Interested in starting or expanding your library’s work around sustainabilty? Join us for a case study from Germany, where the award-winning Harvest Your City (Ernte Deine Stadt) programme has been running for almost a decade in the city of Bad Oldesloe near Hamburg. ​

The scheme, now in its ninth year, started from a small group of library staff interested in working towards the UN Sustainable Development goals in their community and has now grown into a city-wide celebration of sustainability and green initiatives. In 2017 the programme was awarded IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations)’s Green Library Award and has since gone from strength to strength, with 2024 set to be their largest celebration yet.

From collaborations with local bike clubs, the creation of urban foraging guides, green themed books, and markets promoting local sustainable growers and makers, the library has played a central convening role in building the Harvest Your City network.

Join library manager of Stadtbiliothek Bad Oldesloe Jens Geissler to learn how his small library service has become a key platform for social initiatives, building local networks and promoting interest in sustainability in the community.