The Journal of Academic Librarianship 49 (2023) 102748

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The Journal of Academic Librarianship

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Environmental sustainability: Awareness and practices among library

professionals in University of Calicut
O.K. Bincy *, T.M. Vasudevan
Department of Library and Information Science, University of Calicut, India

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Although environmental sustainability is not a novel concept, society does not give much attention to protecting
Sustainability the environment. Protecting our environment for future generations is everyone’s responsibility. Academic in­
Environmental sustainability stitutions should include green movement activities. In this investigation, environmental sustainability related
Green library
awareness, attitudes, and practices of the Calicut University library professionals were examined. The study was
Green initiatives
Green information literacy
conducted among the library professionals working at University of Calicut central library, 35 department li­
braries, and 20 study centers. Data were gathered via questionnaires. A total of 83 questionnaires were
distributed but only 70 were returned. The majority of library professionals are not very knowledgeable about
environmentally friendly procedures. However, they have a positive attitude toward environmental sustain­
ability in libraries. The degree to which librarians are aware of environmental issues and the library’s current
green activities/practices are positively correlated.

Introduction Adopting sustainable environmental practices and nurturing nature is

The terms “Green information literacy” and “environmental literacy”
are concurrently employed as distinct but interconnected concepts.
Whereas the concept of “information literacy” is not new to librarians,
“green information literacy” is, and the literature on it is expanding.
Green information literacy is inferred as the perception and knowledge
of a person in matters concerning eco-friendliness and environmental
sustainability. It is also argued to be “the ability to understand the
impact of human decisions and actions on the environment by raising
awareness of sustainable development and encouraging critical
thinking. Its task is to change the behavior of an individual or the entire
institution” (Čadovska, 2017). Virtually, all definitions of information
literacy refer to a set of conventional abilities that are enhanced to
include sustainable thinking as “green information literacy” (Kurbano­
glu & Boustany, 2014). The current study undertaken tries to highlight
the awareness, attitude, and perception of library professionals
regarding the green movement at the University of Calicut.
The global community is persistently advocating for environmental
sustainability in response to the peril posed by deforestation, ozone
depletion, water pollution, landslides, and a multitude of other chal­
lenges that contribute to climate change (Mwanzu et al., 2022). These
challenges will undoubtedly harm the life of future generations.
the sole means to resolve this predicament. Environmental sustainability
could be defined as a “condition of balance, resilience, and intercon­
nectedness that allows human society to satisfy its needs while neither
exceeding the capacity of its supporting ecosystems to continue to
regenerate the services necessary to meet those needs nor by our actions
diminishing biological diversity” (Morelli, 2011). Individuals must
possess an awareness of sustainability concerns to uphold an environ­
ment that is conducive to long-term viability. Corresponding initiatives
that are to be undertaken to preserve the precarious equilibrium be­
tween the library system and the underlying environmental system are
all included in green library sustainability projects (Asim & Ahmed,
2022). Green libraries maximize the utilization of natural and replen­
ishable resources, minimize water and energy consumption, integrate
tangible tree shade and greenery in their architectural design and sur­
roundings, employ drought-resistant indigenous flora, and prioritize the
preservation of superior indoor air quality to enhance the well-being of
library patrons (Noh & Ahn, 2018).
As a library is a social institution that must encourage people to carry
out their social duties, those employed there would need to adjust their
attitudes if libraries wanted to promote environmental communication
and awareness (Karioja, 2012). Libraries should adhere to green policies
and engage in environment-friendly, sustainable practices.

