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1 | Your LibraryType | Your recommended action (e.g. seed saving program; sustainability-themed story time) | Target of the specific action | Additional comments about your recommended action? | If you are willing to field questions from individuals interested in your action, please provide your preferred contact info. | |||||||||||||||||||||
2 | academic | Host a Climate Change World Cafe | community members or patrons | Check out Climate Change World Cafe in a Box: https://climatechangeconversationsinlibraries.umasscreate.net/resources/ | mcharney@library.umass.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||
3 | academic | To reduce carbon footprint, planning more virtual meetings versus in-person meetings where everyone has to travel to meet on-site. This can also be meetings with vendors and other groups outside of the institution. | library staff, library operations/infrastructure | |||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | academic | Clothing swap hosted at the library | community members or patrons, library staff | This year is our 4th Annual Earth Day Clothing Swap. The free event targets our university and larger community and surprises them with what MORE libraries can offer in terms of sharing resources. | betsy.evans@sulross.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||
5 | academic | Twitter hashtag "party" to highlight related library collections or items | public | I've seen this successfully done by the archives community, and sometimes it can bring viral publicity. Idea would be to bring library involvement in sustainability into public view in a fun way. | christeh@hathitrust.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
6 | academic | The Library hosts a Makers' Day (DIY) event in April. | community members or patrons, library staff | This is an annual event. Members of our Library's Sustainability Committee and staff volunteers show attendees how to make diy cleaning supplies & beauty products, plant succulents and make buttons/magnets from book covers. | Kim Kane LSCUCSD@ucsd.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||
7 | academic | Create an Earth-month-themed library display | community members or patrons | Collaborate with students and faculty to create your display | Mandi Goodsett - a.goodsett@csuohio.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||
8 | academic | Sustainability Film Series: various topics | community members or patrons, library staff, All members of Ohio U community | Environmental Studies and I have been collaborators on the Sustainability Film Series, screening and leading discussions since 2012; and we’ve developed quite a following. We have been working to bring films to the university and Athens community that reflect environmental and sustainable issues both locally and globally. | wochna@ohio.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||
9 | academic | Read this book video highlighting environmental books, blog post about history of earth day on campus | community members or patrons | https://www.continuum.umn.edu/2020/04/slow-down-make-the-good-earth-last/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | academic | Compost pickup in the staff lounge. Coordinated by the Campus Office of Sustainability. | library staff | WFU's Office of Sustainability coordinates office pickup of compost from across campus and the Library was a leader in adopting the program. The bin is placed strategically next to the waste and recycling bins, and is emptied once per week into larger mobile vessels managed by the Office of Sustainability. Picked up compost material is composted and used in the campus garden. | Mary Beth Lock, lockmb@wfu.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||
11 | academic | Promote sustainable transportation by having a cross country bike to libraries across the nation to find out what is important to the American public. | community members or patrons, community infrastructure | This could also show the importance of protecting the earth and climate change and that it is real. | Bikinglibrarian@gmail.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||
12 | academic | Form a 7-week reading circle for library staff using "Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds" by adrienne maree brown. Schedule 1.5 hours, 2 hours better. Luxuriate. Take turns facilitating as you travel chapter-to-chapter. Make art, meditate, craft Group Guidelines and post them whenever you meet. Invite everyone at your library to attend a celebration at the end where you teach them what you learned and enjoyed. Must see 5-min. video: https://youtu.be/IyN76oTt67M | library staff | Madeleine Charney mcharney@library.umass.edu | ||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | academic | Sustainability Film Series | community members or patrons, library staff, open to all members of the community at large, highschool, community members, etc. | We screen 6-7 films per semester. This semester we are all virtual with discussion panels made up of community/students/faculty | wochna@ohio.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||
