Green Libraries

BikeSmart is a free bike share service administered by the Stark County Library District. Thanks to a community partners at Stark Parks, Canton Parks and Recreation and Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA), they were able to completely subsidize the costs of the Zagster bike share system to provide a free bike share for all residents of Stark County.

In 2015, the planted raised beds to grow food for our local food bank. With staff and volunteers working together, they donate about 130 pounds of food each season.

The New Orleans Public Library partnered with Glassroots, the nonprofit arm of Glass Half Full, to provide glass recycling drop-off at 3 locations. Glass is recycled into sand and glass cullet for coastal restoration, eco-construction, and more. This sustainability initiative diverts glass from the landfill and repurposes it for positive community impact.

Vaughan Public Libraries partnered with the York Region Food Network, Reena Community Farm, and others to offer Growing Together, a full cycle seed to harvest initiative. The project includes a lending seed library, community garden, and educational workshops, resulting in seasonal produce for the community. Initially made possible thanks to a New Horizon’s for Seniors grant, the community garden partnership has since taken root and grown into an incredible example of grassroots community outreach and a collaboration of like-minded community partners who all recognize the importance of public libraries in place making, connecting people, education, life skill development, culinary literacy and food security. Throughout the initiative, participants learn about seed growing and saving, sustainability, nutrition, container gardening, and volunteering while getting to connect with other members of the community.

Citizens were thrilled when PLS opened its newest branch, but not everyone embraced the look of the native prairie landscaping. This spring, library staff involved the community in environmental sustainability education by partnering with local artists, gathering volunteers and centering programming around eco-friendly gardening.

During the pandemic, patrons were unable to use the library's Community Garden, so staff gardeners took over the garden beds. They donated fresh, homegrown herbs and produce to a women’s homeless shelter, donating more than $100 worth of produce every week. They also took online orders for their Seed Library and mailed over 700 assorted seed envelopes to patrons.

In December 2022, Arlington Public Library hosted the "Gift Nook," a free holiday market developed from thousands of items donated by the community. Nearly a thousand children and adults participated in this free holiday shopping experience.

The Indianapolis Public Library (IndyPL) identified the need for a community library in one of Indianapolis’ busiest traffic corridors. IndyPL leveraged the expertise of a local architecture firm and urban hardwood lumber company to maximize an energy efficient, green facility that used many of the trees originally occupying the branch’s land.

The growing community of Battery Park City now has its own library. The New York Public Library's Battery Park City branch is an environmentally friendly library that provides a wide range of services for the community.

Library building projects included in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Projects database. Includes renovation projects and new construction

Continuing its history of providing the public with an example of the intelligent use of shared resources, the Chicago Public Library led the City for the past decade in sustainable building and facilities operation and permanently changed Chicago’s expectations regarding standard municipal construction and maintenance.

When Fayetteville Public Library's (FPL) $23.3 million Blair Library opens in fall 2004 it will be the first building project in Arkansas to be registered with the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) program. The commitment to build a green library came from an intense public process of open meetings and deep community dialog about what a library is and can be and what its design and construction should be. Ultimately, the process spurred a greener library than anyone imagined.

The newly renovated Greenpoint Library in Brooklyn is a library, an environmental education center and a community gathering hub for locals to act on environmental issues.

Wichita’s Advanced Learning Library incorporates the building and grounds into the facility’s learning resources. Library staff and the design team were intentional in making choices reflective of stewardship of the environment and the financial resources required to maintain and operate the building.

Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library launched a multi-phase landscaping project focused on sustainability and safety. The design choices conserve water with Florida-friendly plants and smart irrigation systems, lower crime risk by creating clear sightlines and provide opportunities to educate the community on sustainable landscaping.

Ten steps toward achieving sustainable library operations, drawn from the experiences of Fayetteville Public Library in Arkansas.

Continuing its history of providing the public with an example of the intelligent use of shared resources, the Chicago Public Library led the City for the past decade in sustainable building and facilities operation and permanently changed Chicago’s expectations regarding standard municipal construction and maintenance.

Citizens were thrilled when PLS opened its newest branch, but not everyone embraced the look of the native prairie landscaping. This spring, library staff involved the community in environmental sustainability education by partnering with local artists, gathering volunteers and centering programming around eco-friendly gardening.

The Library’s commitment to sustainable practices began as a staff-led grassroots effort in 2006. Staff established a Green Team that conceived of ways to save energy, reduce waste, conserve water, and restrict hazardous chemical use. These choices proved effective in decreasing utility costs and uniting staff with a common purpose.

Examples of the actions that the Wilmette Public Library takes to be more sustainable.

The Union County Master Gardeners and the Rahway River Association along with the Fanwood Environmental Commission and the Fanwood Department of Public Works all worked together to build the rain garden in September 2005.

There was an existing on-site drainage problem. Water collected and remained on approximately 30% of the property. Long term standing water was unsightly, unsafe and created a mosquito habitat. A typical response would be to get all the water to drain off the property. However, the contours and elevations of the property did not promote this type of resolution. Creation of a rain garden seemed appropriate at this location.

