MPL Wins 2024 Green Library-Grand Scale Award
On October 8, 2024, the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) presented Missoula Public Library with the first place Green Library-Grand Scale Award for 2024. Missoula Public Library Foundation executive director Karl Olson was on hand at the International Library Conference in Barcelona to receive the award. Olson also gave the audience of library professionals from Spain and around the world a presentation on “The Keys to a Green Library.”
In April, Missoula was shortlisted for the award with libraries in Paderborn, Germany and Salamanca, Spain. IFLA’s Environment, Sustainability, and Libraries section established the award, which is sponsored by De Gruyter Publishing, in 2016. Previous Green Library awards have been received by libraries in Canada, China, Columbia, Germany, Singapore, and Thailand. Missoula Public Library is the first library in the US to win first place.
IFLA praises MPL for its “innovative approach to housing third party organizations” and an energy-efficient design that “blends modern innovation with ancient wisdom.” The library’s energy strategies include open loop geothermal cooling in the summer, underfloor HVAC systems, renewable solar electricity, and a twenty degree building elevation orientation that maximizes natural lighting access throughout the library. Additionally, Missoula Public Library is a recognized leader in the area of social sustainability, expanding on the concept of book circulation to include site-sharing and shared learning labs, a “library of things,” and a program stream that promotes social mobility and ecological awareness.
This award is a testament to MPL’s deep commitment to sustainability, in the design of the library’s new flagship building and through its operations and programming. MPL has incorporated sustainability goals into its strategic planning to ensure continued progress—another way Missoula Public Library is modeling the way for its peers. It has been an honor to help shape the library’s environmental stewardship. Congratulations to our dear client Missoula Public Library.
Traci Engel Lesneski, Principal and CEO, MSR Design
According to Olson: “It was humbling and a huge honor to see Missoula included with libraries that are at the forefront of global sustainability efforts. In Barcelona, we heard from librarians in Ukraine who describe the impact of war on their work as ‘ecocide’. Libraries around the planet are promoting resilience by stocking locally produced heirloom seeds. And several libraries have endured the heavy cost of repurposing historical buildings for 21st century use.”
In November, MPL will unveil a new on-site virtual tour of the downtown flagship focusing on the building’s design, sustainability features, and connections to Indigenous culture. In early 2025, Olson will offer Missoulians a public presentation on the Barcelona conference and the topic of library sustainability.
Click here for more information on the IFLA Green Library Award