Small Conscious Steps Towards a Sustainable Future: The Case of Malmö University Library

At a time when environmental and climate challenges demand resilient infrastructures, libraries serve as central, open spaces for knowledge exchange and community engagement. Viewed as social infrastructures where sustainability can be addressed in multiple ways, research libraries have the potential to contribute both through their own operations and as platforms for dialogue and learning. Malmö University Library has developed a strategic approach to sustainability that aims to reduce its environmental footprint while creating opportunities that inspire sustainable action among staff, students, and the wider community. The ambition has been to exercise leadership for sustainability by driving change in a conscious manner, using modest but consistent measures. This presentation describes a three-year journey initiated by Malmö University’s environmental and climate goals, and the library’s efforts to translate these ambitions into everyday practice. In response to the need for a structured approach, a Sustainability Group was established in 2023 with a mandate to integrate sustainability into library operations. Organisationally, the group reports directly to the Library Director. Its responsibilities include evaluating university goals from a library perspective, monitoring sustainability in operational planning, proposing staff development activities, and coordinating events in collaboration with students, researchers, the municipality, other organisations and the public. One of the initial activities was to do a workshop involving the entire library staff, aimed at formulating a set of clear sustainability commitments aligned with university guidelines. In 2024, Malmö University Library became the first Swedish library to sign the Green Libraries Manifesto, joining a network of almost 300 libraries committed to placing sustainability at the core of library work. This affiliation has strengthened international as well as national exchange. There are a lot of thematic weeks and initiatives that can help focus sustainability events. After exploring and tested several approaches during the first years the library decided in 2025 to join the Nordic sustainability initiative Week 17. This enabled closer collaboration with Malmö’s public library, which joined the initiative simultaneously. Collaboration is key to work on sustainability to contribute to change. Through local, national, and international networking, the library has a platform for dialogue and development. Over time, the Sustainability Group has worked systematically through three guiding principles: explore, disseminate and act. The presentation will provide concrete examples how these principles have been operationalised in practice to: Explore sustainability issues that require further learning and reflection, such as how a research library can address different dimensions of organisational climate impact. Disseminate knowledge by identifying what to communicate, where, and how to do this in the library environments. Act together by initiating collaborations and identifying relevant partners within and beyond the university. Drawing on the experience from Malmö University Library the presentation will demonstrate how small, consistent steps can have significant impact, positioning the library as a catalyst for sustainability within the university context. It concludes by sharing lessons learned and how this work contributes to leadership for sustainability.