Going to ACRL in Indy? Check out this great idea from BioOne - Adopt an Acre Giveaway! The Nature Conservancy offers an Adopt an Acre program (a great gift idea!) and BioOne is offering you a chance to adopt an acre in your name. Simply download and fill out their entry form, select an area to preserve and drop if off at the ACRL 2013 BioOne booth #1139
BioOne’s Adopt an Acre giveaway April 4, 2013
Sustainability Funds in Libraries March 28, 2013
University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries is a great example of libraries as key players in sustainability on their campus. First of all they actually have a Sustainability Studies Librarian who teaches library research classes and consults with individuals – even local community members, and a great resource guide on the topic. With sustainability integrated widely throughout the campus (currently there are 74 courses related to sustainability!) the library decided to take the next step. Starting in 2012 the Libraries working with the campus’ Annual Giving Office created the “Second Ask” campaign with students making the calls and asking for donations for library, in particular for sustainability efforts. They have received gifts from more than 3,300 donors totaling $150,000 so far. This Sustainability Fund will be used for collection development, curriculum mapping, training for faculty, earth day speakers/events, mini grants for smaller ideas and opportunities - all related to sustainability. Read more in the ALA’s College Library Section newsletter (page 4)!
Update 4/3/13:
Congratulations to U Mass Amherst Libraries for winning the Gale Cengage learning Financial Development Award for their sustainability fund! “The award is presented annually to a library organization that exhibits meritorious achievement in creating new means of funding for a public or academic library.”
Creative Upcycling of discarded books & library items! March 18, 2013
Cool ideas for reusing discarded books and library items - upcycling!
Some of my favorites:
Repurpose a Card Catalogue Into a Mini Bar
Use Old Books as Shelves
Use Paperclips to Organize Your Cables
Use Old CD Cases to Store and Organize Cables
Use Old Books to Create a Desk
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AASHE’s Academic Commons February 26, 2013
AASHE’s Academic Commons contains curriculum materials from across disciplines organized by type (lesson plans, syllabi, lab assignments, etc.), discipline, and tag. Search for an idea or find out how you can add you own! Also curriculum case studies are available to provide insight into the work of faculty who are teaching sustainability.
Seed Bank Libraries February 5, 2013
A great piece on NPR recently on How To Save A Public Library: Make It A Seed Bank where a partnership between the Basalt Public Library (CO) and the Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute have created this wonderful seed bank.
There are a few other seed bank libraries as well: A past blog post from July 2010 on Richmond (CA) seed lending library. Rebecca has a blog - www.richmondgrows.org - on creating your own seed lending library and San Fran now has two branches lending seeds!
Other libraries like Fairfield Woods Branch have a seed to seed series; Alameda Free Library also offers similar service; and East Palo Alto Seed Library has started a seed lending library partnership with Collective Roots.
If you know of more libraries with seed lending services or banks, please comment or email me!
3/5/13 Thanks alaskadragonfly for this awesome list of Seed Lending Libraries!!
Greening your trip to Seattle January 23, 2013
Heading to Seattle for ALA Midwinter this week? The Seattle Convention Center is actually LEED certified silver! Of course, by actually traveling to the conference you (and I!) are already being unsustainable - especially for me to fly from southeast to the northwest.
But what else can be done to be greener or more sustainable to and from and while in Seattle? Here are some tips:
- Bring your own water bottle (You can fly with it – go through security with it empty and fill up on the other side! Many airports like Seattle’s offer nice refill stations according to this blog post)
- Bring your own coffee mug (In rainy chilly Seattle a mug of tea or coffee will be welcoming especially on the-go with your own to-go and many place offering discounts for BYOM)
- Bring your own snacks on the plane or rail or car .. and for hotel room: snack mix, fruit, granola bars, instant oatmeal, popcorn (Usually its cheaper, better and healthier!)
- Try public transportation if you are flying in – light rail from airport to convention center is only $2.75 (well it’s Westlake Center stop, located 3 blocks from the Convention Center) Great local info by YALSA here – check out the recreation walking map link too!
