Regaining a sense of belonging
Bibliokepos
Climate shelters in public libraries to reflect on the city's adaptation to climate change
A series of experiences aimed at transforming the Municipal Library Network of Seville into a citizen laboratory with the aim of reflecting on the city's adaptation to climate change, prototyping, in turn, a series of furniture that facilitates its future as a climate shelter for people, plants and books. A cross-cutting process, which serves as a transmission belt between academia and citizenship, paying special attention to the potential use of libraries as community learning spaces.
EU Member State, Western Balkans or Ukraine
Spain
Local
Seville
Yes
Spain- Andalucía
No
Mainly urban
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Yes
2023-06-21
No
No
No
As a representative of an organisation
Libraries are democratic places, open to people of all conditions and classes, as the entrance to Epicurus' kêpos (κῆπος means garden) stated: "Stranger, your time will be pleasant here".
Bibliokepos is a project that started in 2023 to rethink Seville's network of public libraries (13 spaces distributed throughout the city's neighbourhoods) in relation to the climate emergency.
Seville is one of the southern European cities most threatened by climate change. It is no coincidence that prometeosevilla.com began its work here with a pilot project. Nor that some of the city's libraries had to open as climate shelters during the heat waves of 2022. Interestingly, Eric Klinenberg recounts in his book "Palaces for People" how during the great heat wave that devastated Chicago in 1995, neighbourhoods with public libraries were more resilient in combating the effects of extreme heat, functioning as shelters for many groups of people, as those with high levels of unchosen loneliness (homeless, elderly, etc.).
Based on these premises, the project proposes to transform the libraries into refuges for reflection and the construction of new narratives that allow us to adapt to the new climatic circumstances in a collective way.
To precipitate this, we have worked with the community of library users to transform it into gardens of coexistence (4 shelters composed by wood and plants of 29 different species have been built with 42 local designers); collectively create a new collection of books linked to climate change (419 books has been built up from library holdings and donations from local grassroots and academics, available for 330.627 library users); and foster cultural experiences that celebrate the bonds created (104 creators have participated directly in the 4 “rituals” consisting of book "offerings", dramatised readings, dialogues and musical "prayers" attended by approximately 400 people. 48 people have also taken part in the 4 public workshops of replication).
Bibliokepos is a project that started in 2023 to rethink Seville's network of public libraries (13 spaces distributed throughout the city's neighbourhoods) in relation to the climate emergency.
Seville is one of the southern European cities most threatened by climate change. It is no coincidence that prometeosevilla.com began its work here with a pilot project. Nor that some of the city's libraries had to open as climate shelters during the heat waves of 2022. Interestingly, Eric Klinenberg recounts in his book "Palaces for People" how during the great heat wave that devastated Chicago in 1995, neighbourhoods with public libraries were more resilient in combating the effects of extreme heat, functioning as shelters for many groups of people, as those with high levels of unchosen loneliness (homeless, elderly, etc.).
Based on these premises, the project proposes to transform the libraries into refuges for reflection and the construction of new narratives that allow us to adapt to the new climatic circumstances in a collective way.
To precipitate this, we have worked with the community of library users to transform it into gardens of coexistence (4 shelters composed by wood and plants of 29 different species have been built with 42 local designers); collectively create a new collection of books linked to climate change (419 books has been built up from library holdings and donations from local grassroots and academics, available for 330.627 library users); and foster cultural experiences that celebrate the bonds created (104 creators have participated directly in the 4 “rituals” consisting of book "offerings", dramatised readings, dialogues and musical "prayers" attended by approximately 400 people. 48 people have also taken part in the 4 public workshops of replication).
Heatwaves
Climate adaptation
Libraries
Environmental grassroots
Water recycling
CARBON CYCLE: design and construction of indoor furbished gardens in libraries as "shelters" to facilitate the emergence of new uses (for people, books and plants). The material used was wood (negative balance of CO2 emissions), being manipulated and assembled locally through parametric design techniques, without screws or secondary elements. The FabLab and the Chair of Climate Comfort of the University of Seville (12 teachers, 30 students and 3 technicians from the FabLab) collaborated in this project.
