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Leaving Green Libraries Behind (05 of 10)

Degrowth, Not Sustainability

Reimagining the Ecological Role of Libraries

 

This note is part of a series that challenges the status quo of "green libraries," exposing greenwashing and tokenism, and exploring viable alternatives, such as minimalism, degrowth, upcycling, and "slow libraries." Check all the notes in this section's index.

 

Introduction

For decades, the sustainability narrative has dominated discussions of environmental responsibility. Libraries, eager to project an image of progress, have embraced sustainability as the ultimate goal — installing solar panels, implementing recycling programs, and touting energy efficiency. Yet beneath these surface-level gestures lies a troubling reality: the conventional sustainability model, as it is widely practiced, rarely challenges the underlying systems of overconsumption and relentless growth.

Instead of fundamentally altering their operations, consciously or not, many institutions —including libraries— use sustainability as a means to perpetuate existing patterns of resource extraction and waste. In contrast, the concept of degrowth offers a radically different vision. Degrowth is not about finding ways to maintain economic expansion with a green veneer; it is about deliberately reducing consumption, scaling back unnecessary growth, and reorienting society toward ecological balance.

For libraries, adopting a degrowth mindset means rethinking their physical spaces, acquisition policies, and community roles in ways that truly honor the limits of our finite planet.

 

Critiquing the Conventional Sustainability Narrative

The prevailing sustainability model has an inherent flaw: it often serves to maintain the status quo. By focusing on technological fixes —such as energy-efficient lighting, solar panels, and recycling bins— sustainability measures allow institutions to continue consuming and expanding without addressing the root causes of environmental degradation. In the case of libraries, these gestures create an appealing façade of green credentials while concealing the deeper, systemic problems that drive wasteful growth and resource depletion.

This approach is especially problematic because it legitimizes a form of incrementalism that ultimately delays the radical changes required to halt ecological collapse. Instead of challenging the cultural and economic forces that drive overconsumption, the sustainability narrative simply repackages them as progress. Libraries, by adhering to this model, risk becoming complicit in a system that values continuous expansion over genuine ecological stewardship.

 

Embracing Degrowth as a Sensible Alternative

Degrowth offers a compelling antidote to the limitations of mainstream sustainability. At its core, degrowth challenges the obsession with perpetual economic expansion — a hallmark of capitalist society. It calls for a deliberate and systematic reduction in resource consumption, urging us to redefine progress not by the size of our economies or the scale of our infrastructure, but by the quality of life and the health of our ecosystems.

For libraries, embracing degrowth means more than just reducing their energy bills or upgrading to green-certified technologies. It means questioning whether constant physical expansion or technological upgrade is necessary. Rather than acquiring new collections and constructing additional spaces, libraries might focus on repurposing existing infrastructure, investing in durable and repairable resources, and prioritizing the longevity of materials over fleeting trends.

Degrowth is about sufficiency, restraint, and a commitment to ecological limits. By adopting degrowth principles, libraries can lead by example—demonstrating that true environmental responsibility involves challenging the very foundations of consumption. This approach does not mean a reduction in the valuable services libraries provide; rather, it calls for a reorientation of priorities to emphasize quality, community engagement, and sustainability over quantity and profit.

 

The Role of Libraries in Modeling and Advocating Degrowth

Libraries have long been shelters for knowledge and trenches for community engagement. Their role as trusted collective institutions places them in a unique position to champion new paradigms of social and environmental responsibility, and to foster critical thinking and social change. By integrating degrowth principles into their collections and services, libraries would be able to model an alternative future — one that resists the temptations of endless accumulation and instead focuses on the welfare of both people and the planet.

Libraries could prioritize upcycling and adaptive reuse over new construction, where outdated materials are repurposed and spaces are optimized rather than expanded. Such an institution would not only reduce its environmental footprint but also serve as a living laboratory for sustainable practices. Libraries could host workshops on minimalism, organize community repair and reuse initiatives, and invite discussions about the social and ecological costs of overconsumption.

Moreover, libraries can extend their advocacy beyond the confines of their walls. They can challenge prevailing narratives about growth and progress by curating exhibitions, hosting public debates, and publishing research on degrowth. In doing so, they become active participants in a broader movement that seeks to redefine success — not in terms of economic output or architectural grandeur, but in terms of ecological balance and social justice.

 

Moving Beyond Token Sustainability

The promise of conventional sustainability is seductive, yet it is ultimately a façade — one that permits the continuation of unsustainable practices under a veneer of eco-friendly credentials. Solar panels, recycling bins, and a greenwashed discourse are not enough to reverse the trajectory of environmental degradation if they fail to challenge the systemic forces of overconsumption.

For libraries to become true agents of change, they must embrace a paradigm shift from sustainability to degrowth. This radical reorientation calls for a deep interrogation of consumption patterns, a commitment to resource conservation, and an unwavering focus on community well-being. It means rejecting token gestures in favor of profound, structural change that honors the ecological limits of our world.

In a time of escalating environmental crisis, libraries have an opportunity —and a responsibility— to lead by example. By adopting degrowth, libraries can transform into beacons of genuine ecological and social justice, paving the way for a future that is not defined by endless growth, but by balance, sufficiency, and true sustainability.

 

Readings

 

About the post

Text: Edgardo Civallero.
Date: 14.02.2024.
Image: "Degrowth" In Sosyal Ekonomi [Link].