- When eating out try for local, sustainable, eco-friendly places (Check out this list! Or the list complied for ALA from a local – you can always ask a place about their policies!)
- Limit your swag and picking up promotional materials or handouts that will just be tossed. Can you access the handouts online? Do you really need extra plastic swag? Also note, if you are flying, carrying all that material back home uses energy which really does add up if everyone were to bring back a few extra pounds.
- Stop by the Task Force on the Environment meeting (via SRRT) on Friday night at 7:30pm AND join us for a discussion at the Networking Uncommons on Saturday at 4pm to discussion the possible new Sustainability Round Table of ALA.
other travel helpful resources:
- though a few years old, this post still has some good tips to consider when booking a flight.
- For planning a meeting or conference; or try these tips.
- Read the book chapter from Greening Libraries Going Green at the 2009 ACRL 14th National Conference in Seattle.
Petition to start a new Sustainability Round Table through ALA! January 11, 2013
Petition to start a new Sustainability Round Table through ALA! Membership must be active to sign. Please forward to other ALA members who support the advancement of sustainability in libraries.
if you are going … Join us at ALA Seattle On Saturday Jan 26 at 4pm for a Sustainability Round Table planning and discussion meet up at the Networking Uncommons!
The mission of the Sustainability Round Table (SRT) is to provide:
1) A professional forum for librarians to exchange ideas and concerns regarding sustainability in order to move toward a more equitable, healthy and economically viable society.
2) Resources for the library community to support sustainability through curriculum development; collections; exhibits; events; advocacy, communication and library buildings and space design.
Inhabitat’s 2012 Readers’ Choice Awards January 4, 2013
Inhabitat readers have been voting on their favorite stories of 2012! Check out the winners in a slideshow here or view each by category So many good stories it’s hard to pick MY favorite:
- Editor’s Choice: Indian Man Single-Handedly Plants 1,360 Acre Forest
- Architecture: The Radisson Blu Hotel’s 82-Foot Aquadom Aquarium Brings Sea-Life and Scuba Diving to Berlin
- Science/Technology: Wilson Solar Grill Stores the Sun’s Energy For Nighttime Grilling
- Transportation: Aerofex Develops a Working Hover Bike That’s Straight Out of Return of the Jedi!
- News: Indian Man Single-Handedly Plants 1,360 Acre Forest
- Energy: Germany Sets New Solar Record By Meeting Nearly Half of Country’s Weekend Power Demand
- Art: Takanori Aiba’s Amazing Bonsai Tree Castles are Miniature Living Worlds
- DIY/How-to: HOW TO: Grow an Avocado Tree from Seed
- Interview: Interview: Building Science Pioneer Dr. Joe Lstiburek on the Good, Bad and Ugly Side of Buildings
- Furniture/Interiors:Jake Dyson’s CSYS Lamp Extends the Life of Its LEDs by a Whopping 37 Years!
- Original Photos: Ray Villafane Unleashes an Insane Army of Ghastly Zombie Pumpkins at the New York Botanical Garden
Go Green with Teens! online course January 2, 2013
Check out this Infopeople ONLINE course for those interested in how to do more green art projects with teens and tweens!
In this course you will learn to:
- · Rethink “art” and look at everyday objects in new ways
- · Discover methods and materials for reusing, recycling, and repurposing
- · Demonstrate and teach art skills
- · Plan programs and events that are art-based and eco-friendly
Dates: January 29 to February 25, 2013
Cost: $75
Instructor: Valerie Colston, author of Teens Go Green! Tips, Techniques, Tools, and Themes for Young Adult Programming
Read more and register: http://infopeople.org/training/teens-and-tweens-go-green
Green Christmas Art Projects December 12, 2012
Fun ideas to do with youth in your library or school (or at home)!
Check out these wreath ideas from sustainablog:
use old neckties, corks or greeting cards to create a wreath….
… turn your old CDs (who uses CDs anymore?) by upcycling into ornaments, a great idea from Natalie on Creme de la Craft blog. Natlie also has lots of other great ideas for reuse like making your own card holder from Altoid containers and cool necklaces from pistachios shells.
