Each year Green Libraries Week celebrates our libraries across the country with a focus on climate and sustainability.

All of our libraries will be celebrating #GreenLibrariesWeek with an assortment of FREE activities taking place around Blaenau Gwent for adults and children:

• In partnership with Keep Wales Tidy we have organised a litter pick along the Ebbw Fawr Trail with local Year 4 pupils.

• We will be launching a new initiative called ‘Little Pickers’ to encourage nursery and reception age children to learn more about how their local library can teach them about looking after the environment and get them involved in litter picking (using specialist child friendly equipment).

• Year 2 pupils will be participating in an outdoor story day at a local park where they will learn all about the seeds that produce trees.  After enjoying a storytelling session on this, they will then gather conkers, acorns, pinecones, ash keys and sycamore helicopters, just like the fox in the story.

• To encourage recycling and sustainability our libraries will be arranging a costume swap – asking local families to donate their unwanted fancy dress costumes throughout Green Libraries Week so that other families can use them for half term and Halloween.

• All our libraries will also be hosting FREE craft sessions for adults and children, using recycled materials to create autumn lanterns.

Being green and offering sustainable services isn’t just a theme for Green Libraries Week, here are all the other ways our libraries are working to become more eco-friendly:

•  92,987 items were borrowed and returned during 2023/24

• 22,346 digital downloads over 2023/24 (including e-books, e-audio, e-magazines and e-newspapers).

• Our library cards are made from recycled PVC and are 100% recyclable.

• Working in partnership with the Local Authority we have installed energy efficient lighting in all our libraries.

• All our libraries are litter picking hubs, offering FREE loans of litter picking equipment.

• We actively distribute recycling bags for Blaenau Gwent Council.

• Throughout the spring and summer our Little Veg Library offers FREE seeds with every book loan.

• Our ‘library of things’ means that people can borrow items such as sports and fitness equipment, tablets and costumes for World Book Day.

• We recycle old book stock to use in free craft activities for adults and children.

• We are an active member of the Books4U scheme, which provides FREE access to books across public libraries in South Wales, which not only helps us to improve our offer, but it also reduces waste.