Libraries and Sustainability: Working Toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the SDSU Library

A companion exhibit concentrating on how libraries are contributing to the UN SDGs has been created by Sciences Librarian Sarah Tribelhorn. The UN has noted that libraries are fundamental as key partners in this global work, as reaching the goals is dependent on libraries and information.

This exhibit was developed by first understanding the roles of all library employees in the SDSU library, and then relating these to the 17 UN SDGs. To obtain this information, a questionnaire was circulated to all staff and faculty. The questionnaire asked for a brief job description and a list of the most important projects and/or tasks that the employees were working on currently. Based on the responses received, the work being carried out in the library was related to the UN SDGs and posters were developed for each of the goals that the library is actively contributing to.

These posters describe how the University Library, and other libraries in our community, are focusing on solutions to the issues highlighted by the UN SDG goals. Part of the library's role includes access to information, protecting cultural heritage, and universal information literacy. Libraries help to provide information and resources, information literacy skills, and resulting knowledge to communities in ways that are tangible to achieve the SDGs.