Green Library

In January 2016, the University of Pécs Library and Knowledge Centre became a Qualified Library. This was preceded by significant preparatory work just like in all the other Hungarian libraries that have the Qualified Library title. During the preparation’s process and its final phase, we have conducted self-assessment, assessed our strengths and weaknesses, studied our situation in terms of ranking at city, regional and country levels, took stock of our opportunities, screened our organizational structure, the relationship system of our employees and their loyalty. We looked at areas that support social engagement and are not strictly professional tasks or routine obligations and found the topic of environmental awareness. In addition to the fact that we do something important for the future of our planet, we take conscious steps in order to reduce wasteful energy use – thus reducing our costs – and what’s more, this way we act in an exemplary manner.

In September 2015, the Green Library working group was formed. Its members are the volunteers of the university library network and their aim is to spread the green approach in the existing facilities and infrastructure, and to encourage the staff to strengthen environmental awareness. The Green Library working group membership is voluntary and all 11 members are committed to environmental and natural values, sustainability and ecology. We have organized an electronic waste collecting event, a free book fair, where the readers were able to take home fiction and non-fiction that cannot be utilized for library purposes anymore. We played games relating to environmental awareness, calculated our ecological footprints and a questionnaire related to sustainability and environmentally conscious behavior was also completed by our employees. We travelled to Dobronak in Slovenia as part of a weekend bus trip to see the orchid collection and another year we went on a cruise on the river Drava which connected with a tour in the Old Drava Visitor Center in Szaporca (Ős-Dráva Látogatóközpont).

Since the autumn of 2015, working together with the Green University (Zöld Egyetem), our library units have been participating in the programs of the annual European Week for Waste Reduction with the aim of promoting reuse, reducing the use of paper and encouraging selective waste in the workplace. Starting from 2016, selective waste collection was implemented in the premises of the University of Pécs.

In the spring of 2016, we visited the Pannon Power Plant in Pécs, which is rare in Hungary, because it operates as a biomass power plant. It was a great experience to see what it takes to turn on the light switch in our homes. In the spring of 2017, we visited the university’s Botanical Garden, where we learned to appreciate and respect biodiversity and the diversity of wildlife during a pleasant guided walk in the nature.

In May 2018, we visited the BIOMARK 2000 Ltd. company’s sorting factory in Pécs. We saw what happens with the discarded waste we collect, learned about the latest technical and technological processes, understood innovation processes related to waste management and gained useful and interesting knowledge about waste processing.

In September 2018, we organized events for our visitors as well: every month, teachers from various faculties gave free lectures. The events were organized jointly by the Green University and the Knowledge Centre’s Green Library working group. The programs take place in the Knowledge Centre’s conference room and are always scientific lectures related to the topics of sustainability, environmental protection and environmental problems, always followed by interesting discussions.

In the autumn of 2019, the Green University announced the Package Free Week, involving the entire University of Pécs. We have also created the Green Thematic Corner in the Knowledge Centre’s 2nd floor magazine reader room. Its aim is to recommend books on the topics of sustainability, environmental protection, renewable energy, ecology, etc.

We invite our readers to join our events and programs advertised on our website, newsletters and posters!