AIR CYCLE: creation of a vegetation layer on the devices, with species identified by the NASA Clean Air Study research project and of the Naturación Urbana e Ingeniería de Biosistemas research group of the University of Seville, aimed at the phytoremediation of indoor air and water. These species have the capacity to absorb pollutants such as benzenes and formaldehyde, very present indoors, as well as to increase the proportion of O2, improving the concentration capacity of users. This strategy aims to create a healthier atmosphere in libraries.
WATER CYCLE: reusing water from the public toilets of the libraries to water the new library gardens. Bosque Anxanar's chemical engineer has designed a soap without industrial surfactants (using natural extracts from the plants used in the garden) and the engineer Pablo Pujol has designed a device that hacks sanitation facilities in order to store water for later use in irrigation. In short, to create a strategy for watering plants in a sustainable way, rethinking not only technologies, but also everyday practices. If this intervention were extrapolated to the rest of the city, it would make it possible to reuse some 45 million litres per day (equivalent to 13 Olympic swimming pools) or 15 billion litres per year (almost 5,000 swimming pools).
In the event of a significant drop in rainfall -the city is currently on red alert for lack of water- this would allow the city to be seen not only as a sink, but also as a spring.
AIR CYCLE: creation of a vegetation layer on the devices, with species identified by the NASA Clean Air Study research project and of the Naturación Urbana e Ingeniería de Biosistemas research group of the University of Seville, aimed at the phytoremediation of indoor air and water. These species have the capacity to absorb pollutants such as benzenes and formaldehyde, very present indoors, as well as to increase the proportion of O2, improving the concentration capacity of users. This strategy aims to create a healthier atmosphere in libraries.
WATER CYCLE: reusing water from the public toilets of the libraries to water the new library gardens. Bosque Anxanar's chemical engineer has designed a soap without industrial surfactants (using natural extracts from the plants used in the garden) and the engineer Pablo Pujol has designed a device that hacks sanitation facilities in order to store water for later use in irrigation. In short, to create a strategy for watering plants in a sustainable way, rethinking not only technologies, but also everyday practices. If this intervention were extrapolated to the rest of the city, it would make it possible to reuse some 45 million litres per day (equivalent to 13 Olympic swimming pools) or 15 billion litres per year (almost 5,000 swimming pools).
In the event of a significant drop in rainfall -the city is currently on red alert for lack of water- this would allow the city to be seen not only as a sink, but also as a spring.
Bibliokepos explores how to turn public libraries into climatic shelters, imagining them as lush, comfortable, sustainable gardens, accessible to anyone during heat waves.
The aesthetic properties of the project are explored through different experiences:
CO-DESIGN OF THE SHELTERS: the furniture has been designed specifically for each of the libraries through the collaboration of their communities with professors and students from the Seville School of Architecture. These artefacts operate as topographies that encourage the encounter between people, books and plants, generating new landscapes inside the libraries. The reference to landscapes is not metaphorical, as the interventions also operate at functional -ecosystemic- levels, fostering sustainable relationships between the different actors. Thus, libraries appear not only as aseptic spaces for the mind, but also as sensitive spaces for the body of the users.
CO-DESIGN OF THE COLLECTION: collective creation of a bibliographic collection related to the climate emergency. In order to update and enrich this catalogue, activists, collectives and local experts have been invited to select new books that they consider relevant for citizens. Books that can now be consulted, together with their recommendation, under the common tag: Accion por el clima (action for the climate), coordinated by the librarians of Seville.
CO-DESIGN OF RITUALS: in these gardens, a series of cultural rituals have been programmed to celebrate, transmit and update the values of this emerging community. For this, different meeting formats have been used, combining the presentation of recommended books (offerings), with dramatised readings, scientific-cultural debates or musical performances (prayer) that explore, from different languages, common challenges.
