Enthusiasm was evident throughout the presentation as Egherman spoke about the responsibility to promote green practices within libraries (beyond the obvious considerations like building design and construction materials). One example that I hadn't previously considered but makes complete sense is the placement of bookshelves around exterior walls. This creates additional insulation, but does bring a few questions to mind:
1) How would arranging books in this manner impact the user experience?
2) How would fluctuation in temperature impact the books' durability? (We talk about climate control, especially during the summer months when humidity tends to creep in and curl our journal covers, but would using books in this way compromise our efforts to preserve materials?)
Egherman brought up big questions like:
How have smart phones, student laptops & tablets, and other devices impacted the power needs of libraries, and how can we be more proactive about how we handle those needs?
Should students be able to use the library as an e-recycling point for their electronics?
How do libraries and universities dispose of their discarded electronics?
Is cloud power greener than on-site storage?
Which resource is greener, print or e-book (keeping in mind user habits)?
Moving forward, what can individual libraries & larger library systems do to reverse their carbon footprint?
We all know of the daily can-dos. Things like using recycled paper products, carpooling, choosing reusable materials over disposable, double-sided printing, and choosing eco-friendly fonts (like Century Gothic, which uses less ink), but what else can we do?
Others brought up an important point noting that manpower must also be sustainable, and there are certain limits to which it can be stretched. This needs to be considered when looking at implementing a green initiative. Do the green benefits outweigh the costs to the institution, the population you serve, and to the staff.
One of the most helpful parts of this presentation, beyond just getting a dialogue started, was the great selection of resources Egherman shared. Below are a few:
- The Nature of College by James J. Farrell
- The Green Library (blog)
- Time to Eat the Dog?: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living by Robert and Brenda Vale
- Handprinter.org
- Sustainability Librarians group on LinkedIn (contains discussions & information on upcoming webinars)
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