In November 2025, the EUI Library and the EUI gardening society, Orto, launched a new collaboration as part of the ‘Europe Challenge’ programme. That partnership continues to grow, both within the Library and beyond, bringing together sustainability, community, and shared learning.
Supported by the European Cultural Foundation and its partners, ‘Europe Challenge’ brings together teams from libraries and communities to address social, digital, and climate challenges. A core belief of the programme is that libraries and their communities play a vital role in promoting a more inclusive, connected and sustainable Europe.
As part of this initiative, the Library and Orto launched the project ‘From books to beds: a library–garden collaboration for sustainable living’. The project aims to strengthen community ties, foster relationships through gardening, and connect nature with library resources and academic life.
A growing presence in the Library
Since the launch of the project, the collaboration has taken a visible step forward with the installation of the Orto-selected book display just inside the Library entrance, in the Vasco da Gama room.
The display brings together a curated selection of books on gardening, sustainable living, and community design. These resources have been selected by the Orto community in collaboration with the Library and are all available to borrow via the Library catalogue.
To help researchers connect the Library space with the garden itself, the display also features:
- a map showing how to reach the Orto garden from the Library
- bookmarks linking to the online featured collection and highlighting the Library–Orto partnership
Together, these elements reinforce the project’s aim of linking knowledge with practice, moving from books to beds in a very tangible way.
A collaborative, grant-supported initiative
This work forms part of a wider, grant-supported project under the ‘Europe Challenge’ programme. Through this support, the Library and Orto have been able to develop a collaboration that connects sustainability, learning, and community engagement in meaningful ways.
The partnership continues to evolve across both physical and digital spaces, combining curated Library resources, community contributions, and Orto activities in the garden, with the potential to host events in the Library in the future.
Get involved
The community garden will continue to host gardening sessions, events, and workshops, offering opportunities for EUI researchers and staff to get involved.
If you would like to learn more or join Orto, you can contact: euiorto@gmail.com