The aesthetic properties of the project are explored through different experiences:
CO-DESIGN OF THE SHELTERS: the furniture has been designed specifically for each of the libraries through the collaboration of their communities with professors and students from the Seville School of Architecture. These artefacts operate as topographies that encourage the encounter between people, books and plants, generating new landscapes inside the libraries. The reference to landscapes is not metaphorical, as the interventions also operate at functional -ecosystemic- levels, fostering sustainable relationships between the different actors. Thus, libraries appear not only as aseptic spaces for the mind, but also as sensitive spaces for the body of the users.
CO-DESIGN OF THE COLLECTION: collective creation of a bibliographic collection related to the climate emergency. In order to update and enrich this catalogue, activists, collectives and local experts have been invited to select new books that they consider relevant for citizens. Books that can now be consulted, together with their recommendation, under the common tag: Accion por el clima (action for the climate), coordinated by the librarians of Seville.
CO-DESIGN OF RITUALS: in these gardens, a series of cultural rituals have been programmed to celebrate, transmit and update the values of this emerging community. For this, different meeting formats have been used, combining the presentation of recommended books (offerings), with dramatised readings, scientific-cultural debates or musical performances (prayer) that explore, from different languages, common challenges.
Libraries, like the Epicurean garden, are open and democratic social infrastructures. Seville has a well distributed network, each one as diverse as the neighbourhoods that host them. The first prototypes cater to the singularities of each community:
FELIPE GONZALEZ: 35701 users. It is located in the centre, close to the river and several educational centers, which has made it a popular place for children, students and vulnerable groups in the historic city. Renowned for its storytelling sessions and reading groups, the garden has been configured as a mountain of books and plants that encourages these activities.
TORREBLANCA: 7147 users. Located in the civic center of one of the most peripheral and poorest neighbourhoods, which has already been used as a climatic shelter. It is an infrastructure that is highly valued by the social movements in the neighbourhood. The chemical engineer who designed the soap is a member of one of them.
JULIA UCEDA: 15739 users. It has a collection specialising in climate change and decrecentism. This library is in the Macarena neighbourhood, in the same complex as the municipal Shelter Centre and the Day Centre for the homeless, who also use the space. The intervention has been designed as a welcoming garden for the bodies of readers, surrounded by books and plants.
LOS CARTEROS: 10010 users. Located in the civic centre of the Miraflores neighbourhood, known for its strong social activism. This library is characterised by its illustrated collection associated with gardening and sustainability, as well as its seed library, linked to the nearby Community Gardens. Driven by the wishes of its community, the garden has been configured as a choir that invites debate and not just reading.
The inclusion of the local communities has been promoted through participation in workshops for the creation of the gardens, the collective curatorship of the bibliographic collection and participation in the different rituals that have been held.
FELIPE GONZALEZ: 35701 users. It is located in the centre, close to the river and several educational centers, which has made it a popular place for children, students and vulnerable groups in the historic city. Renowned for its storytelling sessions and reading groups, the garden has been configured as a mountain of books and plants that encourages these activities.
TORREBLANCA: 7147 users. Located in the civic center of one of the most peripheral and poorest neighbourhoods, which has already been used as a climatic shelter. It is an infrastructure that is highly valued by the social movements in the neighbourhood. The chemical engineer who designed the soap is a member of one of them.
JULIA UCEDA: 15739 users. It has a collection specialising in climate change and decrecentism. This library is in the Macarena neighbourhood, in the same complex as the municipal Shelter Centre and the Day Centre for the homeless, who also use the space. The intervention has been designed as a welcoming garden for the bodies of readers, surrounded by books and plants.
LOS CARTEROS: 10010 users. Located in the civic centre of the Miraflores neighbourhood, known for its strong social activism. This library is characterised by its illustrated collection associated with gardening and sustainability, as well as its seed library, linked to the nearby Community Gardens. Driven by the wishes of its community, the garden has been configured as a choir that invites debate and not just reading.
The inclusion of the local communities has been promoted through participation in workshops for the creation of the gardens, the collective curatorship of the bibliographic collection and participation in the different rituals that have been held.
SHELTERS
- The project has worked in 4 libraries out of the 13 that make up the municipal network of Seville.
- 12 librarians have collaborated in the design together with 42 creators (12 teachers and 30 students) linked to the Chair of Climate Comfort of the University of Seville, and with the mediation of a team of 5 people.
