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Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability

This annual award acknowledges outstanding contributions to the global discourse on environmental sustainability, with a specific focus on books that have a substantial impact on the public's understanding of these crucial issues.

Past Winners
An open book rests on a moss-covered surface with a blurred green forest background,

Announcing the 2026 shortlist

The following books have been shortlisted for the 2026 Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability.

Book cover with bold text reading “A Climate of Truth” by Mike Berners-Lee, featuring large red and black typography over a light blue burst background, with the subtitle, "Why We Need it and How to Get it."

A Climate of Truth: Why We need It and How to Get It
by Mike Berners-Lee
Cambridge University Press

Book cover for We Are Eating the Earth by Michael Grunwald, showing a cracked, fragmented globe on an orange background with subtitle "The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate"

We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate 
by Michael Grunwald
Simon and Schuster

Book cover for "No New Things" by Ashlee Piper, showing bold white text on a yellow background with a shopping cart icon and the subtitle "A 30-day guide to saving money, the planet, and sanity."

No New Things: A Radically Simple 30-Day Guide to Saving Money, the Planet, and Your Sanity
by Ashlee Piper
Celadon Books

Book cover for The Arrogant Ape by Christine Webb, featuring a cracked, statue-like ape in a thinking pose surrounded by animals, with subtitle “The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters.”

The Arrogant Ape: The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters
by Christine Webb
Penguin Random House

Waterfall surrounded by rocks and ferns

About the Prize

The Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability is more than an award; it is a call to action, encouraging authors and thinkers to contribute to the vital discourse on sustaining our planet for future generations.

Printed pattern of black squirrels, green leaves, and other repeating designs in red and green

How to Apply

The window to submit entries for the 2026 Penn Libraries Books Prize in Sustainability has closed. Please check back in early 2027 for information on submitting entries for next year's prize.

Bright white flowers on a tree with a building in the background.

Jurors

Meet the jurors for the 2026 Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability.

Book cover titled "Total Garbage: How We Can Fix Our Waste and Heal Our World" by Edward Humes, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. The cover features a close-up texture of multicolored, fragmented materials resembling garbage, juxtaposed against a foamy ocean wave.

Winners

Learn about the winners of the Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability.

Maps and More

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Staff Information

Resources for Staff Committees