UCD Green Library: UCD Green Library

For the month of February 2024 we are focusing on our books about the environment, climate change, sustainability and other earthy topics. Come by the display stand and shelves located on Level 1 of the James Joyce Library! Find out more about the highlighted books on the Collection Spotlight page.

UCD Vet Library 

In 2022 UCD Library, in partnership with the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine and UCD Estates, refurbished the Vet Library. Work included the provision of additional study rooms and a 17% increase in study desks (including new sit-stand desks). The Information Desk, instead of being replaced, was resized and repositioned. This work contributed to the Circular Economy, and highlights our commitment to upcycling, recycling and rehoming furniture, where ever possible.

We recycled and repurposed the information desk

We reupholstered chairs instead of buying new ones

We acquired second hand chairs and group study tables from UCD Warpit

We reused ends of bays to encase some of wall shelving units

LED lights were added at ceiling height, reducing energy consumption

UCD Library contributes to the Circular Economy through our practice of upcycling, recycling and rehoming old furniture. 

In line with this focus on sustainability, UCD Library, as part of the Capital Development Project , sought to up-cycle as much of the old furniture as possible, offering it to local communities, helping to divert it from landfill, and reducing the overall carbon footprint of the project. This important UCD’s community engagement initiative, also helped to build and enhance UCD relationships with community-based organisations. The majority of the  upcycled study desks and chairs, were original to the Library when it was build in the 1970's.

The Library, working with UCD Warp It, a web based, furniture reuse platform (part of the a Green Campus initiative managed by UCD Estates) - and Facebook Marketplace,  recycled 100s of items, inc. study tables, chairs, and office equipment,  to: Primary and Secondary schools; Gaelscoils, Community Centres; After School Programmes, a Men’s Shed, John Of Gods, Dublin Civil Defense, A new autism centre, in a school in Graystones; individuals in the UCD community and a Romanian Orthodox Church, Cultural Missionary Centre.

The UCD Library Furniture Recycling Team were awarded a UCD Values in Action award 

UCD Energy Institute, in partnership with UCD Library, has launched a pilot bike lending programme for members of the UCD community to demonstrate the potential for e-mobility to transform commuting patterns and reduce transport emissions. The UCD Bike Library pilot is the first of its kind in Ireland to offer bike lending through a traditional library service. The pilot scheme uses the Library’s role at the heart of campus to enable e-bikes or folding bikes to be lent to members of the UCD community for a six week period.  As this is a pilot scheme, expressions of interest have been sought and the bikes have already been allocated. More information: john.doody@ucd.ie