- The 4 libraries where they have been installed receive 68,597 visits per year, and since 21 June 2023 they can enjoy these "gardens".
- 100 plants belonging to 29 species are part of the first biotopes installed.
COLLECTION
- 40 activists and academics involved in the climate emergency have participated in donating and recommending essential books to expand the #Accion por el clima bibliographic collection. The titles are accompanied by reviews by the different participants. There are now 419 books in the collection.
- The collection is accessible to all citizens, especially to the 330,627 users of Sevillian libraries. 8,531,941 users of Andalusian libraries can also access them through the interlibrary loan system.
- The reach of this initiative on social networks is reflected in 27,063 reproductions of the contents generated for Instagram with 2,275 likes between March and July 2023.
RITUALS
- 104 creators participated directly in the 4 meetings consisting of book "offerings", dramatised readings, dialogues and musical "prayers" attended by approximately 400 people.
- 48 people took part in the 4 public workshops linked to the botany of indoor spaces, the manufacture of devices to reuse water from toilets or the manufacture of soaps compatible with plant watering (made from plant extracts from the plants used in the garden). Precisely the design of these devices and processes has been carried out with the aim of facilitating their replication in other environments, institutional or domestic, either through workshops or "Do it yourself" instructions.
- The project has worked in 4 libraries out of the 13 that make up the municipal network of Seville.
- 12 librarians have collaborated in the design together with 42 creators (12 teachers and 30 students) linked to the Chair of Climate Comfort of the University of Seville, and with the mediation of a team of 5 people.
- The 4 libraries where they have been installed receive 68,597 visits per year, and since 21 June 2023 they can enjoy these "gardens".
- 100 plants belonging to 29 species are part of the first biotopes installed.
COLLECTION
- 40 activists and academics involved in the climate emergency have participated in donating and recommending essential books to expand the #Accion por el clima bibliographic collection. The titles are accompanied by reviews by the different participants. There are now 419 books in the collection.
- The collection is accessible to all citizens, especially to the 330,627 users of Sevillian libraries. 8,531,941 users of Andalusian libraries can also access them through the interlibrary loan system.
- The reach of this initiative on social networks is reflected in 27,063 reproductions of the contents generated for Instagram with 2,275 likes between March and July 2023.
RITUALS
- 104 creators participated directly in the 4 meetings consisting of book "offerings", dramatised readings, dialogues and musical "prayers" attended by approximately 400 people.
- 48 people took part in the 4 public workshops linked to the botany of indoor spaces, the manufacture of devices to reuse water from toilets or the manufacture of soaps compatible with plant watering (made from plant extracts from the plants used in the garden). Precisely the design of these devices and processes has been carried out with the aim of facilitating their replication in other environments, institutional or domestic, either through workshops or "Do it yourself" instructions.
Bibliokepos is sponsored by the ICAS of the Seville City Council. It is a transversal project that arises from the collaboration of the community with public and private institutions that usually do not collaborate with each other. This cooperation has been valued by the different participants as one of the most positive results of the project.
SHELTERS have emerged from a process of mediation and co-design between the community of the Library Network with the Chair of Climate Comfort of the University of Seville and FabLab. The possibility of being involved in a real project has been positively valued by the university, and for the library community it has been positively valued to have the help to channel their needs through situated designs.
COLLECTION coordinated by the librarians, has been mediated by Ecosistema 41, in order to involve local activists and academics in recommending and shaping a new collection of books related to climate change adaptation and mitigation. This campaign not only seeks to expand and enrich the collection and disseminate the new role of libraries, but also to explore new, more participatory and democratic channels for shaping it.
Agents from nearby institutions such as the School of Dramatic Art, "Manuel del Valle" Conservatory of Music and VientoSur theatre company have been involved in the RITUALS. The library community has greatly appreciated the extension of their usual programming through dialogues, dramatised readings or concerts, and the educational institutions have highly valued the possibility of their students being able to put their skills into practice in front of new audiences.
