constant
dialogue with the „Kommune“
Sustainability provides visitibility and a good basis for dialogue!

10. Advocacy at local level: “Green
Laboratory” of the City Library of Hameln
State representative Dinah Stollwerck-Bauer
and Lord Mayor Claudio Griese cut the ribbon.
© Stadt-Hameln
A workshop in the „Green Laboratory“.
© Anton Spreemann
A workshop in the „Green Laboratory“
@ Anton Spreemann

11. Advocacy at regional level: The example of
the ESD Strategy Schleswig-Holstein (SH)
• Active participation
of the
„Büchereizentrale“ in
the development of
the strategy
• Inclusion of libraries
in chapters on early
childhood education
and non-formal
education
Documentation of stakeholder workshop on ESD strategy Schleswig-Holstein, 29. October 2019. ©
Ministeriums für Energiewende, Landwirtschaft, Umwelt, Natur und
Digitalisierung (MELUND)

12. Advocacy at national level: Inclusion in
political strategies
• SDG-strategy (adopted 2016, last
revision 2021); Action Plan ESD (2017)
• dbv position paper 2020: Libraries should
be included, in particular in relation to
• goal 16 “peace, justice and strong
institutions”
• goal 4 “quality education”
• goal 11 “sustainable cities and
communities”
• dbv-handbook with practical examples
National Sustainable Development Strategy, p. 370.

13. New government, new hope for better
inclusion
• New government since
December 2021
• Coalition treaty
• sustainability to be a “guiding
principle” for political action;
• further development of the SDG-
strategy
• anker and strengthen the National
Action Plan ESD
• development of a “Green Culture”
desk
„Traffic-light“ coalition between the Socialists, the Greens, and the Liberals.
© ZEIT ONLINE

14. Anwer of the Green political party to the
„Wahlprüfsteine“
• Indicators of the National Sustainable Development Strategy to be
adjusted and that new indicators to be included;
• Within this “ambitioned development” (“ambitionierte
Weiterentwicklung”) of the Strategy, all relevant societal stakeholders
will be included;
• Libraries will be provided the opportunity to participate in this
process
•  See full answer here (in German)

15. Interconnection between the three political
levels
Local level: Cities, towns, municipalities
Regional level: 16 Federal States
National level: Federal government
© MLUK
© Die Bundesregierung
Agenda 21 of the city of Karlsruhe
Libraries
Regional library
associations
German libraries
association

16. Libraries can support the regional and
national level by…
• Inviting local politicians, as well
as regional/ national politicians
from their constituency
• Participating in funding
programmes, such as
„Kommunalrichtlinie“
• Participating in prices and action
days, such as the „Aktionstage
Nachhaltigkeit“
© Stadt-Hameln
Funing opportunities through the
„Kommunalrichtlinie“. © SK:KK

17. How the dbv is supporting libraries in their
SDG-activities
• Workshops and trainings
• Brochure explaining the
contribution of libraries to the
SDGs
• Website www.biblio2030.de
• Online-seminar series on the
SDGs

18. Conclusion
• SDGs are implemented at different political levels;
• The contribution that libraries make to achieving the SDGs can
be an important tool for advocacy at every political level;
• More advocacy efforts will however be necessary in order to
make the topic of “libraries and sustainability” inescapable in the
political debate.