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: bincyokkayakkody@gmail.com (O.K. Bincy), vasudevantm@uco.ac.in (T.M. Vasudevan).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2023.102748
Received 14 March 2023; Received in revised form 6 June 2023; Accepted 9 June 2023
Available online 20 June 2023
0099-1333/© 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
O.K. Bincy and T.M. Vasudevan
Transitioning existing libraries into entirely green environments is an
arduous undertaking, yet it is imperative for the preservation of our
future generations. Libraries bear certain social responsibilities in
educating the public, society, and users about the significance of envi­
ronmental conservation and the preservation of our natural resources
and energy for the forthcoming days. The terms “Green library, “ “Eco-
friendly library,” and “environmentally sustainable library” are synon­
ymous expressions utilized to encapsulate the concept of embracing
environmentally conscious practices within library settings. Gupta et al.
(2018) have pointed out that Green Library enhances the library’s daily
operations, and procedures and educates the public about environ­
mental best practices. Thus, every library can take initiatives regarding
green movements that need to be continuously monitored and adapted
to spatial and temporal requirements. Libraries can create a green
committee inside the library and conduct sustainability awareness
programs among library professionals. Moreover, they can adopt new
policies to educate the users about the importance of green movements
and the library can start garden and other green activities with the help
of interested users. Probing the degree of awareness and the qualitative
nature of a library’s approach is thus the initiation point for green li­
brary endeavors.
The following research questions have guided the research
Research questions
1. What is the level of awareness regarding the environmentally sus­
tainable library of library professionals at the University of Calicut?
2. What is the attitude of library professionals at the University of
Calicut towards an Eco-friendly library?
3. To what extent does the awareness of library professionals at the
University of Calicut affect their green practices?
4. What are the Perceptions of library professionals at the University of
Calicut regarding green practices?
Review of literature
For this study, the researcher read several relevant pieces of litera­
ture published in India and abroad. The literature review has been
divided into three categories based on the issues discussed.
Adoption of green concepts
Several previous studies have pointed out different libraries
attempting to develop a green library in India. These studies mainly
focused on individual practices like maintaining indoor air quality,
green infrastructure, water conservation, waste management, and en­
ergy conservation (Bangar, 2018; Gaffar et al., 2021; Ingole & Kumari,
2021). By enquiring about specific instances of initiatives and providing
insightful recommendations for the operational aspects of environ­
mentally conscious libraries, one can reasonably deduce that a green
library is not exclusively defined by its physical structure but rather
encompasses an overarching commitment to sustainability throughout
its endeavors (Aulisio, 2013). Library sustainability programs encom­
pass all wise decisions that must be made to maintain the fragile balance
between the library system and the underlying environmental system
(Asim & Ahmed, 2022). The study of Beutelspacher and Meschede
(2020) discussing the role of public libraries regarding environmental
sustainability in Germany is an example.
Awareness of green initiatives in libraries
Dias (2017) attempted to assess professionals’ awareness of the
matter as well as the public body itself by questioning libraries if they
were aware of the presence of an environmental policy in their super­
vising institution. Antonelli (2008) has identified that in the vicinity of
the year 2000, a “green library movement” emerged, accompanied by
2
The Journal of Academic Librarianship 49 (2023) 102748
preliminary endeavors aimed at fostering heightened ecological con­
sciousness, environment-friendly design, and service offerings within
the routine practices of libraries. In recent times, there has been a
notable emphasis on increasing consciousness regarding sustainability
concerns and identifying the key performance indicators (KPIs)
employed by academic libraries to gauge sustainability and bolster
sustainable initiatives (Tribelhorn, 2023). It has the potential to set a
positive example and raise customers’ understanding of these issues
because it is a public and academic location. And only in this way can
the significance of the message be communicated (Eichel et al., 2010).
As a result of the study by Thrishala Warnasooriya (2019), it has been
identified the awareness level of Sri Lankan librarians regarding green
libraries is not satisfactory. Additionally, Khalid and Batool (2020)
revealed that the librarians of Pakistan public libraries were also not
well aware of green practices. Similarly, a study among librarians in
Nigeria also pointed in the same direction (Sunday & Dada, 2022).
Nevertheless, Albertyn (2020) does point out that the general awareness
of the need for inculcating a green culture within librarianship was
rising among library staff as indicated by their familiarity with terms
like environmental sustainability, green living, green building, etc.
Attitude toward environmental sustainability
Ren and Lu (2022) assessed the attitude toward environmental ed­
ucation among the librarian community. According to the research,
most librarians agreed that the library should serve as a role model for
society in preserving environmental sustainability.
Sustainable development goals
Ma and Ko (2022) gave an outline for how the sustainable devel­
opment goals and the supporting system of the Chinese University of
Hong Kong needs to be concurrent with each other. Sarkar (2020) has
also discussed the seventeen sustainable goals of the IFLA and their
implication for society.
Green information literacy
Reflecting a quantifiable progressive trend, most librarians have
expressed interest in taking part in training programs with environ­
mental themes (Akbulut et al., 2017). The green information literacy
level of library professionals in the Sri Lanka Institute of Development
Administration was found to be at a satisfactory level they follow green
policies and practice eco-friendly activities in their libraries (Thrishala
Warnasooriya, 2019). The substantial contribution of libraries toward
attaining the objectives outlined in Agenda 2030 seems to extend
beyond imparting information literacy, as they actively cultivate sus­
tainable literacy that permeates all facets of life. (Hauke, 2018). Infor­
mation literacy abilities make it easier to go green by exploring
information and habits that can result in more ecologically friendly
behavior (Kurbanoglu & Boustany, 2014). Abiolu and Okere (2011)
recommended information specialists should use several strategies or
methods, including repackaging, seminars, exhibitions, social media,
and awareness campaigns, in their efforts to improve illiterate com­
munities’ access to environmental information. Vyas and Parmar (2021)
suggested that librarians should be focused on green information liter­
acy as it will help them to educate the users on environmental sustain­
ability. Green practices and services can revitalize academic libraries
and encourage more community participation and interest in spreading
environmental information among their users (Singh & Mishra, 2021).
Green building literacy
In Cole’s (2019) exposition, a comprehensive array of green building
knowledge domains was introduced, encompassing sustainable sites,
location and mobility, building design, energy efficiency, air quality,
O.K. Bincy and T.M. Vasudevan The Journal of Academic Librarianship 49 (2023) 102748

