Becoming a Green and Sustainable Library

• Readings
• Becoming Green and Sustainable: a Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library Case Study
• A Call to Sustainability
• Time to Go Green!
• Sample Environmental Policy Statements
• PowerPoint slides
• Green Facts
• Eccles Library Case Study and Challenges
• MCMLA 2005: Going Green...A Sustainable Approach to Conference Planning
• MCMLA 2005 Green Team Documents
• MCMLA 2005 Environmental Policy Statement and Checklist
• Green Team Lists for MCMLA 2005 Committees
• MCMLA 2005 Bring Your Own Bag Contest Publicity
• Bibliography
• Preparation and What to Bring with You:
• Read the three articles and the sample environmental policy statements (listed above under Readings)
• Optional: Local “green” resources ­ library or community resources to share

Course Description: The goal of this course is to raise the environmental consciousness of participants and to promote the idea that it is feasible to incorporate greening practices into our libraries by rethinking our processes, reducing and recycling waste, and reusing or purchasing recycled materials.

The intended outcome is to provide librarians with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to incorporate greening practices into the workplace. Course instructors will present two case studies: a successful library recycling program and green conference planning.

Participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences and develop a plan of action for implementing the six R's: rethinking, reducing, recycling, reusing, repurchasing, rejoicing.

Students will:

• Explore what it means to be a green and sustainable library
• Draft a library environmental policy statement
• Develop a checklist of environmental priorities to implement
• Brainstorm strategies for translating priorities into action
• Share ways to monitor and evaluate the program
• Discover how to apply these same concepts to planning an environmentally friendly conference
• Approved 2 hours MLA Credit