Members of national scientific and cultural institutions such as AEMET, LABoral Art Centre in Gijón or the Instituto Mutante de Narrativas Ambientales of ITD-UPM in Madrid have also participated.
The aim of these activities is to complement scientific narratives on climate change with more inclusive and shared cultural narratives.
SHELTERS have emerged from a process of mediation and co-design between the community of the Library Network with the Chair of Climate Comfort of the University of Seville and FabLab. The possibility of being involved in a real project has been positively valued by the university, and for the library community it has been positively valued to have the help to channel their needs through situated designs.
COLLECTION coordinated by the librarians, has been mediated by Ecosistema 41, in order to involve local activists and academics in recommending and shaping a new collection of books related to climate change adaptation and mitigation. This campaign not only seeks to expand and enrich the collection and disseminate the new role of libraries, but also to explore new, more participatory and democratic channels for shaping it.
Agents from nearby institutions such as the School of Dramatic Art, "Manuel del Valle" Conservatory of Music and VientoSur theatre company have been involved in the RITUALS. The library community has greatly appreciated the extension of their usual programming through dialogues, dramatised readings or concerts, and the educational institutions have highly valued the possibility of their students being able to put their skills into practice in front of new audiences.
Members of national scientific and cultural institutions such as AEMET, LABoral Art Centre in Gijón or the Instituto Mutante de Narrativas Ambientales of ITD-UPM in Madrid have also participated.
The aim of these activities is to complement scientific narratives on climate change with more inclusive and shared cultural narratives.
The development of the project has involved different fields of knowledge that have been interwoven.
SHELTERS
Design and architecture have been two key fields in responding to the challenges posed by the creation of these spaces. Their conception as gardens has also required knowledge of botany and ecology, as well as chemistry, to assess the capacity of plants to absorb pollutants and purify indoor atmospheres. Experts in chemistry and cosmetics have also been required to develop soaps to recycle the water from the toilets to irrigate the garden. A strategy that has also required the input of engineering experts to generate a simple system for recycling grey water.
COLLECTION
Library science is a fundamental discipline for the conception and management of library collections. For the development of the #Accion por el clima collection, the use of mediation and transmedia storytelling has also been fundamental, through which the public has been mobilised, as well as the participation of experts in meteorology, climate, engineering, cultural management, landscape, etc.
RITUALS
The participation of the creative and cultural sector has also been present through the creation of happenings or rituals that have mobilised the bibliographic contents through writing, dramatised reading, plastic arts or music, all celebrated in the gardens created.
Finally, the general public, exemplified in the library communities, has also participated in the process. Not only as end users of the spaces generated, but also as an active part in the workshops, as well as making the libraries known to new users who have arrived or helping in the design of a new programme of activities linked to the new spaces.
SHELTERS
Design and architecture have been two key fields in responding to the challenges posed by the creation of these spaces. Their conception as gardens has also required knowledge of botany and ecology, as well as chemistry, to assess the capacity of plants to absorb pollutants and purify indoor atmospheres. Experts in chemistry and cosmetics have also been required to develop soaps to recycle the water from the toilets to irrigate the garden. A strategy that has also required the input of engineering experts to generate a simple system for recycling grey water.
COLLECTION
Library science is a fundamental discipline for the conception and management of library collections. For the development of the #Accion por el clima collection, the use of mediation and transmedia storytelling has also been fundamental, through which the public has been mobilised, as well as the participation of experts in meteorology, climate, engineering, cultural management, landscape, etc.
RITUALS
The participation of the creative and cultural sector has also been present through the creation of happenings or rituals that have mobilised the bibliographic contents through writing, dramatised reading, plastic arts or music, all celebrated in the gardens created.
Finally, the general public, exemplified in the library communities, has also participated in the process. Not only as end users of the spaces generated, but also as an active part in the workshops, as well as making the libraries known to new users who have arrived or helping in the design of a new programme of activities linked to the new spaces.
The most innovative aspects of the project in relation to mainstream actions are summarised below:
SHELTERS
- Rethinking libraries as indoor gardens, as lush climatic shelters.
