Sustainable development in Espoo libraries' facilities

Espoo's libraries serve as living and working spaces for local residents. Library spaces offer the opportunity to spend time in different ways: there are places to meet and do activities, even noisy ones; there are also places for concentration and reading. We strive to make it easy to discover something new in the library - to read or to do. This helps to empower our customers to make sustainable choices in their everyday lives. A library space can also send out a message about sustainable thinking: refurbished furniture and the use of recycled materials can inspire more sustainable choices in our everyday lives.

We take future needs into account at the design stage and continually adapt library spaces based on customer feedback. Our customers also often move furniture around to suit their needs - this helps us to identify the need for more permanent changes.
We use existing furniture throughout our network: furniture that is surplus or unsuitable in one library can find a new home in another. We take it where it's needed, repairing and updating it as necessary. We also modify furniture to meet changing needs. When selecting furniture for purchase, we look for repairability and suitability for a wide range of uses.

When we buy new, we prefer to buy recycled. For example, the seating furniture in the Lippulaiva library is reupholstered furniture that was originally in home use. We now have our own contract suppliers for second-hand furniture, which has made their procurement smoother. In the choice of materials, we focus on more ecological options, such as fabrics made from recycled materials or carbon-neutral surface materials.

Example projects: Lippulaiva library, Nöykkiö library's furniture, Sello library's return shelf, Suurpelto library's shelf modification, Viherlaakso library's furniture, floor signage concept, co- operation with Kierrätyskeskus, display tables 


More information:

Planners Laura Euro and Iida Tahvanainen,
e-mail: laura.euro at espoo.fi, iida.tahvanainen at espoo.fi

Sustainable Espoo