More than just a green building: Developing green strategies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Library

Abstract

Purpose

The slogan “Go Green” has been embraced by a range of organizations including businesses and universities in recent decades. Within higher education academic libraries, as a key service unit in their parent institution, have an important role to play in supporting this mission. The authors have seen many academic libraries strive to “Go green” by designing a green library, whether a new build or renovation. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper discusses how the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Library formulates, develops and implements its green strategy and how the strategy has gradually reshaped its services. First, the authors consider how the concept of sustainability has affected services provided by academic libraries, and why green strategies are a practical and feasible approach. The authors then use CUHK Library as a case study, siting the development of its green strategies in the context of, the University’s approach to sustainability and the wider CUHK community, and ultimately the Library’s overall strategic plan. The third section describes how the library implements its green strategies in different areas, from the daily operation of library offices and services offered to users, to the planning of a library extension and broader sustainability initiatives. Issues of evaluation are discussed and the authors conclude the paper with future plans.

Findings

There are very few academic libraries in the USA that are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified.

Originality/value

The authors argue that pursuing a green building may not be the strategic focus for many academic libraries. In taking a more holistic approach to sustainability through practical measures, academic libraries need to formulate and develop wider green strategies beyond a green building. “Go Green” impacts not only the attitudes towards the environment but also changes the way academic libraries serve their users and community.

Citation

Jones, L. and Wong, W. (2016), "More than just a green building: Developing green strategies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Library", Library Management, Vol. 37 No. 6/7, pp. 373-384. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-05-2016-0041