- Improving the indoor air quality of libraries through Nature-Based Solutions (phyto-purification).
- Recycle grey water from libraries to enable sustainable maintenance of buildings and gardens.
COLLECTION
- Rethink the library's collections with the collaboration of the local community that is most involved in the climate challenge.
RITUALS
- Encourage the use of libraries not only as places for reading and study but also for cultural production and creation.
- Rethink libraries as spaces for managing knowledge and practices of climate change adaptation and mitigation at neighbourhood level.
SHELTERS
- Rethinking libraries as indoor gardens, as lush climatic shelters.
- Improving the indoor air quality of libraries through Nature-Based Solutions (phyto-purification).
- Recycle grey water from libraries to enable sustainable maintenance of buildings and gardens.
COLLECTION
- Rethink the library's collections with the collaboration of the local community that is most involved in the climate challenge.
RITUALS
- Encourage the use of libraries not only as places for reading and study but also for cultural production and creation.
- Rethink libraries as spaces for managing knowledge and practices of climate change adaptation and mitigation at neighbourhood level.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), developed by researchers such as Fikret Berkes or Julia Watson, refers to the body of knowledge, practices and beliefs acquired by indigenous communities that manage to live in symbiosis with their environment over generations.
Although applied to communities of the past, we believe that this kind of holistic approach is very inspiring for addressing the major environmental challenges collectively.
The following is a summary of four common properties of TEK communities, relating them to some of the project's aspirations.
1. TEK communities have an exhaustive knowledge of the plants, animals, soils and landscapes of their environment: at Bibliokepos we have carried out botanical workshops and mapping with the community, identifying with labels the plants that make up the new biotope of the libraries, also indicating their phytodepurative properties.
2. These are communities that manage resources through accessible and distributed practices, tools and technologies that promote diversity and do not deplete it: the designed ecosystem is managed through simple, easily replicable technologies and devices that allow the reuse of water, the cultivation of plants adapted to the environment, or the use of these plants to make natural soaps that promote diversity in a circular way.
3. These are societies with a high level of community organisation, which offer coordination, cooperation and governance: one of the great challenges of the project is to promote bottom-up action processes, both at a domestic and institutional level, such as encouraging the participation of citizens in the creation of new relevant bibliographic collections.
4. These are communities where artistic manifestations, beliefs and rituals emerge, transmitting and updating the links between the community and its surroundings: Bibliokepos has programmed a series of activities aimed at this same objective, reconnecting with our environment.
Although applied to communities of the past, we believe that this kind of holistic approach is very inspiring for addressing the major environmental challenges collectively.
The following is a summary of four common properties of TEK communities, relating them to some of the project's aspirations.
1. TEK communities have an exhaustive knowledge of the plants, animals, soils and landscapes of their environment: at Bibliokepos we have carried out botanical workshops and mapping with the community, identifying with labels the plants that make up the new biotope of the libraries, also indicating their phytodepurative properties.
2. These are communities that manage resources through accessible and distributed practices, tools and technologies that promote diversity and do not deplete it: the designed ecosystem is managed through simple, easily replicable technologies and devices that allow the reuse of water, the cultivation of plants adapted to the environment, or the use of these plants to make natural soaps that promote diversity in a circular way.
3. These are societies with a high level of community organisation, which offer coordination, cooperation and governance: one of the great challenges of the project is to promote bottom-up action processes, both at a domestic and institutional level, such as encouraging the participation of citizens in the creation of new relevant bibliographic collections.
4. These are communities where artistic manifestations, beliefs and rituals emerge, transmitting and updating the links between the community and its surroundings: Bibliokepos has programmed a series of activities aimed at this same objective, reconnecting with our environment.
Bibliokepos has been conceived as a localised, specific experience, but at the same time very conscious of its need to spread in order to have a significant impact:
SHELTERS
- The designs have been made with the aim of encouraging local manufacturing and assembly through the use of open source knowledge and technologies.
- The selection of botanical species has been published on the website, where links to the main scientific reference studies have also been shared, with the intention of facilitating the propagation of these landscapes.
