Green Libraries as Model of Sustainability: A Review of Environmental and Economic Benefits

Green libraries have become a significant example of a sustainable approach in the field of library and information science in response to various environmental issues including climate change, depletion of natural resources, pollution and waste management. The review focuses on the development and principles of green libraries and green librarianship and its environmental and economic advantages. A descriptive and analytical review methodology was followed with recently published literature from Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, the journals of the LIS, papers presented at conferences and trusted sources. Energy use, carbon emissions, resource use and waste can be drastically reduced through sustainable collection practices, using green building design, implementing energy efficient technologies, implementing renewable energy, water conservation, waste management, and digital resources. These measures also contribute to economic benefit with lower utilities, maintenance and life-cycle costs, more efficient use of resources and long-term financial sustainability. But financial resources and infrastructure, as well as limited knowledge, poor policy provisions and technology are still hindering implementation. The findings of the study determine that green libraries can combine environmental, economic and social sustainability, contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, and act as a model of sustainable development in the community.