In 2019, the American Library Association voted to make sustainability a core value of librarianship. “This is a pivotal time for libraries and the communities we serve,” said then-ALA President Loida Garcia-Febo. “Libraries are helping to better the education and the lifelong learning of the communities they serve. By adding sustainability to its core values, ALA is recognizing that libraries of all types can act as catalysts and inspire future generations to reach solutions.”
In 2022, a group of libraries came together to work toward Sustainable Library Certification through the Sustainable Libraries Initiative (https://www.sustainablelibrariesinitiative.org/). The Sustainable Libraries Initiative’s Sustainable Libraries Certification Program (SLCP) provides library leaders with a tested, structured path forward to increase their library’s commitment to environmental stewardship, economic feasibility, and social equity: the Triple Bottom Line of sustainability. Within the current cohort of sixteen Vermont libraries, each works independently to meet the benchmarks in thirteen categories, ranging from water and energy usage to collective impact to financial sustainability. While a serious undertaking, the program provides mentorship on the process, as well as a lasting impact on the practice, administration, and outreach for libraries and their communities.
In June 2024, the Sustainable Libraries Initiative Advisory Board, in partnership with the Executive Board of the American Library Association, undertook an ambitious project to create a National Climate Action Strategy for Libraries (NCAS) Implementation Guide in June 2024. The project ensures “that libraries remain a vital and responsive resource in their communities: making an impact on lives for generations to come in the face of climate change and its consequences.” (https://www.sustainablelibrariesinitiative.org/media/document/642)
Join us! For more information about the Sustainable Libraries Working Group, including how your library can take part without cost to your institution, please contact Margaret Woodruff, margaret@charlottepubliclibrary.org.