water conservation, material selection, waste management, indoor
environment quality, social equity, aesthetic appeal, economic consid­
erations, and lifecycle assessment. Similarly, Lin (2013) evaluated
Taiwanese undergraduates’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward
green construction, as well as to determine whether there is any corre­
lation between the various literacy components.
As the aforesaid extant literature highlights, the very probing of
green consciousness and initiatives in practice, or their lack thereof,
needs to be extensively carried out, both at a macro level and at a micro
level, to advance sustainable existence via libraries. Micro-level studies
largely lacking, especially of particular library institutions, the study
undertaken attempts to rectify it and perhaps catalyze a drive to un­
dertake further such probes.
Methodology
The study is a thorough investigation into the awareness, attitudes,
and views of library professionals at the University of Calicut toward
green concepts and practices. The University of Calicut is an institution
that actively pledges to pursue environmental and sustainable activities.
The government of India has awarded the University of Calicut the green
championship title in 2022. In light of this, the study decided to examine
library professionals at the University of Calicut regarding their
awareness of and attitude toward green concepts and practices. The
study includes the library professionals working at Calicut University’s
central library, 35 department libraries, and 20 study centers. Data were
gathered via a questionnaire. Investigator directly visited the central
library and department libraries to give questionnaires and collect data,
while from the distant study centers, the investigator collected the data
through Google Forms. A total of 83 questionnaires were distributed
using the stratified random method but only 70 were returned. Ques­
tions were divided into two categories; the first part included those
seeking demographic information on library professionals, and the
second was about library professionals’ awareness, attitude, and
perception of green initiatives and existing associated library practices.
A Five-point Likert scale has been devised to measure the participant’s
awareness and attitude toward the environmental sustainability of li­
braries their and perception of library professions’ regarding promoting
environmentally sustainable practices in their library. The data was
extracted and aggregated using Microsoft Excel. The subsequent statis­
tical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 26. To determine the
attitude of the concerned library professionals toward green initiatives
based on their designation, a one-way ANOVA test was conducted for
this study. ANOVA is used to compare the means of more than two
populations. Additionally, Pearson correlation analyses were done to
find a substantial connection between library professionals’ awareness
of environmental issues and current green practices.
The number of study participants
analyze the attitude of professionals.
Results and findings
The collected data were analyzed using SPSS and Excel. The results
are categorically arranged in tabular forms (Tables 1-7) as degrees of
awareness regarding the green library, the attitude of library pro­
fessionals who participated in the study regarding the green library,
existing green practices of the library, perceptions of library pro­
fessionals of the University of Calicut, and challenges faced by the study
participants to being a green library.
Table 1 shows that 41 % of study participants are aware of green
buildings. Nearly half of the representatives stated that they are aware of
green practices in libraries. Only 4.3 % are extremely aware of green
policies. Thirty-seven of the participants are not aware of green building
standards. The highest mean for green buildings is 3.18, with a standard
deviation of 1.18. The findings indicate that the library professionals
who participated in the survey are not at all adequately aware of any of
the green initiatives in the library environment.
Table 2 reveals that library professionals who participated in the
survey accept that site location and water conservation are crucial for
the green library movement, with mean values of 4.21 and 4.27,
respectively. The highest mean value of 4.31 reflects the study partici­
pants’ enthusiasm for waste management. With mean values of 4.27 and
4.24, participants agreed that energy conservation and maintaining in­
door air quality are necessary for developing a green library. The overall
outcome indicates that study participants have a favorable attitude to­
ward environment-friendly activities in libraries though they are not
enthusiastic.
Table 3 presents the outcomes of a comparative analysis, based on
designations, of the perspectives held by library professionals who took
part in the survey regarding green library initiatives. Through the
implementation of statistical tests, specifically a one-way ANOVA, the
study concludes that the calculated p-value exceeds 0.05, thereby indi­
cating a lack of statistical significance at the 0.05 significance level.
Consequently, it can be inferred that there is no notable disparity in the
attitudes of the study participants toward green initiatives based on their
respective designations. This is applicable equally applicable to the
attitude of all assistant librarians, junior librarians, and professional
assistants who participated in this study.
Table 4 indicates the existing green practices of the libraries at the
University of Calicut. Among the overall practices, adopting a proper
waste management system has the highest mean 3.37, and a standard
Table 1
Awareness regarding green library.
Very Unaware Neither aware Very
unaware unaware nor aware
aware

