Climate Change Advocacy in Libraries: Practices, Challenges and Future Research Directions

Climate change is one of the most urgent global challenges of the twenty-first century, requiring action from all sectors, including libraries. In so doing, libraries are positioned to support climate awareness and sustainability. This study systematically reviews existing literature on climate change advocacy in libraries by examining current practices, major challenges, and future research directions. Using the PRISMA framework, peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers published in English between 2015 and 2025 were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, LISA, and Google Scholar. The findings show that libraries mainly contribute through environmentally sustainable operations, adoption of green standards, climate literacy programs, sustainable collections, and advocacy campaigns. However, these efforts are largely focused on internal institutional practices, with less emphasis on broader community participation. The review also reveals that research in this area remains largely conceptual, with limited empirical evidence on impact, scalability, and long-term effectiveness. The study concludes that libraries have significant potential to move beyond operational sustainability and become stronger agents of climate resilience and public climate action. To achieve this, greater policy commitment, improved funding, staff capacity development, and context-sensitive strategies are essential for strengthening libraries' role in climate advocacy.