IN DEPTH ‘‘
Dr Renee Tonkin.
renee@scienceowl.education
Libraries are important community hubs: they are free, welcoming, and trusted. A CILIP-commissioned poll in 2018 found librarians are among the top five professions trusted by the public...
Why libraries should become climate classrooms for young people
Renee Tonkin is the founder of Science Owl, a climate education organisation making climate and environmental learning fun, creative, and solution-focused. Here she explains why libraries are a crucial strand in delivering positive climate action.
THE climate crisis is one of the defining issues of our time, yet it can often feel abstract, overwhelming, or distant from everyday life.
A growing body of research shows that one of the most effective ways to turn climate and biodiversity goals into local action is through community-level engagement, where learning, participation, and social networks are co-located. Libraries, as inclu- sive spaces for reading and learning, are uniquely positioned to support this kind of community-based climate engagement.
Libraries are important community hubs: they are free, welcoming, and trusted. A CILIP-commis- sioned poll in 2018 found librarians are among the top five professions trusted by the public1
and, in
an era of misinformation, trust is very valuable. If we are to build public understanding of the climate crisis, libraries are well placed to facilitate curios- ity and building and sharing of knowledge across generations.
Yet the sector faces well-known challenges. Over the past decade, net expenditure on public libraries by local authorities has fallen by almost half – from £1.2 billion to £673 million (2022-23 prices).2
A
library manager recently pointed out to me that their library used to fill an entire building but now occupies only a fraction of it, a telling example of how libraries have been undervalued.
38 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
However, the core idea of a library has always been circular and sustainability-focused, centring around reuse and shared resources. A single book is borrowed, read, and returned so that others may benefit. Therefore, re-imagining libraries as climate classrooms is not a radical departure from the purpose of libraries, but a natural extension of the original purpose of libraries to make knowledge accessible. By adding climate education as a funda- mental feature of libraries, we can start to restore libraries to their earlier importance in society. These days, climate education is no longer optional enrichment for children; climate change will directly impact their future and is therefore essential knowledge. Understanding the challenges ahead is important, but it is even more important that we help children feel empowered to be part of the solution. Research shows that solution-focused, hands-on learning is far more effective than doom- and-gloom narratives that can leave children feeling anxious or powerless.3,4,5
When learning is hopeful and practical, children feel excited about the possibility of positive change, rather than worried and fearful of the future. Chil- dren then bring that optimism home to their fam- ilies, which is important because, as adults, we too can feel overwhelmed when thinking about climate change. Libraries have an inter-generational reach, with parents and carers often joining in with their
February-March 2026
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