Vietnamese-German University inclusive library for sustainable development

Abstract

The Vietnamese-German University (VGU) was established through a collaboration between the German government, the Vietnamese government, and the regional government of Hessen, Germany. The university aims to provide German-standard education to local Vietnamese students and students in developing countries in an effort to reduce global inequalities. The university is committed to ensuring sustainability in all its activities and in the university community through innovative social responsibilities. Adhering to the policies on actions, operational principles, and ethics of the university, the VGU Library is an advanced and inspiring academic library model in Vietnam. The library is dedicated to implementing multifaceted initiatives for sustainable development. Recognizing the importance of integrating environmental policies into library practices, the library director co-founded the GREEN Inspiration group and appointed the green library team. This paper explores the VGU library's perspective on sustainable development and introduces the projects and campaigns initiated that have created significant changes and impacts on the VGU community by raising awareness about sustainability both locally and internationally. The VGU library also plays a vital role in inspiring actions and creating awareness about the environment through its library collections, services, shared space and facilities, user education programs, green knowledge sharing, media presence promotion, and sustainability practices within the library. The library’s scope of green practices emphasizes on the implementation of physical, economic, social, and environmental sustainability.