Sustainable Library Equipment in the Green Library Movement: International Practices and Implications for Vietnam

Abstract

This article examines sustainable library equipment as an operational dimension of the green library movement, focusing on international practices and their applicability in Vietnam. Using documentary analysis and comparative synthesis, the study reviews academic literature, professional guidelines, and Vietnamese policy documents on library digital transformation and higher-education library standards. The findings identify four major trends: energy-efficient technical systems, human-centred lighting and interior equipment, low-carbon digital infrastructure, and life-cycle-based procurement. International experience shows that equipment sustainability depends not only on technological modernisation but also on environmental performance, user well-being, maintenance capacity, and institutional accountability. For Vietnam, sustainable equipment development is feasible but requires context-sensitive adaptation, clearer green procurement criteria, energy-performance indicators, e-waste management, and professional capacity building.