Gender Frequency Percentage Green Building 6 (8.6 %) 18 (25.7 10 (14.3 %) 29 7

%) (41.4 (10.0
Male 29 41.4 %) %)
Female 41 58.6 Green Building 8 (11.4 26 (37.1 16 (22.9 %) 18 2 (2.9
Total 70 100 Standards %) %) (25.7 %)
%)
Green Practices 5 (7.1 %) 19 (27.1 9 (12.9 %) 33 4 (5.7
%) (47.1 %)
%)
Representative designation
Green 9 (12.9 21 (30.0 13 (18.6 %) 25 2 (2.9
Information %) %) (35.7 %)
Designation Frequency Percentage System %)
Assistant Librarian 19 27.1 Green Policies 8 (11.4 17 (24.3 19 (27.1 %) 22 4 (5.7
Junior Librarian 13 18.6 %) %) (31.4 %)
Professional Assistant 38 54.3 %)
Total 70 100 Green Programs 7 (10.0 21 (30.0 13 (18.6 %) 26 3 (4.3
and services %) %) (37.1 %)
%)

The designation is taken as the independent variable for this study to Note: n = 70.

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O.K. Bincy and T.M. Vasudevan The Journal of Academic Librarianship 49 (2023) 102748

Table 2
The attitude of library professionals toward green initiatives.
Enthusiastic Accepting Neutral Rejecting No Response

Green Building 26 (37.1 %) 38 (54.3 %) 6 (8.6 %)

Site Location 22 (31.4 %) 45 (64.3 %) 1 (1.4 %) 2 (2.9 %)
Water conservation 22 (31.4 %) 45 (64.3 %) 3 (4.3 %)
Waste Management 27 (38.6 %) 41 (58.6 %) 1 (1.4 %) 1 (1.4 %)
Maintain indoor Air Quality 25 (35.7 %) 39 (55.7 %) 5 (7.1 %) 1 (1.4 %)
Certification system 19 (21.4 %) 36 (51.4 %) 15 (21.4 %)
Energy Conservation 24 (34.3 %) 43 (61.4 %) 2 (2.9 %) 1 (1.4 %)
Green ICT 24 (34.3 %) 41 (58.6 %) 4 (5.7 %) 1 (1.4 %)