14 | academic | Run workshops on fact-checking articles on science, especially related to climate change | community members or patrons | Successfully ran this workshop four times over the summer with high school seniors. My colleague and I talked about things to look for when reading news articles about climate change, and gave students a fact-checking toolkit. | rachel.sperling@yale.edu | |||||||||||||||||||||
15 | public | Seed saving | community members or patrons | Pair-up a seed saving program to help create a seed lending library for the whole community. | saito@smcl.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
16 | public | Promote a zero-waste day at libraries, or at least an attempt. Obviously, with the public it would be impossible to have a zero-waste day, but possibly staff could cooperate and have a zero-waste day. This could look like educating staff before hand about zero-waste so they can implement techniques. Another idea is to cut waste as far as promotional materials go and weeding of books. Have a series of education pamphlets or videos about how to properly recycle weeded/withdrawm items. How to reduce waste when creating promo materials, such as brochures and flyers. | library staff, library operations/infrastructure | jnortiz@arlingtonva.us | ||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | public | We offered our Branch Managers a menu of options for February-April 2020. So far we have interest in bike repair workshops, a puppet story-time with an environment theme, environment-themed movie nights, and community partners sharing their missions and activities at the library. | community members or patrons, library staff | jennygarmon@kclibrary.org | ||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | public | Check out the recommendations from the Final Report of the ALA Special Task Force on Sustainability http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/ExecutiveBoard/ebd5_4_Task%20Force%20on%20Sustainability_Final%20Report_6.2018.pdf | all of the above | See pages 11-12 of the report for recommendations for libraries specifically | Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, rsmith@midhudson.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
19 | public | Use up-cycled books to create folded art creations | community members or patrons | I hosted this at our library's last Earth Day event and it was very popular. If you Google "up-cycled book art hedgehog," you will see an example. It is best suited for an adult audience, as the folds need to be consistent. I provided books, eyes, feet, and noses in a variety of colors. | Susan Burke, susan.burke@carlsbadca.gov | |||||||||||||||||||||
20 | public | For Earth Day 2020, we will present a series of programs throughout April: a DIY plantable, seed bookmark workshop; a "Meet Massachusetts Wildlife" program, two Fixit Clinics, and a garden-related program led by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, as well as children's programming. | community members or patrons | Becca Bastron - bbastron@minlib.net | ||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | public | Stock the break room with reusable cups, plates, and flatware | library staff | |||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | public | Eco-themed Story Walk - but it will be in May. Also Environmental Art program | community members or patrons | Our Story Walk project is part of a grant from Chesapeake Bay Trust - It will debut at Green Fest on May 9. Our Centre Branch is doing an environmental art program closer to the Earth day Birthday. | Cheryl Sidwell (410) 749-3612, 122 | |||||||||||||||||||||
23 | public | Community Recycling Day | community members or patrons | The library is hosting an e-waste collection, shredding day, battery recycling, cell phone donation for recycling, etc. to draw attention to the collective impact we have when we take an extra step to properly recycle materials. | lkropp@lindenhurstlibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
24 | public | Switch some of your library processes to sustainably minded cooperative practices- ie. start using reusable rags and towels for cleaning up after programs and establish a volunteer laundry rotation among staff. | library operations/infrastructure | One of the first steps toward sustainable thinking is valuing available resources instead of viewing them as disposable and endlessly renewable. | Agriffith@eurekalibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
25 | public | Switch your toilet paper to a brand that uses recycled material versus virgin paper pulp, such as “Who Gives a Crap?” (only $1 a roll!) a company that also donates part of its profits to building toilets in areas that need them. | library operations/infrastructure | Part of fighting climate change is preserving old growth forests that keep the earth cool and clean our air! | Agriffith@eurekalibrary.com | |||||||||||||||||||||
26 | public | Seek out your local Climate Reality Project leader to give a present a free program about the science behind climate change, anticipated local effects and implementable solutions that program participants can take away. | community members or patrons | All Climate Reality Project leaders attend a training with former Vice-President Al Gore in conjunction with the project that came about as a result of his “An Inconvenient Truth” films. This group is wonderful to work with and the programs They offer focus on science based evidence, helping people understand the local geographic effects that have been forecasted for their communities which helps them connect it to their own lives, and also gives them reason to be hopeful about what they can do to help combat climate change. | Agriffith@eurekalibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
