Shining a light on Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature Collection items at City Library

New lighting and signage is drawing attention to the City of Literature shelves on the Ground Floor at City Library. Housing a small rotating selection from the City of Literature Collection, which comprises well over 2000 examples of all forms of original writing from Dunedin, it is a celebratory and welcoming space in keeping with Dunedin’s status as a UNESCO City of Literature.

As part of the global UNESCO community, the City of Literature works each day to reinforce the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. The aim of the SDGs is to create a better world through eliminating poverty, and fighting inequality, injustice and climate change.

In March 2019 the Dunedin City Council voted to become a signatory to the United Nations SDGs. The Council also supported an application by Otago Polytechnic to become a United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) for Sustainability. This status was confirmed in January 2020 and Otago Polytechnic became one of 167 RCEs globally that promote education for sustainable development.

The 17 SDGs are displayed above the City of Literature shelves as part of the refreshed display. Each December the City of Literature tweets books from Dunedin that align with the SDGs, one each day, as part of a shared campaign with the 39 Cities of Literature that showcases our local writers across the globe.

Each year in the run-up to Christmas Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature participates in a 17-day international campaign celebrating some extraordinary recent titles that illuminate the Sustainable Development Goals. Our shiny new poster captures the campaign and is proudly displayed in the City of Literature space, Ground Floor, City Library where it is already generating keen interest – so much so that we plan to produce a new poster each year!