Year of Sustainability

17 goals - your future! Sustainability concerns every one of us - and we can all be part of the change. The 17 global sustainability goals set by the United Nations show the path to a more just and more sustainable future.

Small activities, big impact - all ideas count!

As part of the Year of Sustainability, we make ideas visible, tangible and, at best, encourage imitation. Every month, we focus on different goals: media exhibitions, events and hands-on activities will accompany you through the year.

Activities in September / Oktober 2025

September: “SichtBar” (Visible) – Project by library trainees – For more information, visit: SichtBAR – Making sustainability in the Rhein-Sieg district visible, tangible, and participatory!
September 26, 2025: Green and digital! Towards a climate-resilient university – lecture & dialogue – an event organized by the H-BRS sustainability management team in cooperation with the library – Flexraum in the Sankt Augustin library
October: Second hand to go – new life for used items – Sankt Augustin and Rheinbach libraries
October 9, 2025, 4 p.m.: Facets of transformation: Toni Loh: We, Transformers! Sketch of a social (technological) transformation – Flexraum in the Sankt Augustin Library
October 15, 2025, 6–7:30 p.m.: Kick-off student conference – Pro and con debate on “Unconditional basic income” | Student conference / ZEV, Center for Ethics and Responsibility
October 27 - November 16, 2025 - We are pART of culture - Queer personalities in European history - Sankt Augustin and Rheinbach Library
- October 28, 2025, 12:30 p.m.: Vernissage followed by a workshop on empowerment at the Rheinbach Library (registration required)
October 30, 2025: Literary gossip: Sustainability – reading for the future – Sankt Augustin Library, Literature Cabinet
October 30, 2025: Guest on the sofa: Bettina Flitner: My Mother – novel – Sankt Augustin Library

Upcoming events:

November 10, 2025, 4 p.m.: Facets of Transformation: Barbara Hillen-Haas – Perspectives on Gender Equality Work at H-BRS – FlexRoom in the Sankt Augustin Library
November 17, 2025, 4 p.m.: Facets of Transformation: Remi Maier-Rigaud – Perspective on Sustainable Social Policy – FlexRoom in the Sankt Augustin library

A big thank you to Deutsche Telekom for their sponsorship.

Program for the first half of the year: An exciting kick-off event, hands-on activities, an exhibition, and a reading in Rheinbach

Kick-off event for the Year of Sustainability:
April 1, 2025, 5–7 p.m.: Panel discussion “Sustainability perspectives in business”
Sankt Augustin Library
An event with Christine Böhmer (Senior Partner Manager Circulation) and students. Moderator: Prof. Dr. Klaus Lehmann.
In cooperation with the Center for Ethics and Responsibility (ZEV) at H-BRS.
The special exhibition “Media Sustainability” will open on this evening. The new media shelves were purchased with the kind support of Deutsche Telekom.

April Plant Exchange - Surplus perennials, bulbs, seeds, cuttings, or vegetable seedlings can be exchanged at the library.
Rheinbach & Sankt Augustin Library

April - June 2025 monthly: International Craft and Sewing Meetup - Jill Yates (Language Center)
Sankt Augustin Library

May 12, 2025, 7:30 p.m.: Matthias Glaubrecht: “The silent death of nature - How we can save biodiversity and ourselves”
An event as part of the “Zu Gast auf dem Sofa” (Guest on the Sofa) reading series - Rheinbach Library

June: Second hand to go – new life for used items. We exchange items in good condition – free of charge and sustainably.
The principle behind the campaign is simple: the exchange shelf contains everyday items that are looking for a new home. Anyone can take these items away free of charge and reuse them. This makes an important contribution to waste prevention.
What can you find on the exchange shelf?
e.g. household/kitchen items, games, decorative items
Rheinbach & Sankt Augustin Library