Note N = 70.

participated in the study regarding environmental sustainability initia­

Table 3
tives in their libraries. From the table, we can see that the study par­
One-way ANOVA.
ticipants have a clear vision of environmental sustainability. They
Designation The mean value of Std. deviation of Sig. e F strongly agreed to keep a balanced environment for future generations
attitude attitude value
and confirm that libraries have a big hand to impart green information
Assistant
4.3233 0.44376 literacy to the user community with a high mean score of 4.68, and 4.41
Librarian
respectively. Additionally, they also agreed that the cost of making a
Junior librarian 4.2747 0.66359
Professional
0.830 0.187 green library is comparatively low.
4.2406 0.42677 Table 7 discusses the challenges faced by the study participants in
Assistant
Total 4.2694 0.47632 adopting green practices in their libraries. According to the table, the
Note n = 70. financial barrier is the largest constraint with a mean value of 4.11. Lack
of awareness about green practices and policies is another challenge to
making a green library with a mean value of 3.81.
deviation of 1.287. Out of the existing practices library adapts, reduction
of plastic usage, maintaining the indoor environmental quality, and use
Discussion
of natural light instead of electricity scored a mean value of 3.24, 3.18,
and 3.07, respectively, and thus, these are somewhat practiced in the
Considering the initial primary question, the result shows that li­
university library. The green building scored the lowest mean value of
brary professionals who participated in the study are not at all extremely
2.10 because the university library exists in an old building. According
aware of any of the green initiatives in the library environment. Similar
to the table, the university library is not a fully-fledged green library but
to this study, the awareness of green movements and practices among
is attempting to be green through incremental activities. The library has
Nigerian librarians was rather low (Oyelude & Alabi, 2013). Moreover,
a solar panel that helps reduce the use of electricity and through the use
of the library management software, the library is attempting to reduce
the use of paper to an extent.
Table 5
Table 5 shows the correlation between the awareness of study par­
Correlation between awareness and existing green practices.
ticipants and existing green practices in the university library. The re­
Awareness Practice
sults are presented in a matrix and the P value is lower than 0.05. This
indicates that there is a significant positive correlation between the Existing practices Pearson Correlation 1 0.436**
awareness of library professionals who participated in the study and Sig.(2-tailed) 0.000
N 70 70
existing green practices in the University library. According to the study, Awareness Pearson Correlation 0.436** 1
the libraries in University of calicut can improve its green practices if it Sig. (2-tailed) 0.000
can provide suitable training programs to raise staff awareness of them. N 70 70
Table 6 indicates the perceptions of library professionals who Note n = 70.

Table 4
Existing green practices.
Extremely Moderately Somewhat Slightly Not at all
Practicing practicing Practicing Practicing Practicing

Green building 3 (4.3 %) 12 (17.1 %) 6 (8.6 %) 17 (24.3 %) 32 (45.7 %)