27 | public | Set up a temporary station to collect and educate people about items that are hard to recycle but are collected in bulk quantities through programs established through TerraCycle, The Gimme5 program, or the the CD Recycling Center of America such as scratched CDs and DVDs, Plastic bubble maulers, old toothbrushes and oral hygiene packaging, contact lens packaging, batteries, or whatever else is not collected by local municipal recycling services. | community members or patrons, library staff, community infrastructure | Knowing how to dispose of items that are truly no longer useful is half the battle! | Agriffith@eurekalibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
28 | public | Community clothing swap- combat fast fashion by hosting a half-day program where people can bring their gently used and new clothing that will be sorted onto tables and allow patrons to come and choose for free clothing items new to them! Arrange for volunteers to help man table before hand to keep items organized and then to collect what is left over and transport to local second-hand or thrift stores afterward. | community members or patrons, library staff | Depending on the size of your community you may need to break this up into a series of programs that target different ages/ types of clothing at optimal times of the year, for example- costumes in September, boys & girls clothes in August before kids return to school, adult clothing in March when people are doing spring cleaning. | Agriffith@eurekalibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
29 | public | Seek out representatives from your state or local native plant society chapter to present a program on the importance of native plants to local pollinators. | community members or patrons | Native plants provide for insects and local pollinators which are typically are at the foundation of local ecology systems. If you can pair this program before a native plant sale in the fall or spring, even better! People can take actions to get some local varieties in t be ground (or pot) right away. | Agriffith@eurekalibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
30 | public | Start a slow stitch club- similar to a knitting or crochet club but including and perhaps even emphasizing the the mending of clothing and textiles with opportunities for people to learn or share basic techniques and providing a chance for fiber artists (beginners to advanced in their practice) to meet up, socialize, and build community while they set time aside to repair everyday clothing items such as jeans, socks, etc. with contemporary embroidery techniques. | community members or patrons | https://slowstitching.com/ | Agriffith@eurekalibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
31 | public | Contact your library’s local electric company to see if they offer complimentary energy audits (many do!)- schedule a consultant to come out and take a look at how you can increase the energy efficiency of your facilities. Make a list and set goals to implement their recommendations as time and funding allows. | library operations/infrastructure | Energy efficiency improvements are about more than changing your lightbulbs- especially if you are in an older or historic building! These are often free or affordable actions that one can take that will help library administrators to be good stewards of how tax dollars are spent, and will garner positive PR for your institution, especially when LEED certified buildings are not realistic for your community. | Agriffith@eurekalibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
32 | public | Pledge to purchase palm-oil free programming snacks! Palm oil is an ingredient that has become in many common foods, everything from cereals and snack bars to coffee creamer, however there is often similarly priced alternative brands on the grocery store shelf that do not include it as an ingredient. Abstaining from oil is important because tropical forests are bing clear cut in order to accommodate oil palm plantations. “A recent analysis found that 45% of land in Southeast Asia currently used for palm oil production had been forest back in 1990, including more than half of all palm oil plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia (1Trusted Source). Deforestation is anticipated to have devastating effects on global warming, as the forests play a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gasses by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. In addition, the destruction of native landscapes causes changes in the ecosystem that threaten the health and diversity of wildlife.” | library operations/infrastructure | This is a simple action that can have a big impact- not long ago the Girl Scouts made a similar move to eschew palm oil for there cookies after the campaign started by one of their own scouts. | Agriffith@eurekalibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
