Green Initiative and Environmental Sustainability in South South Nigerian Academic Libraries

Abstract

Green initiative is a global phenomenon and one of the UN 2030 sustainable development goals on environmental sustainability. The green library is gradually being popularized because of the eco degradation that is ongoing globally. This study explores the level of awareness of librarians, availability and strategies employed by libraries for green initiatives. Three research questions and hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive survey research design method was used for the study. The population of the study is 102 librarians in South South federal University libraries using census sampling technique. The instrument (GIESAL) questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents. Data collected from the study were analyzed using weighted mean scores to determine the respondents' level of agreement on a particular item for the research questions. The hypotheses were tested using the z test at 0.05 significance level l. The findings revealed that the level of awareness of greening library among librarians is low, insufficient fund, lack of initiative and absence of sustainable policies. In conclusion the green initiative for environmental sustainability available in the libraries are sustainable sites, indoor environmental policy, innovation in design, water efficiency, solar and wind energy, which enhances sustainability of library resources.. The study recommended among others that there is a need to create more awareness for greening in libraries generally and employ strategic methods and planning sessions to ensure sustainability