Sustainable development often brings to mind environmentally friendly practices — caring for the planet — but it also prioritizes people and prosperity. This trio of pillars (sometimes known as the "three Ps") are central to the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and public libraries worldwide play an important role in advancing them.
Per the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, there are a couple of other key considerations, and they also happen to start with the letter P: peace and partnership.
Beyond providing access to knowledge, libraries support environmental initiatives and contribute to economic growth. Even amid global disruptions, they have adapted to serve their communities in new ways, reinforcing their commitment to sustainability. Library associations and public libraries continue to lead by example, demonstrating sustainable development in action.
All libraries have a collective mission to democratize access to information and promote lifelong learning opportunities — regardless of where they’re located or the type of community they serve. This goes hand in hand with the themes that underpin the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: empowerment, resilience and equality.
With PressReader’s unique position as a partner for many public libraries and educational institutions, we have front-row access to how these institutions are building sustainability principles. It’s work that gives us hope as we head into the future. Take a look.
Public and academic libraries are a core piece of our social infrastructure, fostering community engagement and social services, and that means they naturally contribute to the people-focused SDG goals.
Often providing free resources, public libraries are true advocates of SDG 1: No poverty and SDG 2: Zero hunger. In its 2024 State of America's Libraries report, the American Library Association highlighted the efforts of South Carolina's Spartanburg County Public Libraries (SCPL), which launched the Bags of Hope initiative to help address poverty and food insecurity by providing essential items to those in need. The program relies on donations from library patrons and staff, which are then distributed through 11 partner organizations, including food pantries and community centers. In 2023, SCPL donated over 740 gallon-sized bags of supplies, along with additional large sacks and boxes of food.
While COVID-19 prompted many libraries to really focus on SDG 3: Good health and wellbeing, this goal was already in place prior to the pandemic. Libraries in some U.S. cities and rural areas have become community health providers, as Newsweek recently reported. These health hubs offer essential services like mobile clinics, mental health support and fitness classes in under-served regions. Newsweek highlights that libraries are uniquely accessible: “No insurance, identification, or specific qualifications are required to access these services, making them a lifeline for those who might otherwise fall through the cracks.” Jaime Placht, a health and well-being specialist at the Kansas City Public Library, calls libraries "the last true public institution.".
With the vast amounts of resources and information they provide constituents, libraries are actively working towards SDG 4: Quality education. Likewise, offering access to technology, WiFi and media literacy training helps bridge the digital divide and reduce inequalities (SDG 10).
When it comes to the environmental SDGs, libraries are doing a lot. Whether it’s hiring environmentalists in residence, pursuing their LEED certification or hosting annual Earth Day programs, libraries are offering examples to follow across their communities. These are all crucial to enabling SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 12: Responsible consumption, SDG 13: Climate action, SDG 14: Life below water and SDG 15: Life on land.
When it comes to SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth and SDG 9: Industry innovators and infrastructure, libraries are huge contributors. These institutions (and all the resources they offer) are a launching pad for students, apprentices, innovators and entrepreneurs. Libraries also help immigrants on their path to citizenship, equipping them with the right skills to contribute to their new communities.
Libraries have proven that they are catalysts for economic, social and ecological growth within their communities, and that makes them key contributors to SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities. In the same vein, by enabling communities with media and information literacy and other sources of equitable quality education, libraries promote the development of peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 16).
Leading the way for libraries in various regions, library associations have clearly been thinking about SDGs and how to enable their members to meet them. In fact, many of them have articulated mandates, best practices and toolkits to ensure that libraries have the resources they need to get started or expand their efforts.
At the highest level, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has partnered with the UN’s SDG arm. When the goals were launched, the federation made a commitment that its 320,000 public libraries and more than a million parliamentary, national, university, science and research, school and special libraries would be active partners in driving the SDGs forward.
Beyond that, IFLA has developed a toolkit that includes information on the SDGs themselves, communications frameworks, advocacy opportunities and how to measure the success of sustainability initiatives. Within it, leaders will find examples of how libraries are putting sustainability into practice.
“IFLA’s consistent position is that access to information is essential in achieving the SDGs, and that libraries are not only key partners for governments but are already contributing to progress towards the achievement of the 17 Goals.”
— International Federation of Library Associations
Regional associations are also setting roadmaps and mandates for their constituents. The American Library Association (ALA) added sustainability as a core value of librarianship in 2019. It also developed the ALA Task Force on UN 2030 SDGs, which has published a multi-year strategic plan to increase library participation in initiatives to achieve the goals.
In Europe, EBLIDA has done the important work of making the SDGs relevant to its libraries and the lived experiences of their constituents. The institution understands that there are regional considerations to the goals and that libraries should use this context to determine the initiatives that make sense for them. The bureau has also published the EBLIDA Matrix, which provides a list of EU programs, policies, funding opportunities and metrics for each of the 17 SDGs.
Having emerged from a global pandemic, libraries are still facing challenges. Funding cuts and reduced private donations are presenting a major obstacle for institutions that are eager to serve their communities and make tangible progress against the SDGs.
As libraries navigate this uncertain future, policy makers need to revisit the value that libraries bring to their communities and ensure they are set up for success — and as library advocates, it’s up to us to make sure they do so.