33 | public | Work with your local farmer’s market to promote cookbooks with recipes that use locally and seasonally grown produce. If you have the facilities, create a cooking program series around this to help your community integrate easy plant-based meals into their home cooking repertoire. | community members or patrons | Collaborations like this can help lay the groundwork for continuing community partnerships- perhaps in the form of a FOL book sale booth or storytime and craft stall at the farmers market as part of your library’s outreach efforts. | Agriffith@eurekalibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
34 | public | Train patrons of all ages to be citizen scientists with NASA's Globe Observer App. Patrons can choose to collect data from clouds, trees, mosquito habitats and land cover with a free app on their smart phone (or from tablets provided at library programming, if possible). Data collected from the app gives scientists a more holistic view of these systems and is added to information gathered by satellites to help us understand our Earth's systems and the global environment. | community members or patrons | More information about how to implement this program (as well as other excellent STEM based programs!) can be found at starnetlibraries.org) | agriffith@eurekalibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
35 | public | Community conversation about the health and history of river that runs through our service area. We had a watch party the first night of the series, then hosted a panel of experts on the river the next day (on Earth Day). | community members or patrons | We had a great turn out, so we did another community conversation about Lake Michigan the next month. | gcoulter@laportelibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
36 | public | Earth Week Garden Video Series | community members or patrons | An Earth Week Garden video series can be a great way to engage library patrons in the days leading up to, or surrounding, Earth Day. This is an especially good virtual option, and you can choose whether you want to teach/show off different gardening skills, or tours of local gardens, or interview enthusiastic amateur or professional gardeners in your community. If you can partner with a local farmer, botanic garden, arboretum, or community garden, all the better! This is a great option for public libraries both large and small, in urban, suburban, and rural communities to show off how gardening can happen anywhere - you don't need a specific type of land or location to grow flowers or food. Each library can tailor their videos to the needs and interests of their community. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
37 | public | Repair Event / Fixit Clinic / Repair Cafe | community members or patrons | Repair events can be virtual and are a great way to bring people together around common goals of environmental stewardship, sustainability, social, and environmental justice as well as life long learning! | ggriffis@clamsnet.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
38 | public | Planting pollinator garden, seed saving program, tree planting program, houseplant propagation program to promote purified indoor air, seed library | community members or patrons, library staff, library operations/infrastructure, community infrastructure | Community engagement is key to the success of these programs. | marina.marquez@cpl.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
39 | public | A class on how to shop mindfully | community members or patrons | This class would teach community members how to decide whether they actually need to purchase a new item, if they can use or repair something they already have, or it they can find it second-hand. For example, if a vacuum breaks, they can ask these questions: Can it be repaired? If not, can it be found second-hand? Is a vacuum necessary or could something else be used in its place? | Celeste Simon- Cmsimon66@gmail.com | |||||||||||||||||||||
40 | public | Curated list of environmental books for kids, teens and adults; kids and teen crafting programs with recycled materials | community members or patrons | michellelee@nypl.org | ||||||||||||||||||||||
41 | public | Community Garden, Herb Garden, Outdoor Exploration Learning Center, Edible tree forest | community members or patrons, library staff, community infrastructure | The Evelyn Meador Branch Library in Seabrook is working on this project. | milagros.tanega@hcpl.net 281 474 9142 | |||||||||||||||||||||
42 | public | flower seeds that attract pollinators | community members or patrons | |||||||||||||||||||||||
43 | public | Recycled seed stationery: https://www.naturesseed.com/blog/how-to-make-plantable-seed-paper/ | community members or patrons | This was our Earth Day 50 year anniversary project for 2020. | Emily Trezza - Head Teen Services - West Hempstead Library - 516-481-6591, ext. 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||
44 | public | Halloween Costume Recycling Program | community members or patrons | My library collected new or gently used Halloween costumes. We organized and displayed them for the public to come in and give them a second chance. | dbush@cplib.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
45 | public | sustainability themed event "Trashion" Show | community members or patrons | Wonderful way to "upcycle" items that might otherwise end up in a trash/recycle bin | fulops@pbclibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