- The device to recycle water from toilets has been designed with the possibility of being manufactured and assembled by any citizen. Two workshops have been developed to promote its implementation and Do It Yourself instructions have also been distributed. Currently, several libraries, schools and institutes in Seville and Madrid are interested in the installation of these devices.
- The design of the soap has also been carried out by Bosque Anxanar with these criteria. To this end, two workshops on chemistry and cosmetics have been held, aimed at producing small changes in hygiene habits that can have an important impact on the water cycle and other resources.
COLLECTION
- The process of co-creation of the bibliographic collection associated with climate change began in 4 libraries and has already been extended to the 13 centres of the municipal network, and through inter-library loan it is also being extended to public libraries throughout the region.
RITUALS
- We understand that of all the proposed actions, this one is the most complex to replicate directly, as it depends a lot on the artistic community close to the libraries. Beyond this idiosyncrasy, we consider it necessary for cooperation to be developed specifically around the resources treasured by the libraries, with the aim of avoiding duplication and producing unique and relevant proposals for the communities that use these "Palaces for People".
SHELTERS
- The designs have been made with the aim of encouraging local manufacturing and assembly through the use of open source knowledge and technologies.
- The selection of botanical species has been published on the website, where links to the main scientific reference studies have also been shared, with the intention of facilitating the propagation of these landscapes.
- The device to recycle water from toilets has been designed with the possibility of being manufactured and assembled by any citizen. Two workshops have been developed to promote its implementation and Do It Yourself instructions have also been distributed. Currently, several libraries, schools and institutes in Seville and Madrid are interested in the installation of these devices.
- The design of the soap has also been carried out by Bosque Anxanar with these criteria. To this end, two workshops on chemistry and cosmetics have been held, aimed at producing small changes in hygiene habits that can have an important impact on the water cycle and other resources.
COLLECTION
- The process of co-creation of the bibliographic collection associated with climate change began in 4 libraries and has already been extended to the 13 centres of the municipal network, and through inter-library loan it is also being extended to public libraries throughout the region.
RITUALS
- We understand that of all the proposed actions, this one is the most complex to replicate directly, as it depends a lot on the artistic community close to the libraries. Beyond this idiosyncrasy, we consider it necessary for cooperation to be developed specifically around the resources treasured by the libraries, with the aim of avoiding duplication and producing unique and relevant proposals for the communities that use these "Palaces for People".
SOCIAL FUNCTION: libraries, as community facilities, play a very important social role, especially with vulnerable groups, who find in these open and democratic places a refuge from the climate, inequalities, technological barriers and loneliness.
ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE: extreme heat episodes associated with climate change particularly affect the most vulnerable neighbourhoods in southern cities where the quality of buildings and electrical infrastructure suffers. Two years ago, Seville had to transform public facilities such as libraries into climate shelters. We believe that this adaptation strategy should be rethought and strengthened.
WATER CYCLE: the growing scarcity of water in contexts such as the Mediterranean requires changes not only in water management, but also in the recovery, reuse and local recycling of water. Bibliokepos proposes converting the drains of buildings into real springs for gardens.
PHYTO-PURIFICATION OF AIR: the presence of toxic and harmful compounds in the atmospheres of closed environments is a major global health problem. Beyond engineering solutions based on costly technologies, plants offer a wide range of purifying properties and at the same time allow us to beautify indoors.
BIODIVERSITY: cities are aggressive spaces for a large part of the biota. At Bibliokepos, special attention has been paid to ensuring that the indoor gardens designed are spaces that take into account the needs of plants.
Fight against misinformation: in today's society, the excess of information and the difficulty of identifying truthful information has become a serious problem. For this reason, generating a specific bibliographic collection with recommendations from experts and neighbours, as well as favouring the emergence of debates and cultural experiences around these suggestions, serves as a beacon to guide and shape our environmental awareness in a communitarian way.
ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE: extreme heat episodes associated with climate change particularly affect the most vulnerable neighbourhoods in southern cities where the quality of buildings and electrical infrastructure suffers. Two years ago, Seville had to transform public facilities such as libraries into climate shelters. We believe that this adaptation strategy should be rethought and strengthened.
