in partnership with local health group Breath Easy, the initiative focuses on education and wellbeing, through talks, events and training events. The project team are keen for other libraries to learn from Space to breath, saying: “Members will gain the knowledge to monitor and interpret local air quality, the skills to improve it, and the confidence to share these practices with others. The library will establish a seed and plant propagation scheme, gifting air-friendly plants to the community and inspiring similar “clean air oases” in other public spaces. By documenting the approach, the project will create a template that can be adopted by other libraries and community venues, ensuring the benefits extend far beyond Alloa.”
Bishopsbriggs Library, Inside Out (SDG: Climate Action; Good Health and Wellbeing; Responsible Con- sumption and Production; Sustaina- ble Cities and Communities) Bishopbriggs Library’s Inside Out project is looking to transform a neglected piece of outdoor space at the library into a thriving, multi-use garden space. The new area will feature a nature garden that can be used for performances, story times, quiet reflection and nature watching. As well as supporting local wildlife, Inside Out will deliver a programme of commu- nity events, including growing sessions and seed swaps to improve local food resilience.
The team behind the project point to its wider outreach potential, saying: “The space doubles as an outdoor classroom for schools, nurseries, and community groups, with hands-on environmen- tal activities and seasonal workshops. Lending binoculars and camping chairs encourage visitors to explore the garden and neighbouring park. The project also builds cultural connections, with oppor- tunities for new arrivals to share plants, recipes, and stories from their own tra- ditions, and fosters an international link with Kaunas Library in Lithuania.”
Barnsley, It Only Takes One Seed (SDG: Climate Action; Good Health and Wellbeing; Life on Land Barnsley’s industrial past, linked closely to mining, has left a lasting legacy on its landscape and people. Ranked as the 39th most deprived area in the UK it faces issues of poor health outcomes, low edu- cational attainment and difficult economic circumstances. However despite this backdrop, the area has a thriving cultural scene and strong environmental goals. Barnsley Libraries and Creative Recov- ery are partners in the It Only Takes One Seed initiative as they look to empower communities to feel part of the green transition. Artist Morag Mysercough will
38 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL
lead hands-on workshops encouraging people to take small steps to nurture hope amid the environmental challenges. The Atrium at the Library @The Light- box will be transformed into a green hub, including a dedicated seed library. Conversations will be encouraged, helping people to move towards action that will transform Barnsley into a green and thriv- ing town, one seed at a time.
Gloucester, Library Littles Without Walls: Cultural Play for Connection (SDG: Reduced inequalities; Sus- tainable Cities and Communities) Focusing on Gloucester’s Barton and Tredworth ward, one of the city’s most culturally diverse, Library Littles With- out Walls: Cultural Play for Connection, brings targeted play schemes to trusted venues in the area. While Gloucester Library is nearby, it can still be difficult for families with young children to access services there and so a series of outreach events are delivered in the ward. The play-based sessions are designed for two- to four-year-olds, helping to support early years development and build connections with parents.
The sessions are “co-created with par- ents and carers to reflect their languages, traditions, and everyday experiences. Each session includes storytelling, sing- ing, music, and sensory play, with space for families to bring in their own songs, games, or cultural practices. For example, families might share lullabies, tradition- al stories, or simple play activities from their backgrounds, which are then woven into the sessions. Together, this partner- ship creates fun, culturally relevant play sessions that support children’s develop- ment, strengthen parents’ confidence, and make libraries more open and welcoming to diverse families.”
Hexham, Stories from our patch (SDG: Reduced inequalities; Respon- sible Consumption and Production; Sustainable Cities and Communities)
Stories From Our Patch is a commun ity- building initiative designed to create mean- ingful connections through shared spaces and a love of nature, food, and conversa- tion. Hexham Library, in partnership with Grow Hexham, will deliver sessions in tune with the seasons, combining “storytelling, skill-sharing, gardening, and cooking. Autumn begins with personal tales and memories; winter offers creative workshops and digital skills; spring sees seeds planted and plans made; summer culminates in shared harvests of food and stories.” The library will host exhibitions and conversations throughout the year, while Grow Hexham provides gardening exper- tise to the local community. The project will also link up with other initiatives tak- ing place in Europe, as well as at Hexham’s twin library in Ukraine.
London, Camden Connects (SDG: Reduced inequalities)
Based in Camden’s Belsize Park and Swiss Cottage libraries, Camden Connects offers safe spaces to bring local residents together with refugee communities living in the borough. The sessions use a mix of verbal and non-verbal storytelling, art, music, craft and games to spark conversations. Initial sessions take place in Belsize Park, but more are offered at the larger Swiss Cottage Library, helping to open wider library services to refugee communities. Library staff are trained to deliver sessions by Families4Peace and Stories in the Street, with each session building “towards a public exhibition and day-long conversation event at Swiss Cottage, where personal stories are displayed and dis- cussed, connecting refugee voices with the wider community. Insights from the project are gathered into a toolkit to share with libraries across the UK, Europe, and Kyiv.”
London, Circular Technology, From Waste to Bridging Digital and Social Divides (SDG: Taking steps to bridge the digital divide, this North Kensington initiative looks
Winter 2025
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