Libraries across the United Kingdom are turning into climate classrooms this week. Green Libraries Week 2026 runs from Wednesday 21 October to Wednesday 28 October 2026, with hundreds of libraries hosting events that help people find reliable climate facts and spot misinformation.
The national week is led by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP). It is an annual celebration of the role libraries play in supporting climate action and sustainability, from public libraries on the high street to national, health and academic libraries.
What is Green Libraries Week 2026?
Green Libraries Week is the national, annual celebration of libraries leading climate and sustainability initiatives for their users and communities. It connects libraries across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, and showcases inventive activities that build skills and confidence at every stage of life.
Alongside the main week, CILIP’s Green Library Hubs project is running hub events across the UK. The three-year project, which began in September 2025 and is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, aims to establish 10 community-led climate action spaces in public libraries, in partnership with the British Library, Julie’s Bicycle and CAG Consultants.
This year’s theme: climate facts against misinformation
The 2026 theme is “Climate Facts for a greener future: Navigating mis- and disinformation in libraries”. The focus reflects a practical problem: people hear conflicting claims about climate change every day, and libraries want to be the trusted place where they can check what is true.
Dorset Council, whose libraries are taking part throughout the week, says the theme feels particularly relevant after a year in which flooding and extreme heat affected communities across the UK. Councillor Ben Wilson, the council’s Cabinet Member for Transformation, Customer and Workforce, said libraries are “trusted places where people can learn, explore ideas and discover practical ways to make a difference”.
The theme also lands at a moment of high public concern. A recent national survey found that 85% of adults in Great Britain said climate change had affected them in the past year, up from 66% in 2024. Read our earlier report on that record climate-awareness survey here.
What libraries are doing this week
Events range from fact-checking games for children to repair cafés for adults. Here are some of the activities announced by library services:
Fact Fixers Challenge
Blackburn with Darwen Libraries are challenging children to find the false facts hidden within the library, then head to a detective station and use different books to make them right.
The Fact-Checker’s Lab
Pancras Square Library is running a session on do-it-yourself natural cleaning versus greenwashing, helping visitors identify misleading marketing claims and uncover the science behind safe, effective eco-cleaning.
Upcycling, repair and nature
Gateshead Library is hosting an upcycling fashion workshop, while Redruth Library is showing residents how to run a repair café, so broken items get fixed and reused instead of thrown away. In Shropshire, libraries are hosting Master Composters pop-ups, upcycling family crafts, Recycled Robots and Green Story Builders, and five libraries are screening “The People’s Emergency Briefing”.
Climate stories and fungi
The British Library is delivering a session on writing climate fiction that inspires joyful action rather than climate anxiety. Guildford Library has planned a talk on mushrooms and fungi and how fungi might help the planet, and Western Isles libraries are hosting workshops and talks including Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the Highlands.
FAKTA
- When: Wednesday 21 October to Wednesday 28 October 2026.
- Where: Libraries across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
- Led by: The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).
- 2026 theme: Climate Facts for a greener future: Navigating mis- and disinformation in libraries.
- Hubs project: Green Library Hubs, a three-year project funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, building 10 community-led climate action spaces.
Why libraries matter for climate awareness
Libraries reach people that climate campaigns often miss: children, older residents, families and anyone who walks in off the street. They are free, local and trusted, and their staff can point visitors to books, data and local projects rather than leaving them to sort truth from rumour online.
In Dorset, libraries are also working with Nature Recovery Dorset on a Nature Recovery Facts Challenge, helping residents discover more about local wildlife, habitats and biodiversity. In Wales, Monmouthshire Libraries are using green spaces at their Chepstow, Usk and Caldicot libraries to grow community involvement in greener living.
Conclusion
Green Libraries Week 2026 treats climate awareness as a practical skill, not a slogan. By teaching people to check facts, question greenwashing and try reuse and repair for themselves, libraries are giving their communities tools that last long after the week ends on 28 October.
