The “A Nossa Casa Comum” (Our Common Home) project, the result of a partnership between the Municipality of Loulé and the Manuel Viegas Guerreiro Foundation, won third place on Tuesday in the international “Best Green Library Project” award, presented by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). The award ceremony took place in Astana, Kazakhstan, as part of the organisation’s International Congress.
Created in 2020 from donations of children’s books, this small library in Querença was designed to raise awareness among new generations about environmental preservation and the value of biodiversity. Part of the Manuel Gomes Guerreiro Eco-Botanical Trail and run by the Manuel Viegas Guerreiro Foundation, ‘A Nossa Casa Comum’ offers children an interactive experience in which books become a starting point for learning about, creating and caring for the planet.
Among the most emblematic initiatives associated with the library are the group ‘Os Pequenos Naturalistas de Querença’ (The Little Naturalists of Querença), the core of the award-winning application, and ‘Os Leitores de Bem-Querença’ (The Readers of Bem-Querença). The space also hosts innovative projects such as L.E.R. Cãofiante, which promotes animal-assisted reading sessions, in collaboration with EB1/JI de Querença and the Loulé City Council.
The distinction is particularly significant as it is the only Portuguese representation among the winners of the international competition. For IFLA and UNESCO, libraries such as ‘A Nossa Casa Comum’ demonstrate the essential role of these institutions in supporting Education for Sustainable Development, encouraging curiosity, environmental responsibility and collective commitment to a more balanced and conscious future.