Upscaling sustainable collaborative consumption using public libraries

In the UPSCALE project, we have aimed to explore the extent to which libraries can be a driving force for a more sustainable development based on their central function and long-term experience related to lending activities. This research focus comes out of a general understanding that in today's society consumption pattern are in conflicts with the goal of a more sustainable society, and that scaling up sharing, lending and repairing will be an important contribution to change this. Based on a combination of statistical analyses and qualitative in-depth studies in Norway and Denmark, we have identified important learning points that can be used to point out measures that support these types of activities in the future and contribute to more sustainable consumption habits. A key methodological and theoretical starting point for the research has been to explore opportunities and conditions for sustainable development driven by local experiments in which libraries have been involved. This builds on previous research showing that experiments that engage users can support learning and create synergies across sectors of society. The cases explored display significant variation: while the local libraries in some of the cases are closely integrated with lending centres, other places they have a looser connection, or they use other approaches to promote sustainable consumption. In one of the Norwegian cases, the libraries' use their experience and infrastructure (library cards) for assisting in lending out hardware tools in commercial shops. The different ways in which libraries engage in object sharing are described as four central strategies, called; Central, Arena, Infrastructure and Change Agent. The project does not provide a basis for determining the extent to which some of these constellations are better or more desirable than others. However, we have gained important knowledge about the key opportunities and challenges these strategies imply for libraries, and their potential for transformation. Further development of sharing solutions in society requires knowledge of how sharing is done today, and the motives and attitudes of the population in general towards loans and sharing. Two surveys have been conducted to map these conditions in selected Norwegian municipalities. First, a panel survey with informants in the municipalities of Tromsø, Nordre-Follo, Lier, Drammen and Lillestrøm. Secondly, a survey of users of local libraries, distributed with the help of the local libraries that are partners in the project. Both datasets have been exploited in publications within the project and in a summary report. In addition, a survey has been conducted on the interest in neighborhood sharing solutions among OBOS members in Oslo and eight other Norwegian cities. A key assumption is that lending objects contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. UPSCALE has explored this further by conducting a life cycle assessment (or LCA, short for life cycle assessment) of some lending schemes. The analyses show which parts contribute to large greenhouse gas emissions and further which possible measures can be conceivable to cut emissions. A key finding is that the distance to the place of borrowing for the inhabitants is crucial, as a large distance can generate high CO2 emissions. How often the lending centers purchase new equipment will also have a significant impact on the overall climate footprint. In sum, UPSCALE has shown that sharing through local trials can contribute to sustainable development in various fields. It is particularly important that it has strengthened social sustainability in the local communities, by providing more opportunities to participate in arenas they would otherwise have been excluded from, for example in various types of outdoor life. This was evident both in the cases where libraries had followed a “centralized” strategy, but also for the libraries that worked to develop common “arenas” to support sustainable practices and social activities. The quantitative surveys indicated that communities with dense social networks had more sharing, but also that involvement in sharing activities in itself strengthened the local social ties. Further development of the schemes can nevertheless benefit from a stronger focus on how to develop sustainable consumption along several of the sustainability dimensions. The goal should be to develop solutions for strong sustainable development where both economic, social, cultural and environmental dimensions are taken into account and create synergies.

The project has produced impact for the library sector suggesting strategies and for engaging citizens in various sharing and re-use activities. Drawing on multiple in-depth case studies, the project has outlined benefits and challenges related to five different transition strategies. Insights from case studies in Norway and Denmark is documented in a report that can be further used by libraries and librarians. For policymakers, the project has developed guidelines for designing policy packages that are likely to be most efficient and powerful for a further acceleration of collaborative consumption. This includes new knowledge about the potential impact of different forms of local sharing initiatives on sustainability measures, based on life-cycle assessment analyses. The public partners has received valuable knowledge about how libraries can operate to build social cohesiveness and enhance engagements for sharing in local communities. The business enterprise partner (Jernia) has harvested unique experiences based on a field experiment with sharing of tools, providing insights valuable for development of new business models. All insights have been documented in a separate report to the partners. A total of 11 peer-reviewed articles have been produced, as well as 3 reports, 1 MA thesis and 1 PhD thesis. In addition, a number of presentations have been given on scientific conferences and seminars. These results represents significant contributions in the scientific literature on sustainable collaborative consumption, grassroots innovations and socio-technical innovation dynamics.

Transformation to a sustainable society requires major changes in how we organize our societies, also in how and what we consume and produce. Circular economic perspectives are needed to ensure a closed loop between outtake of natural resources and use and reuse of those in production and consumption; a system that is regenerative in its design. Sharing of goods and services represent one way to ensure more sustainable consumption both with beneficial environmental, social and economic effects. Public libraries are in in a unique, but largely unexploited, position to take lead as a facilitator for upscaling of shared consumption due to its current position as an institution organizing sharing and lending. This project will conduct extensive comparative case studies of local communities where local public libraries are facilitating sharing of tools, sports and leisure equipment as well as sharing of knowledge and information. The project will rely on a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches within the framework of a case study design. Case of local sharing coordinated by local public libraries in four cities will be studied over a period of two years. An innovative functionality applied in the cases is to use the library key card as an access point for borrowing and sharing various types of items, also outside the library facilities. The project seeks to engage a broad specter of citizens and it will actively involve local partners from public and private enterprises, as well as NGOs. The Upscale- project will deliver critical knowledge about how public libraries can operate as motors for transitions to greener consumer practices, while at the same time strengthening local communities and facilitating social innovations for collaborative consumption. It will also develop novel estimations of sustainability impacts and reduction in climate emissions based on a strong foundation of quantitative and qualitative data.