Digital Bookcase – How to Share, Spare and Care

Within the framework of our Sustainability Unit's efforts, we identified a recurring issue: documents withdrawn from collections or rejected as donations are often destroyed or recycled without exploring whether they might hold value for other departments or libraries in the network. Recognizing this as an opportunity for sustainable practice, the Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire de Lausanne (BCUL) proposed a solution to extend the lifecycle of these materials. The idea aligned with BCUL's commitment to sustainability: developing an easy-to-use tool to manage a list of items available for redistribution, eliminating the need for manual re-entry of bibliographic data and reducing unnecessary storage time. The result is an in-house online tool that streamlines the sharing process and ensures efficient management. Key features of the current version include: Adding books via queries to multiple catalogs (e.g., Renouvaud network, BnF, Google Books, Wikipedia, Open Library, LoC, DNB) or manually. Removing books manually or automatically after 30 days if unclaimed. Facilitating requests for available items via an automated email system. Providing usage statistics on shared or permanently removed items. Launched in the summer of 2024, the "Virtual Bookcase" is currently operational within BCUL’s six libraries. Preliminary feedback highlights its practicality and potential to reduce waste while fostering collaboration. Future plans include extending the tool across the Renouvaud library network, encompassing over 150 libraries, and introducing new functionalities such as push notifications, advanced filters, and enhanced statistical analysis. This innovative approach not only promotes resource sharing but also embodies a scalable, sustainable model for libraries seeking to optimize collections and minimize waste.