Tebello Sengoara’s Green Shelf Network idea imagines a place where you could borrow a book and a spade in one visit!
Linden, Johannesburg (05 August 2025) – The 33-year-old library assistant from Linden Library, Tebello Sengoara, recently went under the spotlight at the 2025 Next Library Changemaker Awards, an international platform that celebrates bold new ideas in the library space.
Tebello’s concept didn’t take the top prize; that honour went to two inventive projects from Greece and Italy.
The Take Away Library Packs from Athens Comics Library offered families DIY storytelling kits during the pandemic, while Italy’s Craft, Play, Share! encouraged children and caregivers to turn recyclables into board games.
Still, Tebello’s Green Shelf Network stood out. While it wasn’t selected as a winning pilot, it received an honorary mention, a meaningful nod that comes with recognition at the conference, exposure in the international library community, and the chance to refine her idea with input from around the world.
“It was an exciting moment when I heard I received an honorary mention. It proves that libraries can lead our City towards a greener future,” says Tebello, as per the City of Johannesburg.
Though it’s still just a concept for now, the Green Shelf Network imagines a future where library shelves would double as seedling stations, recycled bookcases would become modular gardens, and residents could check out gardening tools along with their latest read. Workshops on composting and eco-literacy hosted at the library would round it all out nicely.
“I would be ecstatic because it covers so many aspects – hunger, literacy and community. It’s a huge passion of mine to serve the community. I guess that’s why I work in libraries,” she adds.
Tebello thanks her e-Learning Manager, Jeff Nyoka, for encouraging her to enter the awards.
She says that seeing the idea brought to life in Johannesburg libraries would be a dream come true.
“When I imagine it in action, I picture a rooftop garden with sunlight, and residents gardening and learning together.”
She joined the City of Johannesburg as a relief worker in 2019 and was appointed as a library assistant in 2021. With a background in curation, media, and the creative sector, Tebello is no stranger to catching good ideas.
A self-confessed jazz junkie, she collects records, visits galleries and finds creative in all aspects of her colourful life.
“When I’m not being creative at work, I’m creative in my personal space,” she says.
Her hope is that libraries could also become spaces where sustainability and community take root.
Sources: Linked above.
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