What does it mean to implement sustainability across an entire network of libraries?
Linda Langenfelde, Deputy Director of Jelgava City Library, finds the answer somewhere between big-picture strategy and everyday problem-solving. She oversees 61 libraries in Jelgava City and Municipality, where ESG principles meet the daily realities of library work.
Her work focuses on people and the systems that link them. Linda brings partners together, solves daily problems, and develops new training. Increasingly, she is making sure sustainability and inclusion are part of every library service.
Here, ESG is not seen as a separate idea. Instead, it is part of a larger strategy based on creativity, tolerance, cooperation, and participation. These values guide libraries to include everyone, lower social barriers, and encourage people to take part in cultural life.
Accessibility, in particular, is a central priority. Ensuring that library services are available to everyone—including people who are blind or visually impaired, individuals with dyslexia, and users of all ages and abilities—requires not only awareness but also clear guidelines and coordinated action. It is a continuous process, shaped by both institutional commitment and realistic limitations.
While the social and governance dimensions are well developed—largely because they align with libraries’ traditional mission—the environmental dimension progresses more slowly. The reason is simple: it depends heavily on available funding. As a result, improvements often happen incrementally, through targeted interventions such as installing lifts, relocating libraries to more accessible spaces, or introducing outdoor book lockers that allow users to collect materials at their convenience.
These are meaningful changes, but they also highlight a broader challenge: translating ambition into consistent, long-term action.
One key barrier lies in the development of competencies. While the importance of ESG is widely recognised, there is still a strong need for practical knowledge—especially in communication and inclusion. How do you effectively engage with users who are considered “difficult”? How can libraries better include deaf communities as active participants? And how can sustainability initiatives be implemented with limited resources?
These are not abstract questions, but daily operational concerns.
At present, much of the learning happens informally, through self-study. The absence of structured training programmes makes it difficult to build consistent competencies across the system. In this context, flexible solutions such as e-learning are particularly valuable, given the time constraints staff face.
However, training alone is not enough.
Structural barriers continue to shape what is possible. Limited funding, staff shortages, and gaps in specialised skills—such as working with people with autism or managing situations involving aggressive behaviour—create additional pressure on already stretched teams. What is needed, alongside training, are clear, actionable guidelines that support libraries in implementing ESG principles consistently.
Regardless of these challenges, ESG is not perceived as a burden.
On the contrary, it is seen as an opportunity: a way to rethink how libraries operate, serve their communities, and contribute to wider societal goals.
Looking ahead, this shift will require a new set of competencies. Governance and strategic planning skills will become increasingly important, alongside the ability to communicate effectively, collaborate across disciplines, and engage with diverse audiences. At the same time, data analysis and impact assessment will play a growing role in measuring the effectiveness of initiatives and guiding future decisions.
At a European level, alignment with frameworks such as the EQF (European Qualifications Framework) provides an important reference point, helping to connect local practices with wider strategies and enabling collaboration across borders.
Yet, as this experience shows, the real challenge, and opportunity, lies at the local level.
For Langenfelde, the way forward is grounded in collaboration and exchange. Learning from other organisations, sharing best practices, and building connections across institutions are essential steps toward more effective ESG integration.
Because ultimately, sustainability in the GLAM sector is not only about resources or regulations.
It is about knowledge, how it is shared, applied, and transformed into action.
And about ensuring that even the most complex systems can evolve, one library at a time.
About the consortium
ESG4GLAM is a collaborative initiative led by cultural and academic partners across Europe. The project aims to translate sustainability principles into actionable skills and resources for the GLAM sector, co-created and validated with practitioners in different national contexts.
“ESG4GLAM is a project funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them