Healthy tea and second-hand bookstores

During two afternoons in the cosy courtyard of the library, situated in the old town, people were invited to visit tents where the second-hand bookstores “Juodas šuo” and “Pelėdų knygos” offered their books, also the second-hand stuff shop “Mikis” was present. Visitors could also find the exposition of books about sustainability, prepared by librarians, the Books exchange shelf, where everybody could choose a book in exchange for a desirable donation to the exotic animals shelter „Exotic SOS“.

The tearoom “Šermukšnynė“ (“Near a rowan”) held by the librarian Vida was very popular under visitors during both days. Every visitor could enjoy a cup or two of rowan, mint, caraway and other sorts healthy tea with a teaspoon of honey or rowan fruits jam. Via library social networks and other communication channels people were encouraged to bring their own cups for tea, but there were also cups at place and no disposable cups or teaspoons were used.

Representatives of environmental initiative “Kita forma” and waste management organization “Žaliasis taškas” were also present in the courtyard and gave ideas and suggestions about repetitive stories of objects – how to reuse the old stuff in creative processes, answered questions about waste management etc.

Diversity of educations

Every hour during the sustainability afternoons there were educational activities held in the courtyard of Vilnius County Adomas Mickevičius Public Library. Visitors from children to seniors could join to an education and learn how to make a book cover from jeans cloth, a book mark from a cloth coloured with plants, a greetings card from recycled paper, to join to the book restoration activity, try decoupage on glass and much more. A 17 years old artist who doesn’t see from his birth taught how to reuse old stuff to make piece of art only by touching, while not seeing it – participants of this education must wear black eye masks. Communication experts invited to a session of making contact by using six senses.

And even more – everybody could try to use a bike standing in the courtyard and see how an electricity is generated – while pedalling, a lamp lights up. The bike with a dynamo mechanism was constructed by the library enthusiasts. There is an initiative to develop this mechanism and to have an example of green energy standing in the library in the future.