Using reusable products 1 (1.4 %) 12 (17.1 %) 18 (25.7 %) 16 (22.9 %) 23 (32.9 %)
Using recyclable products 3 (4.3 %) 12 (17.1 %) 16 (22.9 %) 13 (18.6 %) 26 (37.1 %)
Using LED lights 13 (18.6 %) 17 (24.3 %) 10 (14.3 %) 15 (21.4 %) 15 (21.4 %)
Keep the” No plastics” board inside the library 7 (10.0 %) 12 (17.1 %) 8 (11.4 %) 16 (22.9 %) 27 (38.6 %)
Using natural lights 16 (22.9 %) 16 (22.9 %) 6 (8.6 %) 21 (30.0 %) 11 (15.7 %)
Maintain indoor air quality 12 (17.1 %) 22 (31.4 %) 11 (15.7 %) 17 (24.3 %) 8 (11.4 %)
Plant indoor plants 16 (22.9 %) 7 (10.0 %) 11 (15.7 %) 17 (24.3 %) 19 (27.1 %)
Producing and using solar energy 10 (14.3 %) 11 (15.7 %) 6 (8.6 %) 7 (10.0 %) 36 (51.4 %)
Reduction of plastic usage 11 (15.7 %) 23 (32.9 %) 14 (20.0 %) 16 (22.9 %) 6 (8.6 %)
Reduction of paper usage 6 (8.6 %) 21 (30.0 %) 15 (21.4 %) 18 (25.7 %) 10 (14.3 %)
Green programs and services like seminars, workshops, and 8 (11.4 %) 9 (12.9 %) 9 (12.9 %) 13 (18.6 %) 31 (44.3 %)
lectures
Proper waste management 16 (22.9 %) 22 (31.4 %) 9 (12.9 %) 18 (25.7 %) 5 (7.1 %)
Water conservation policies 8 (11.4 %) 23 (32.9 %) 8 (11.4 %) 16 (22.9 %) 15 (21.4 %)
Composting 7 (10.0 %) 15 (21.4 %) 6 (8.6 %) 14 (20.0 %) 28 (40.0 %)

Note n = 70.

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O.K. Bincy and T.M. Vasudevan The Journal of Academic Librarianship 49 (2023) 102748

Table 6 Kang (2018) also showed the awareness level of Chinese librarians and
Perceptions toward environmental sustainability. directors is very low. Additionally, Akbulut et al. (2017) highlighted the
Strongly Agree Neither Disagree Strongly fact that librarians’ awareness levels were higher than the adoption of
Agree disagree disagree green programs in their libraries. However, this study emphasizes that
nor agree there is a positive correlation between the awareness level of study
It is very important 54 (77.1 14 0 (0 %) 2 (2.9 %) participants and the green practices of the University of Calicut Library.
to keep a %) (20 So, the staff community needs to be made aware of green practices,
balanced %) policies, and programs by the libraries. The creation of an eco-friendly
environment for
the future.
environment in their libraries can only be assisted by these approaches.
Libraries have a big 37 (52.9 29 1 (1.4 %) 2 (2.9 1 (1.4 %) The majority of professionals agreed that green or sustainable li­
hand to impart %) (41.4 %) braries can protect academic libraries’ future (M. P. Singh & Dixit,
green information %) 2021). The findings of the current study are that library professionals
literacy to the
who participated in the survey have a favorable attitude toward envi­
user community.
The cost of making a 8 (11.4 30 24 (34.3 5 (7.1 3 (4.3 %) ronmentally friendly activities in libraries. Similarly, library pro­
green library is %) (42.9 %) %) fessionals have a positive attitude toward adopting green initiatives
comparatively %) (Suresh Kumar & Sofiya, 2019). Also, Kenyan libraries have a positive
low. attitude toward green initiatives as they have fully or partially adopted
Libraries should 27 (38.6 38 4 (5.7 %) 1 (1.4
equip all library %) (54.3 %)
some green initiatives (Mwanzu et al., 2022). For promoting green ini­
staff to practice %) tiatives in the library setting, librarians’ attitudes are crucial, and they
eco-friendly must also possess the ability to put the initiatives into practice.
operations. The present study has identified that the libraries at the University of
Libraries must act as 35 (50 29 3 (4.3 %) 1 (1.4
Calicut somewhat practice most of the green activities. This finding adds
role models to %) (41.4 %)
society to make %) to the existing scholarship that observes several libraries in India
an eco-friendly beginning to adopt such green practices and policies across India (Meher
environment. & Parabhoi, 2017; Prasanth & Vasudevan, 2019; Rana, 2016). This in
Reducing carbon 32 (45.7 34 3 (4.3 %) 1 (1.4 turn reflects this emerging trend in similar developing countries though
emissions will %) (48.6 %)
are mostly in the early stages as in Pakistan (Asim & Ahmed, 2022). The
help to protect %)
our environment use of OPAC is a major tangible infrastructural green initiative of Calicut
The libraries must 30 (42.9 29 9 (12.9 1 (1.4 1 (1.4 %) University Library that helps reduce the use of papers to an extent, an
operate in an eco- %) (41.4 %) %) advantage already noted and approved that allows patrons to search for
friendly manner %)
and borrow materials (Noh & Ahn, 2018). Other non-tangible in­
in all sections
dicators, like favorable attitude toward green initiatives, though not
Note n = 70. extremely favorable, highlight the relevance of the study in identifying
existing patterns to suggest future programmable corrective actions.

