Sustainability
at UHDB Library
The Library and Knowledge Service have a number of resources available to support the sustainability aims of the UHDB Trust and the wider NHS.
Green Grant - Update
We have recently been successful as a Library service to secure a Green Grant from NHS England to support sustainability projects. Here is where the money has been used:
Adding to our sustainability book collections at both sites.
New titles on green spaces/ plant care and propagation and sustainable living by repair not replace.
Bookmarks to promote our books going "Plastic Free".
We have bought some more plants for the library space:
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Office friendly plants with a guide on how to look after them, We've created a guide in our Green Spaces section further down the page. Each of our plants are labelled with name and a brief care guide too.
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Propagation station - and guides on how to multiply your plants!
Seed Swap Box
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Donate any unwanted seed packs, or try planting something new! We also have envelopes if you want to harvest your own garden seeds to donate.
Wool Exchange
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Donate unused wool, and take some to craft with! Perfect for making those winter woolies! Surplus will be used to make twiddlemitts for our patients.
Bring in your old wool to our wool exchange and swap for some you'd like. We are also encouraging making Twiddlemitts as a knitting project, and to support our patients. Wool can be used from our wool exchange box at our RDH site, and patterns can be downloaded here, or picked up from our library.
The Collection!
In 2024 we've introduced a new Sustainability Book Collection at both sites, and you can view these in the sustainability list here.
We've also incorporated some nationally purchased e-books, which can be accessed through Kortext. For more information on the collection and how to access see the information on this page below!
Bye Bye plastic wrapping!
From June 2024 we have stopped covering our books in plastic wrapping. This is reducing plastic use and preventing harmful microplastics being added to the environment when books are sent for recycling. Please take extra care with our uncovered books, to help us prolong the lifespan of our printed materials.
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Check out the 'buzz' around our new book collection.....
Lib-bee
Please be aware of copyright when using our resources. If you have any queries around usage/ copying of our materials, please get in touch with a member of library staff or find out more here: https://library.hee.nhs.uk/resources/copyright.
How to find the collection
Browsing
We have book stock at both library sites. At the RDH library, the sustainability collection can be found with the Leisure Collection, in the room where the University of Nottingham computers are located:
At QHB, the sustainability books can be found on the carousel next to the office, with the Health and Wellbeing collection:
Searching
For detailed help in finding things in our library catalogue, you can go to our page Using Koha | UHDB library
There you will find out about our classification system and how to tell which books are held at which site.
If you go to the Koha home page, you can find the sustainability collection by searching "sustainability" in the search bar, or by finding the list in the drop down at the top of the page:
Kortext E-books
You can access Nationally purchased sustainability e-books though the Kortext platform. You can follow the links through from the Koha catalogue entries, or you can browse the collection within Kortext itself by signing up/ signing in here: https://app.kortext.com/identity/signin
You will need a valid OpenAthens account to access the e-books, and once you've created your personal account you will be able to log in and it will remember you!
You will then also be able to see your personal library:
For more information on using Kortext, speak to a member of library staff or click on the Kortext button on our Resources Help page
You can also sign up for an OpenAthens account here.
You can also keep up to date with information by signing up to KnowledgeShare to get regular e-mail alerts. These can not only be in chosen areas relating to health topics, but there is also the option to choose Climate Change and Environmental Risks factors:
It's very easy to sign up, and you can select how often you'd like to receive updates.
Just fill out the KnowledgeShare form here, and remember to add Climate Change as an area of interest!
Recent evidence:
Report
Plastic smart hospitals: a review of plastic usage within the hospital sector: exploring methods to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic.
Mepex; 2024.
https://handelensmiljofond.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/reports/Plastsmart-Sykehus-Tiltakspakke-nasjonal-okt-23_ENG_v3_low-res.pdf
[Single-use plastic serves to save time, streamline infection control, and maintain sterility standards. However, the widespread reliance on plastic significantly impacts our health, the natural environment, and the climate. There is an urgent need to reassess our dependence on plastic and its extensive use, also within the healthcare sector.]
Freely available online
Systematic Review / Meta-Analysis
Governance related factors influencing the implementation of sustainability in hospitals: A systematic literature review.
van Schie. Health Policy 2024;:Pre print.
[Climate change is a pressing issue that has a negative impact on the planet but also on public health. The healthcare sector contributes to environmental pollution, while it aims to improve health. Therefore, its environmental sustainability should be improved. This study focuses on the governance of sustainability in hospitals, since hospitals are the largest operational units in the healthcare system and can therefore make a large impact.]
Freely available online
We'll be looking at introducing more greenery into the library by adding more indoor plants. We're also aiming to increase education around keeping plants and are looking into developing a seed library in the future. Check out our books on plants and gardening!
If you would like to donate any houseplants to the library, please let us know!
Green Spaces
The following links are freely available on the web, and are provided for information.
We are not responsible for the content of external websites that are linked from our web pages.
10 Best Indoor Plants to Improve Your Health and Home (goodhousekeeping.com)
8 Low-Light Houseplants That Can Survive Shady Rooms (realsimple.com)
How to Grow Microgreens - BBC Gardeners World Magazine
How to Grow Cress for Grown-Ups (growveg.co.uk)
Houseplants: to support human health / RHS Gardening
https://www.lovethatleaf.co.nz/blogs/plant-care-guides/how-to-water-propagate-indoor-plants
And for outside....
10 Plants for Butterflies | BBC Gardeners World Magazine
UHDB Plant Guide
Click on one of our Library plants, to find out more about them!
Make and Mend
One area of sustainable practices we want to promote, is the idea of repairing and mending rather than replacing. An area we are looking at initially is clothing and textile, and the move away from fast fashion and consumerism into recycling, repairing and sharing.
We have a few books ordered on this very subject, so watch this space!
Why replace when you can repair? — That’s Not My Age (thatsnotmyage.com)
Kintsugi - The Art of Repair
Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese method of repairing and bringing beauty to broken pottery using "Urushi" (Japanese Lacquer), dusted with gold. In this way, the cracks and breaks are highlighted and the damage is 'honoured' rather than hidden. It is also a kind of philosophy, to celebrate and embrace flaws and imperfections and forming something new and treasured.
There are workshops that you can attend to learn how to do this, places where you can send your precious pieces to be mended using the Kintsugi method and even DIY kits that you can buy*. Some even come with practice pottery pieces to break!
So rather than ditching your broken pottery objects, why not try this method. It is not only a way of creating new pieces and rescuing treasured objects, but it's also sustainable!
*Please make sure that you use a food-safe kit if putting together ceramics used in cooking, eating or drinking.
Feedback and suggestions
To submit our feedback survey go to the form here:
For more general feedback or comments, contact the library at uhdb.library@nhs.net or use our contact form