News story from the Arlington Heights (IL) Daily Herald about a middle school student who designed a rain garden for the Grayslake Public Library.

The Austin Central Library uses strategies called rainwater capture, condensate reuse and reclaimed water to make the most of precious water resources in a drought-prone and quickly-growing urban center. What that means is that the library collects both rainwater and the water that drips off of air conditioning systems, and then it uses that water again to irrigate the library’s landscaping and to flush its toilets and urinals. Reclaimed water is used as a back-up supply to in case rainwater and air conditioning condensate are not available.

A rain garden was designed by Environment Design students from CU-Boulder In partnership with Community Engagement, Design and Research Resource Center (CEDRR) CU-Boulder for Pauline Robinson Branch Library. May 2018. This included several community presentations and a community work day.

Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library has initiated the largest public library solar retrofit project in Florida. Solar arrays at eight libraries will save more than 1 million kilowatt-hours and $108,000 in energy costs annually while teaching the shared value of renewable energy and improving the quality of life for future generations.

The Athens-Clarke County Library and the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government partnered to install seven solar panels in the library’s parking lot, creating a 141-kilowatt system that provides 20% of the library’s energy needs—the same as powering 27 homes for a year. Funded through local and state library support, the project also features the county’s first public-use Level 3 electric vehicle charging station and a live display showing real-time solar energy production. This initiative not only advances local clean energy goals and saves $25,000 annually, but also positions the library as a community hub for learning about renewable energy and sustainability.

A few weeks ago, our class went on a guided tour of the library, which taught us about what goes on in the library, how resources are used, and basically how the library operates. From our tour, we saw many problem areas that could use improvements. One of these areas is the library’s use of electricity. Our group focused on the computers, printers, copiers, lights, and elevators in the library and how the library could use their electricity more efficiently. We have found that the library is not always using electricity effectively and efficiently. There are lights on when nobody is around and there are computers on when students are not using them. Our group examined the library’s electric bill and the electronics that are using up this energy and money. We have discovered that the Library could have the most immediate and far-reaching reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by switching their electricity to GreenStart electricity. We have also found the library could save money and energy by turning electronics off or using power saving options when available.

Through a partnership with Entegrity of Little Rock, a local renewable energy provider, CALS has invested in the largest solar array project in Little Rock through a Solar Services Agreement. The array is projected to save between $850,000 and $2.2 million in energy costs over 25 years and provide around 75% of our electricity needs.

The Blueberry List, which features books primarily for children ages three to ten, is divided into one overall winner and 34 additional Honor and Changemaker books. Changemaker books recognized for their outstanding achievement in rallying kids to climate action. The Evanston (IL) Public Library created the Blueberry Award in 2021 to fill a nationwide vacuum: no other children’s literature awards exclusively celebrate the best nature books that promote climate stewardship.

Camarillo Public Library launched a community “Cam I Am Sustainable” initiative, which featured community conversations and events to discuss sustainability practices. From January to June 2023, the Library hosted workshops on topics such as composting, vegetarian cooking, upcycling, food waste, water conservation and solar energy. These discussions regarding sustainability inspired library staff to engage in their own sustainable work. Instead of hosting a traditional All Staff Day with professional speakers and ice breakers, 28 library staff members participated in a community project relating to sustainable practices and community service.

Citizen science is a movement where people make observations, collect data and help answer some of our planet’s most pressing questions. A bioblitz is a gathering to document nature using iNaturalist, giving a snapshot of what species are where and when, providing invaluable data to researchers and connecting people to nature.

Montgomery County Government’s Departments of Public Libraries and Environmental Protection (MCDEP) collaborated to develop and deliver community programs at MCPL locations on the topics of energy conservation and sustainability. By combining informal presentations with hands-on activities, participants of all ages comprehend and apply these “green” concepts into daily living.

Dallas Public Library partnered with the Dallas Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability for programs on important city initiatives, including urban farming, stormwater, animals and other issues. The partnership leverages the library’s existing gardening, nature and food security programs while providing DEQS a virtual audience.

Helping Hands upcycles plastic bags into plastic yarn, or plarn , used to crochet sleeping mats distributed to homeless and migrant populations, promoting both collaborative engagement, original artistic expression and environmental sustainability. Since inception in 2016, the program has donated over 1,500 sleeping mats and experienced extraordinary growth, evolving from a modest project into a dynamic and influential force, emphasizing collective social responsibility. Inspired by their participation, participants committed to creating and distributing mats have formed their own groups, like Plarn Matters in Savannah, Georgia. This synergy of community involvement and creative exploration for the good of others highlights the significant, far-reaching effects of our project beyond a small library in Miami-Dade County.

In December 2022, Arlington Public Library hosted the "Gift Nook," a free holiday market developed from thousands of items donated by the community. Nearly a thousand children and adults participated in this free holiday shopping experience.

Describes a program at Millburn Central School in Wadsworth, IL that integrated energy activities into their school library media center. This article originally appeared on the North Suburban Library System web site, but is no longer available there. This link points to the version cached by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.