Table 7
Conclusion
Challenges to adopting green practices.
Strongly Agree Neither Disagree Strongly The investigation concludes that the current awareness level of li­
agree disagree disagree
nor agree
brary professionals at the University of Calicut toward green initiatives
is comparatively low. This lack of total awareness will hinder the green
Financial barrier 25 (35.7 33 7 (10 %) 5 (7.1
transition movement. The study reveals that there is a positive corre­
%) (47.1 %)
%) lation between the awareness of study participants and the existing
Lack of awareness 16 (22.9 35 10 (14.3 8 (11.4 1 (1.4 %) green practices of the library. Thus, if library professionals become more
about green %) (50 %) %) aware, the library will undoubtedly adopt more environmentally
practices and %) friendly approaches. Therefore, the library should offer staff members
policies
Time-consuming 2 (2.9 %) 29 22 (31.4 14 (20.0 2 (2.9 %)
various training programs on environmental sustainability, green prac­
(41.4 %) %) tices, etc. The staff can instruct the users as well.
%) Attitudes and perceptions toward the green initiatives of study par­
Lack of sufficient 11 (15.7 31 20 (28.6 8 (11.4 ticipants are very positive. Even though the Calicut University library
support from %) (44.3 %) %)
has to endure certain infrastructural challenges to make it green, the
higher authority %)
The initial 12 (17.1 32 19 (27.1 6 (8.6 1 (1.4 % financial barrier is the major one. For overcoming these constraints, the
investment is very %) (45.7 %) %) library should form a green committee and take some initiatives to in­
high %) crease green practices. The committee can impart green awareness to
Lack of awareness 10 (14.3 34 14 (20.0 11 (15.7 1 (1.4 %) other staff in the library and users also. To build an environmentally
regarding the use %) (48.6 %) %)
of natural %)
sustainable library, the staff and users must be aware of the necessity of a
construction balanced environment. Academic institutions should also intentionally
materials and add green practices to their daily routines and work. The environment
biodegradable and its natural resources are a treasure that must be protected for up­
products
coming generations, not just for current consumption. The investigator
Lack of awareness 10 (14.3 35 6 (8.6 %) 16 (22.9 3 (4.3 %)
regarding natural %) (50.0 %) selected the University of Calicut’s central library, department library,
and renewable %) and study centers only for the study. The university’s affiliated colleges
energy sources. are not included in the study. Since the libraries are in their early stages,
Note n = 70. the investigator was unable to fully investigate all facets of the green
libraries. The study strongly advises that there is an opportunity to
conduct additional research to evaluate several other areas of green
practices, such as calculating the library’s carbon footprint. The

5
O.K. Bincy and T.M. Vasudevan The Journal of Academic Librarianship 49 (2023) 102748

investigator can examine whether the library professionals are aware of
the carbon emissions caused by their regular activity. Future studies
could concentrate more on how the Sustainable Development Goals are
implemented in the libraries at Calicut University.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Term Author 1*# Author 2*# Author n*#
Conceptualization √ sustainability in China: An unexplored area. Journal of Librarianship and Information
Methodology / Study design √ Science, 52(2), 382–398. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000618818874
Software
Validation
Formal analysis
Investigation √ Practices, attitudes and future strategies of Pakistani university librarians. Electronic
Resources √ Green Journal, 1(44), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.5070/G314443701
Data curation
Writing – original draft √ √
Writing – review and editing √ √
Visualization
Supervision √
Project administration
Funding acquisition
Declaration of competing interest
No conflict if interest exist.
Data availability
Data will be made available on request.
References
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