Placemaking and technology as tools for greening libraries
| Published date | 03 December 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-09-2018-0061 |
| Pages | 9-11 |
| Date | 03 December 2018 |
| Author | Adetoun A. Oyelude |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology,Library & information services |
Placemaking and technology as tools for
greening libraries
Adetoun A. Oyelude
A great public space cannot be measured
by its physical attributes alone; it must
also serve people as a vital community
resource in which function always
trumps form. When people of all ages,
abilities, and socio-economic
backgrounds can not only access and
enjoy a place, but also play a key role in
its identity, creation, and maintenance,
that is when we see genuine
Placemaking in action. – Project for
Public Spaces
Placemaking involves the planning,
management, design and programming
of public spaces. Maximizing the use of
space for public or community use is the
core value of placemaking. The
Wikipedia describes placemaking as a
phenomenon that “capitalizes on a local
community’s assets, inspiration, and
potential, with the intention of creating
public spaces that promote people’s
health, happiness, and well-being.”
Lang (2014) found that placemaking
can be used to support the social and
economic realms within sustainable
planning and communities.
Placemaking offers benefits to both
community and non-community
members and is “a beneficial tool that
should be utilized by planners to aid in
sustainable planning” (http://
scholarworks.umass.edu/masters_theses_
2/472).
Greening is the effort to minimize
the negative impact on the natural
environment and maximize indoor
maintenance of environment-friendly
practices such as use of natural
construction materials, conservation of
resources, recycling and so on. (Singh,
2018). Greening which emerged as a
concept many years back, is helping
global communities in implementing
aspects of the sustainable development
goals (SDGs) and libraries have keyed
into this effort and commenced
practically and proactively
implementing the SDGs (Hauke, 2014).
Their efforts to do more before 2030
when the SDGs are expected to be
attained are reviewed in this article,
using placemaking and technology as
tools.
The declaration of the SDGs as a
concern has contributed to the
development of the work of a cross
section of librarians in a special interest
group of the International Federation of
Library Associations and Institutions,
SIG focused on environmental and
sustainability issues – ENSULIB and
the American Library Association
passed a resolution on the importance of
sustainable libraries in June 2015.
(www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.
aboutala/files/content/governance/council/
council_documents/2015_annual_council_
documents/cd_36_substainable_libraries_
resol_final.pdf). Their work in
encouraging libraries to be green is
becoming more visible in librarianship
literature with conference proceedings
and books being written on the topic.
Librarians, architects, engineers, town
planners and educators among many
other professionals are combining efforts
to see that buildings are designed with
greening and sustainability in view.
The standards set for greening
ensures that builders have to take into
consideration provisions for water
conservation, affordable and clean
energy, climate action, good health and
well-being of the users of the building,
healthy and livable environments in
situating the buildings and the
possibility of using recycled items in
construction, among other standards.
Deliberate efforts are therefore being
made to green the buildings in which
these libraries are situated right from the
onset that is, if the building is being
purpose-built, or even if it is a building
which has been converted from
something else for library use.
Technology and placemaking are
used in achieving the “green” goals,
thus digital placemaking is a concept
that has emerged because technology is
used in creating spaces that
communities can use, feature in and
adapt for communal benefit. Digital
placemaking is “the integration of
social media into placemaking
practices, which are community-
centered, encouraging public
participation, collaboration, and
transparency” (www.pps.org/article/
digital-placemaking-authentic-civic-
engagement). Digital technology is
enmeshed in physical spaces to
create a hybrid environment. As
describedbyJoHarrisonina
calvium.com blog, hybrid spaces are
created by “inviting new forms of
digitally-enabled services, products
and experiences into built and natural
environments, enhancing or even
transforming the way an area is
understood” (http://calvium.com/a-
definition-of-digital-placemaking-for-
urban-regeneration/). It is a trend now
that libraries are keying into.
Placemaking in higher education
institutions
The library as public space can be
used much more effectively in green
libraries – maximizing space, designing
areas that have multiple purposes, using
and recycling equipment and facilities
in the higher institution or university
environment. For example, some
computer systems in the library could
be reserved at certain times for
conducting of computer based
examinations or used at different times
by small groups of students and their
lecturers for practical training
workshops, teleconferences and so on.
The ambience achieved by green
libraries in their design serves as an
attractive venue for community
members who need to be around people
and yet need to be given peace and
quiet. The space for the elderly and aged
LIBRARY HITECH NEWS Number 10 2018, pp. 9-11, V
CEmerald Publishing Limited, 0741-9058, DOI 10.1108/LHTN-09-2018-0061 9
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