WATER CYCLE: the growing scarcity of water in contexts such as the Mediterranean requires changes not only in water management, but also in the recovery, reuse and local recycling of water. Bibliokepos proposes converting the drains of buildings into real springs for gardens.
PHYTO-PURIFICATION OF AIR: the presence of toxic and harmful compounds in the atmospheres of closed environments is a major global health problem. Beyond engineering solutions based on costly technologies, plants offer a wide range of purifying properties and at the same time allow us to beautify indoors.
BIODIVERSITY: cities are aggressive spaces for a large part of the biota. At Bibliokepos, special attention has been paid to ensuring that the indoor gardens designed are spaces that take into account the needs of plants.
Fight against misinformation: in today's society, the excess of information and the difficulty of identifying truthful information has become a serious problem. For this reason, generating a specific bibliographic collection with recommendations from experts and neighbours, as well as favouring the emergence of debates and cultural experiences around these suggestions, serves as a beacon to guide and shape our environmental awareness in a communitarian way.
SHELTERS
- The project has worked in 4 libraries out of the 13 that make up the municipal network of Seville.
- 12 librarians have collaborated in the design together with 42 creators (12 teachers and 30 students) linked to the Chair of Climate Comfort of the University of Seville, and with the mediation of a team of 6 people.
- The 4 libraries where they have been installed receive 68,597 visits per year, and since 21 June 2023 they can enjoy these "gardens".
- 100 plants belonging to 29 species are part of the first biotopes installed.
COLLECTION
- 40 activists and academics involved in the climate emergency have participated in donating and recommending essential books to expand the #Accion por el clima bibliographic collection. The titles are accompanied by reviews by the different participants. There are now 419 books in the collection.
- The collection is accessible to all citizens, especially to the 330,627 users of Sevillian libraries. 8,531,941 users of Andalusian libraries can also access them through the interlibrary loan system.
- The reach of this initiative on social networks is reflected in 27,063 reproductions of the contents generated for Instagram with 2,275 likes between March and July 2023.
RITUALS
- 104 creators participated directly in the 4 meetings consisting of book "offerings", dramatised readings, dialogues and musical "prayers" attended by approximately 400 people.
- 48 people took part in the 4 public workshops linked to the botany of indoor spaces, the manufacture of devices to reuse water from toilets or the manufacture of soaps compatible with plant watering (made from plant extracts from the plants used in the garden). Precisely the design of these devices and processes has been carried out with the aim of facilitating their replication in other environments, institutional or domestic, either through workshops or "Do it yourself" instructions.
- The project has worked in 4 libraries out of the 13 that make up the municipal network of Seville.
- 12 librarians have collaborated in the design together with 42 creators (12 teachers and 30 students) linked to the Chair of Climate Comfort of the University of Seville, and with the mediation of a team of 6 people.
- The 4 libraries where they have been installed receive 68,597 visits per year, and since 21 June 2023 they can enjoy these "gardens".
- 100 plants belonging to 29 species are part of the first biotopes installed.
COLLECTION
- 40 activists and academics involved in the climate emergency have participated in donating and recommending essential books to expand the #Accion por el clima bibliographic collection. The titles are accompanied by reviews by the different participants. There are now 419 books in the collection.
- The collection is accessible to all citizens, especially to the 330,627 users of Sevillian libraries. 8,531,941 users of Andalusian libraries can also access them through the interlibrary loan system.
- The reach of this initiative on social networks is reflected in 27,063 reproductions of the contents generated for Instagram with 2,275 likes between March and July 2023.
RITUALS
- 104 creators participated directly in the 4 meetings consisting of book "offerings", dramatised readings, dialogues and musical "prayers" attended by approximately 400 people.
- 48 people took part in the 4 public workshops linked to the botany of indoor spaces, the manufacture of devices to reuse water from toilets or the manufacture of soaps compatible with plant watering (made from plant extracts from the plants used in the garden). Precisely the design of these devices and processes has been carried out with the aim of facilitating their replication in other environments, institutional or domestic, either through workshops or "Do it yourself" instructions.
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