The document summarizes the journey of the rural Sirna Public Library in Romania to become a green and empowered library through various projects and initiatives. Key points include: - The librarian led efforts to make the single-staffed library more environmentally friendly through solar panels and green spaces. - International cooperation projects helped the library learn best practices for sustainability and community engagement. - Erasmus+ grants supported training exchanges and the establishment of a Green Council to organize activities that benefited over 1,000 people. - The library's model demonstrates how smaller libraries can make an impact through partnerships, participation, and focusing on community needs.

1. IFLA - ENSULIB Webinar
Șirna Public Library
Romania -
An Empowered Green
Library

2. Our Plan
What:
● Șirna Communal/Rural Library;
● Its path to a green library;
● Cooperation and participation in projects;
● Multicolored library;
● Lessons learned.
How:
● Team presentation of the steps, stories, and lessons learned in the processes.

3. Șirna Rural Library, Prahova County, Romania
Public library system:
● Decentralized with little support;
● Part of Global Libraries programs
until 2015.
In Șirna:
● Iuliana-Camelia Pîrvu - librarian
since 1990;
● Single-staffed library;
● Community of Șirna, Prahova
county, Romania.

4. Librarian in Șirna, Prahova County, Romania
● Libraries are an investment in the future of
our society!
● Their mission is to improve the human
condition.
● Libraries need to go green!

5. Green library and the Local Community
● An ecological institution through its
management, services,programs
and activities;
● A library operating in a building with
little negative impact on the local
environment;
● An institution that integrates green
vegetation into the design of the
building and its environs (inner
courtyard).

6. First Romanian Library
Powered by Sun since 2014
● WWF Award 2014 in a
national open competition
with 4411 participants
● Prize: Solar panels, value
of 20,000 euros

7. Green Library Starting International Cooperation
„Cărți peste Prut” Project
Republic of Moldova Librar-E Turkey Programme

8. Involving the Community

9. Learning More
● Applied to participate in IFLA
International Advocacy Programme
„Agenda for Sustainable Development - a
Recipe from Libraries”;
● Participated at „Libraries, Development
and the UN 2030 Agenda” Workshop in
Chișinău, Republic of Moldova;
○ Organized by ANBPR and ABRM professional
associations from Romania and Moldova for 20
librarians.

10. IFLA Green Library Award 2018

11. Sharing More
● 2018 ANBPR Bacău (my own money and
time);
● 2018 ANBPR Alba Iulia (with grant);
● 2019 ANBPR Miercurea Ciuc (covered by
the library);
● 2020 Conference National Library Chișinău
(online);
● 2021 Conference National Library Chișinău
(online);
● 2022 Occupy Library (covered by the
library);
● 2022 ANBPR Târgu Jiu (invited speaker).

12. „The World’s Best Green Libraries”
● „The World’s Best Green Libraries” -
an exhibition of green libraries
organized at the National and
University Library in Zagreb (NSK)
in 2019;
● invited by NSK and ENSULIB;
● ENSULIB invited me to participate
in the first Green Libraries
Conference held at NSK in 2019;

13. IFLA WLIC Athens, Greece, 2019
● I submitted an application
to the IFLA Poster
Session which was
approved;
● I could not participate;
● The paper was presented
by colleagues from
Romania at the
Conference.

14. Erasmus+ Opportunities
● Erasmus+ is the European Union's
program in the fields of education,
vocational training, youth and sport;
● The Erasmus+ program is managed in
Romania by a National Agency which
has open calls and trainings;
● I was interested in Adult education as
the main topic of focus for future
trainings;
● In 2019 I participated in a training for
writing grants provided by the National
Agency Erasmus+.

15. „Together for a Better Life”
ERASMUS+ Consortium Project in Prahova County
(2020-2022) coordinated by the „Nicolae Iorga” Prahova
County Library with the participation of 11 rural libraries
I participated in:
● Job Shadowing at Lørenskog Library in Norway
(October 2021);
● Sustainable Development Course in Barcelona,
Spain (May 2022).
We also visited Deichman Bjørvika Library - Oslo,
declared the best new public library in the world in 2021
by IFLA

16. „Green Library for a Sustainable Community –
Lib4Green” 2020-2022
Erasmus+ Project in the field of Adult
Education
Project objectives:
● Green Council
● The Green Library, a new service
through which the Green Council can
carry out sustainable activities in the
community
● Sustainable library policy document
Value: 20.735 Euro

17. Lib4Green Team Become Members of Green Council
● small operational capacity of
the library (1 employee);
● motivating 10 adult volunteers
from various professional
backgrounds;
● their training through Job
Shadowing at NSK Zagreb
● their involvement in
sustainable development
activities in the community

18. Job Shadowing in Croatia
at the National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK)

19. Zagreb Bike Tour

20. Lib4Green Șirna Bike Tour

21. Results
Projected:
● Green Council
consisting of 11
members
● The new "Green
Library" service
- 4 activities
- 40 adult participants
● 1 sustainable policy
document
Obtained:
● Green Council consisting of
17 members (11+5);
● The new "Green Library"
service
- 24 activities (4+20)
- over 1000 participants (adults,
young people and children)
● 1 sustainable policy document

22. Green Activities - Green Community
● greening activities and education for
a healthy environment (4 activities);
● „Green Libraries/Community Green
Council" workshop;
● encouraging cycling as a
sustainable travel alternative;
● planting flowers at the monuments
of local heroes;
● traditional art workshop;
● organizing a visit to a local
entrepreneur.

23. Multicolored Activities - Green Community
● presentation of the results of the study
on the history and local cultural identity
in the academic environment;
● workshops to promote reading in the
community by inaugurating the Little
Free Library Street Library and the
Reading Nest in the library garden -
„Lib4Green".

24. Green project - Multicolored Results
● Counseling and relationship with
children workshop for parents
and teachers (health education);
● activities to encourage the
practice of creative activities, as
a means of preserving mental
health in the pandemic;
● encouraging cycling as a
sustainable travel alternative.

25. Dissemination Partners
● The National Library of Romania;
● The „Nicolae Iorga" County Library Prahova;
● The „Christian Tell" Gorj County Library;
● Petroleum-Gas University from Ploiesti,
Prahova county;
● Secondary School, Tariceni village, Șirna
commune, Prahova county;
● Secondary School, Brazi commune, Prahova
county;
● The „Dimitrie Gusti" National Museum of the
Village in Bucharest;
● Association for the Support of Patients with
Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis;
● Erasmus+ National Agency (ANPCDEFP).

26. Partners
Filiala
Brașov
Școala
Gimnazială,
sat Tăriceni
Asociația
Antreprenorilor
de Fapte Bune
Supermarket
Tăriceni

27. ERASMUS+ 2022 Trophy
ERASMUS+ National Agency
Conference „Learn and provide.
Perspectives” - December 2022

28. How Can We Have a Multicolored Library in Our
Community?
● Focus on helping the community;
● Choose to get involved;
● Practice courage;
● Connect regionally and
internationally;
● Get support from outside your
community as well;
● Be yourself!

29. ARTherapy Pandemic Journal
● A personal painting project of the green
librarian;
● 1 day = 1 floral painting;
● posted on Facebook every morning for the
public;
● The pandemic = 842 paintings with flowers.
https://youtu.be/3e-U0dbfqGU

30. Thank you!