Green Libraries

Green Libraries Week is back and even better in 2024. 

We've lots happening over next few weeks, starting with the Big Green Read (below) and then some brilliant Green Library activities as part of the forthcoming Student Life Festival 14-25 October 2024 in the Student Life Building and the Library - watch this space for more updates soon. 

Green Libraries Week, 7 - 13 October 2024

We are teaming up with Middlesbrough Public Libraries for The Big Green Read, where everyone in Middlesbrough is invited to read the same book during October and chat to anyone about it. The ‘Big Green Read’ book is The Outrun by Amy Liptrot. The film (starring Saoirse Ronan) is currently on at The Showcase. The Outrun is a memoir about the healing power of nature.

• You will be able to access the e-book from Middlesbrough Public Libraries Borrowbox.
• Alternatively Teesside University students can buy a copy (with a big discount) via Teesside University’s Advance scheme.

Our book group will meet 5.30pm-6.30pm on 8 October, to discuss The Outrun. Please come along and join us either in person or virtually (via Teams).

Student Life Festival 14-25 October 2024 - Green Library Activities

'Feeling Planet: Writing for wellbeing in a changing world' 

Wednesday 16 October, The Lounge Ground Floor Student Life Building 12.30-2.00pm

Come and join our creative writing workshop led by Dr Sophie Nicholls exploring writing about our relationship with nature. The workshop is open to anyone who wishes to try creative writing.

Lunch is provided. You may wish to submit the piece that you write for the zine of nature writing and photography that we hope to create this semester.  

In October 2023, at Teesside University, we held our first ‘Green Fair’; a combined environment, poverty, and hunger awareness event, worked in conjunction with the University’s VolunTees team. Stall holders included local ‘green’ groups, including Tees Valley Wildlife Trust that manages multiple local nature reserves, FareShare and Food Cycle who both redistribute surplus food, the sustainable cycling organisation Sustrans and the University’s TU Green Tees team.

Other attendees raised of awareness of period poverty via the University’s student services team, and also included welfare organisations, including My Sisters Place, an independent 'one stop shop' for women suffering from domestic violence and Nitelightcic, who support personal hygiene for vulnerable individuals. Around 500 students and staff came along to see the stallholders and received advice.

Other work on the day included:

• Our Library reading group discussing Naomi Klein’s article ‘Why Black Lives Matter should transform the climate debate’ published in The Nation magazine in 2014.
• The Student Green Pledge - 66 pledges variously promising to recycle, reduce energy, use public transport, plant trees or undertake litter picking.
• A Library ‘conversation chair’ encouraged debate on local and global environmental issues.

The success of the fair demonstrated students have real environmental concerns and were willing to be proactively green. This has encouraged us to cement the ‘Green Library’ event as an annual fixture into our Library calendar.

Marton Library Friday 11 October 10.30-11.00am 'Let's talk Hogs' - hedgehog health and advice