Green Libraries

Striving for a balance between economic development and environmental protection is an ambitious goal requiring sufficient information on the part of all actors. Public libraries can play an important role in acting as promoters of knowledge on environmental sustainability. The researchers analysed the status of German public libraries and their efforts towards a sustainable society. We considered the libraries’ collections and created a questionnaire, asking librarians to evaluate the current situation in their library. The results show that many libraries promote environmental sustainability by highlighting books and other media on several subtopics through special conventions or shelves. Energy meters were the most frequently mentioned tools provided to sensitize to the topic. Furthermore, libraries organize several information events. Therefore, partnerships with other organizations and schools are of utmost importance. Beside these efforts, there is still more potential to promote environmental sustainability. Often, the lack of budget and personnel poses a challenge.

Awarded annually by the Evanston (IL) Public Library. Honors children’s literature that strengthens kids’ connections with nature and fosters action for the planet.

Bibliographic essay on web resources for identifying and locating films with environmental themes.

Describes the Eugene (OR) Public Library Technical Services Department's efforts to recycle their discarded materials, rather than throwing them away. Includes a good discussion of the barriers encountered during the project and how they were overcome.

This article considers three facets of collection development: 1) Selection of materials whose content informs and assesses green practices; 2) de-selection processes that emphasize reusing and recycling materials; 3) selection of a material format that honors the green dictum to reduce the carbon footprint an institution makes.

Collections librarians from academic libraries are often asked, on short notice, to evaluate whether their collections are able to support changes in their institutions' curricula, such as new programs or courses or revisions to existing programs or courses. With insufficient time to perform an exhaustive critique of the collection and a need to prepare a report for faculty external to the library, a selection of reliable but brief qualitative and quantitative tests is needed. In this study, materials-centered and use-centered methods were chosen to evaluate the toxicology collection of the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) Library. Strengths and weaknesses of the techniques are reviewed, along with examples of their use in evaluating the toxicology collection. The monograph portion of the collection was evaluated using list checking, citation analysis, and classified profile methods. Cost-effectiveness and impact factor data were compiled to rank journals from the collection. Use-centered methods such as circulation and interlibrary loan data identified highly used items that should be added to the collection. Finally, although the data were insufficient to evaluate the toxicology electronic journals at the U of S, a brief discussion of three initiatives that aim to assist librarians as they evaluate the use of networked electronic resources in their collections is presented.

Annotated bibliography of sustainability titles recommended for public and academic library collections. Includes suggestions for criteria to use when weeding older materials in this subject area.

EGJ is a peer-reviewed digital journal providing open access to scholarly, international environmental information since 1994. It is published semiannually by the UCLA Library. An excellent source of reviews of sustainability resources.

A guide to films with environmental themes.

Environmental issues provide the backdrop for an array of novels, from suspense to romance to comedy. This bibliography includes books for young adults and adults.

Suggestions from GRNSCH-L, an e-mail list for sustainability professionals working in higher education.

GreenDisk standard services enable individuals and organizations to conveniently recycle small amounts of mixed technotrash including everything from a CD to a PC. GreenDisk also offers custom solutions for recycling large amounts of technotrash.

Annual award given to books that inspire young readers to appreciate and care for the environment. Awards are given in January of each year. Categories include picture book, children's fiction, young adult fiction, and non-fiction. Includes lists of current and past winners.

Organizations that help libraries dispose of weeded materials.

Gone are the days of tiptoeing to the dumpsters with boxes of weeded books in tow. Lots of libraries are now taking advantage of the many low-cost services and solutions that promise to help extend the lives of collection discards. Some of these options can be very profitable. Some create goodwill within the local community. Some may seem more labor-intensive, while others require only a computer, a printer, and a few free shipping labels. Thanks to the ever-growing number of possibilities, libraries can select the solutions that best match their own staffing levels and space issues. Above all, every single library--no matter the size, budget, type, or location--can actively participate in "green weeding," another form of library resource sharing. The act of weeding itself obviously ensures that collections, like gardens, stay green and healthy, but libraries can also strive to reduce their footprint by making conscious and collective efforts to pursue only environmentally friendly discard options. This article discusses some ecofriendly options for library discards.

Recommended or authored by SEJ members, environmental fiction and Covering Pollution by SEJ & Investigative Reporters and Editors.

This issue of Against the Grain is devoted to sustainability in collection development.

Annotated list of the top ten environmental books for youth reviewed in Booklist in 2024. Appears in the March 1 issue but appears to be irregular. Includes both fiction and non-fiction.

Annotated list of the top ten environmental books reviewed in Booklist in 2025. Appears in the March 1 issue each year.

Excellent resource for reviews of new sustainability books.

The Video Project collection includes award-winning programs for all ages, including Oscar and Emmy award-winners from over 200 independent filmmakers worldwide. Topics include the environment, science, health, and global issues.

Offers some suggestions for what to do with weeded magazines and old dust jackets.

This survey report is for a survey conducted as part of an IMLS Sparks! Ignition Grant for
Libraries project. This survey intended to find out about the current state of weeding practices in
libraries. An informal discussion of the data is included with many direct quotes and word cloud
graphics. Overall findings suggest there is an apparent disconnect between library acquisition
and weeding and there appears to be an increasing interest in repurposing and reusing library material. Suggestions for future research are included.