Citizens were thrilled when PLS opened its newest branch, but not everyone embraced the look of the native prairie landscaping. This spring, library staff involved the community in environmental sustainability education by partnering with local artists, gathering volunteers and centering programming around eco-friendly gardening.

This annual film festival, sponsored by the Princeton, NJ Public Library, features environmental documentaries and is designed to encourage discussion about the environment. The festival is planned by librarians and community members.

Prince William Public Libraries took a leap in its efforts to engage our community in programs and conversations that address the climate crisis. Two of our libraries are now Climate Resilience Hubs, we offer environment-related programs and activities for all ages, and we are building an outdoor library space for hands-on environmental education. From 2021

A New Jersey librarian named Adele Puccio matches brides with pre-owned wedding gowns, from her office near Current Nonfiction. Published in the New Yorker on May 20, 2024 and in the print edition dated May 27, 2024.

The MVPL Seed Library launched in April 2013 with a plant exchange. Patrons were invited to bring culls, clippings, and spare seedlings to trade with their neighbors. A blurb on the flyer let people know that the library was also accepting donations for a new seed library. Over the course of three hours on a Saturday, more than 120 patrons exchanged over 400 plants, and they received enough seeds to start our library.

The LSTA-funded Sustainable California Libraries themed grant provides libraries the opportunity to design programming and educational opportunities focused on sustainability and climate resilience, by collaborating with project partners, community connections, and community members. Projects receiving funding focus on climate education, environment-focused civic engagement, water conservation, air quality, energy efficiency, reducing waste, and supporting local climate action and resilience plans. Grants support activities such as workshops, teaching gardens, lending libraries including tools, seeds and other items tailored to community needs, climate-focused service groups, sustainability conversations, and more.

The Sustainable California Libraries grants were LSTA funded for three years and focused on climate and sustainability programming for adults and intergenerational groups.

Wichita’s Advanced Learning Library incorporates the building and grounds into the facility’s learning resources. Library staff and the design team were intentional in making choices reflective of stewardship of the environment and the financial resources required to maintain and operate the building.

To promote bicycle accessibility and equity, Anythink launched a bike-lending program at its Commerce City location. The fleet of 30 cruiser-style bikes are available free to Anythink library cardholder ages 16 and up for three-week increments.

The Elmwood Park (IL) Public Library has bike locks available for their patrons to borrow.

Neighborhood Science raises awareness of environmental issues by circulating kits on six topics to engage patrons in scientific research in their communities. The Bioblitz Challenge, in which participants documented key indicator species in Los Angeles, enhanced appreciation for urban wildlife and increased scientific knowledge.

The Lendery is a library of things — introducing library members to a world beyond book — and provides access to borrow items you might need occasionally but don't need to own, such as sports equipment, hand tools and small kitchen appliances. The Lendery — first of its kind in York Region — was launched in July 2019 at the Markham Public Library.

This toolkit from the Santa Monica Library provides patrons with equipment to perform home energy audits, improve energy efficiency, and try out sustainable products. The kit includes: a DIY Sustainability Toolkit Quick Sheet, Quick Sheet en espanol, 2 LED bulbs, 2 faucet aerators, a low-flow showerhead, 2 water leak detection dye tablets, a water flow rate bag, a Kill-a-watt meter, a classic fridge thermometer, and an infrared thermometer.

Partly supported by the City of Santa Monica’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment, the Library makes a special effort to purchase materials in all relevant subject areas to complement the City’s strong commitment to sustainability. Sustainability materials are interfiled in their respective subject areas but can be found by searching the Library’s online catalog for “Sustainable Santa Monica Collection”.

Interview with Martin O’Connor, the Communications Coordinator at University College Cork’s (UCC) Library & Information Services, about how UCC Library chose to tackle the challenge and make their library greener with their “Love our Library” campaign.

This article offers information on initiatives taken by the Paul Meek Library, University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM) for environmental protection and presents photographs on the same. The library supported the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on the UTM campus by hosting the Earth Fest Art Contest which was held from April 19-24, 2010. It mentions that UTM has placed several recycling bins at various locations in its campus.

The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, a medium-sized academic library located at the University of Utah, is engaged in the greening crusade and is working to encourage sustainable practices on campus. This effort requires rethinking everything we do in light of sustainability principles and the six-Rs of recycling: rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle, repurchase/recover, and rejoice.

The MSU Library Environmental Committee (LEC) focuses on the Libraries’ use of natural resources with an eye toward sustainability that maintains and improves our overall working and learning environment. Toward this end the committee promotes waste reduction and recycling and investigates the environmental impact of the use of paper and office supplies; ink and copiers; energy; lighting; PCs; heating and cooling; cleaning supplies and chemicals; parking and transportation; and design. Includes links to newsletter and committee meeting minutes.

Besides the time and effort involved in programming HVAC systems to run at increased ventilation levels, the campus responded to numerous wildfire smoke events during the wildfire seasons when the Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeded 150. (AQI of 0-50 is considered good where air quality is satisfactory and air pollution poses little to no risk.) When AQI exceeded 150, the HVAC systems were adjusted to operate at minimum outside air intake levels to maintain indoor quality as much as possible.