Libraries and Sustainability: Programs and Practices for Community Impact

by René Tanner (Editor), Adrian K. Ho (Editor), Monika Antonelli (Editor), Rebekkah Smith Aldrich (Editor)

Overview

Library workers at all types of organizations, as well as LIS students learning about this newest Core Value of Librarianship, will find this book an easy-to-digest introduction to what staff at a range of libraries have accomplished in incorporating sustainability into their decision making and professional practices. In addition, a discussion about the role of economics and sustainability will challenge readers to stretch in new ways to positively impact their communities.

As a core value of librarianship, sustainability is not an end point but a mindset, a lens through which operational and outreach decisions can be made. And it extends beyond an awareness of the roles that libraries can play in educating and advocating for a sustainable future. As the programs and practices in this resource demonstrate, sustainability can also encompass engaging with communities in discussions about resilience, regeneration, and social justice. Inspiring yet assuredly pragmatic, the many topics explored in this book edited by members of ALA's Sustainability Round Table and ALA’s Special Task Force on Sustainability include

• a discussion of why sustainability matters to libraries and their user communities;
• real-life examples of sustainability programming, transformative community partnerships, collective responses for climate resilience, and green building practices;
• lessons learned and recommendations from library workers who have been active in putting sustainability into practice;
• the intersection of sustainability with the work of equity, diversity, and inclusion;
• suggestions regarding the revision of library and information science curriculum in light of the practical need to build community resilience;
• an examination of how libraries’ efforts to support Doughnut Economics can bolster the United Nations' work on the Sustainable Development Goals, which seek to address the global impacts of climate change; and
• potential collaborators for future sustainability-related initiatives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780838937945
Publisher:	American Library Association
Publication date:	11/08/2021
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

René Tanner is the Science Librarian and Head of Research Services for Olin Library at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She is a former chair of the American Library Association’s Sustainability Round Table and a recent co-chair of the American Library Association's Special Task Force on Sustainability. She has previously published on the topic of seed libraries and their importance in the development of food appreciation and local knowledge of food crops.

Adrian K. Ho is the director of digital scholarship at the University of Kentucky Libraries in Lexington. He was a member of the American Library Association Special Task Force on Sustainability and is a current member of the American Library Association Sustainability Round Table. He has given presentations about libraries, sustainability, and resilience.

Monika Antonelli is an outreach librarian and professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She is the co-editor of the book Greening Libraries, which in 2013 received the Best Business Book award at the Green Book Festival. Her article “The Green Library Movement: An Overview and Beyond” was recently translated into Russian and published in Nauchniye I Tekhnicheskie Biblioteki. She has earned permaculture certification, and currently serves on her university’s Environmental Committee.

Rebekkah Smith Aldrich (MLS, LEED AP) is Executive Director, Mid-Hudson Library System (New York). Her work has focused on library leadership, governance, marketing, and facility design, all with an eye toward inspiring financial investment in libraries. She is the sustainability columnist for Library Journal, cochair of the New York Library Association’s Sustainability Initiative, and a founding member of the American Library Association’s Sustainability Round Table. Named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker, she is a frequent national presenter and writer on the topic of leading libraries forward in smart, practical, and effective ways.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction Sustainability as a Journey Bather than a Destination ix

Part I Leadership

1 Walking the Path to Sustainable Library Certification Jill Davis Jennifer Ferriss Lisa G. Kropp 3

2 Rapid Library Disaster Response and Recovery for Community Resiliency Michele P. Stricker 17

3 Changing Staff Behaviors around Waste Reduction and Diversion Using a Community-Based Social Marketing Approach Amanda Foster Kaufman Brian Cohen Jeff Eller 27

Part II Planning

4 Demystifying Sustainability in Library Buildings Lan Ying Ip Tamar Warburg Lauren Stara Andrea Bunker 39

5 Using Permaculture in Rural Libraries to Help Save the World April Griffith 51

6 Sustainable Event Planning for Libraries and Library Organizations Evan Meszaros Mandi Goodsett 63

Part III Programming

7 How Repair Events at Libraries Can Build Social Infrastructure and Create Sustainable Culture Gabrielle Griffis 75

8 Modeling Sustainable Choices

Practical Suggestions for Librarians Working with Children and Families Larissa M. Clotildes 87

9 Connecting Community through Sustainability

Seeds, Climate Action Kits, and Repair Cafés Jennifer Rowan Aiyang Ma Karen Sharkey 97

Part III Transformation

10 Why We Can't Talk about Sustainability in Libraries without Also Talking about Racism Erin Elzi 107

11 Community-Based Librarianship

A First Step toward Sustainability Ling Hwey Jeng 117

12 Libraries in the Doughnut Economy Monika Antonelli René Tanner Rebekkah Smith Aldrich Adrian K. Ho 127

About The Editors 141

About The Contributors 143

Index 147

Editorial Reviews

"Sustainability is a worldwide goal, and this book showcases how libraries can contribute. The four editors and 17 other contributors are public and academic librarians (and two library architects), who all have substantial experience in this area. The editors assert that sustainability is created by environmentally sound, socially equitable, economically feasible practice ... Librarians will appreciate these practical strategies for community-based sustainability.”
— Booklist

"In her introductory remarks, co-editor Rebekkah Smith Aldrich discusses the 2021 IPCC report which clearly shows what efforts need to be made in all areas if the climate targets for this and the next decade are to be met. Libraries play an important role not only in raising awareness for this topic (“to step into the necessary role as leaders on the topic of sustainability”), but also as actors for climate protection and sustainability (“but to transform the world in a way that combats climate change and builds community resilience”) ... The book is recommended for libraries of all sizes and types - both because of the food for thought and the many practical suggestions for implementing sustainability goals.”
— Beate Hoerning, German Green Library Network

"The local focus of the work describes practical steps to implement greening and sustainable processes to grow a library. The examples of the practical steps of chapters 1-9 are exciting and contagious, making this a go-to book for anyone interested in imple­menting sustainability processes in their library. Chapters 10-12 provide food for thought.”
— Journal of Hospital Librarianship

From the Publisher