46 | public | Project Prom my library collected prom attire: dresses, shoes, jewelry & pocketbooks that we then gave to our local Library System (Suffolk Cooperative Library System, NY). We received so many donations! The System invited students in to find their perfect dress. | community members or patrons | This program was a win win for both our community and our county as a whole. Many libraries in Suffolk County contributed to this event and students received free prom attire that they otherwise may not have been able to afford. | dbush@cplib.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
47 | public | Drive-in Movie/Community Center for preschoolers made with recycled materials | library staff, We asked staff to save bottle caps from all different size containers | Using boxes, paper plates, bottle caps, crepe paper, paper fasteners and bubbles we constructed cardboard cars with steering wheels, that preschoolers traveled around our community centers in our big community room. They visited a bank, car wash, concession stand and drive-in movie while driving along the roads with stop lights and signs. | dbush@cplib.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
48 | public | Sustainability and Interconnectivity Open Mic (poetry, Music, etc) | community members or patrons | Potentially hold outside of the libraries walls. We have done similar events in local Urban Gardens and at a local "farm ministry" run by Dominican Nuns, called "The Eco-Justice Center" | nick.demske@racinelibrary.info | |||||||||||||||||||||
49 | public | Repair Cafe | community members or patrons | Repair Cafes aim to reduce waste in our landfills by helping community members repair, reuse, or recycle their items with the help of local volunteers offering repair skills. It has been a great way to bring the community together as well! | ||||||||||||||||||||||
50 | public | Flower pot made from recycled or bio-degradable material. | community members or patrons | |||||||||||||||||||||||
51 | public | Make Your Own Seed Bombs | community members or patrons | Utilizing supplies you have at home. Video available on Sachem Library's YouTube channel "How to Make Your Own Seed Bombs." | laura.panter@sachemlibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
52 | public | DIY: How to Make Plant Markers | community members or patrons | Using all supplies you have at home. Video on Sachem Library YouTube channel. | laura.panter@sachemlibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
53 | public | Natural Pest Deterrents | community members or patrons | Utilizing one ingredient, safe for all animals. Video available on Sachem Library YouTube channel. | laura.panter@sachemlibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
54 | public | Gardening At Home Together: Bird Feeders | community members or patrons | Upcycling supplies you have at home to create a feeder for birds. Video available on Sachem Library YouTube. | laura.panter@sachemlibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
55 | public | Plastic Bottle Planters | community members or patrons | Uses upcycled cleaned, plastic milk cartons to create planters. Video available on Sachem Library YouTube. | laura.panter@sachemlibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
56 | public | Upcycled Rain Gauge | community members or patrons | Upcycled materials to make a rain gauge. Video available on Sachem Library YouTube channel. | laura.panter@sachemlibrary.org | |||||||||||||||||||||
57 | public, academic, school, special | Partner with environmental organization or directly engage in environmental cleanup work like the Riverkeeper Sweep in NY state https://www.riverkeeper.org/news-events/events/9th-annual-riverkeeper-sweep/ | community members or patrons | Casey Conlin cconlin@midhudons.org | ||||||||||||||||||||||
58 | special | The STAR Library Network along with ALA and NASA has launched a nationwide campaign called "Our Planet: EARTH" (www.starnetlibraries.org/our-planet-earth/.) Promote this program with library patrons and have the library participate in activiites. | community members or patrons, library staff, library operations/infrastructure, community infrastructure | Please contact me (Paul Dusenbery) at dusenbery@spacescience.org. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
59 | special | Make Every Tree Count: measure tree height and photograph trees with NASA’s GLOBE Observer app | community members or patrons, library staff, community infrastructure | Trees play an important and unique role in local ecosystems health. Along with producing the oxygen that we breathe and providing habitats for animals, healthy forests are also an important carbon sink-- meaning that they store carbon. Tree height is a primary indicator of how well an ecosystem can grow trees. NASA scientists study trees from space using satellites like ICESat-2, which measures forests using lasers. Citizen scientists are measuring tree height and circumference using NASA’s GLOBE mobile app, which is comparison data to the satellite observations and can help scientists understand how carbon moves through ecosystems. (Note: GLOBE Observer is holding a “bioblitz” spring challenge in April to have citizen scientists collect as much tree height data as possible - link for the announcement (which will be posted in January) will be https://observer.globe.gov/trees-challenge. Getting tree observations near every library in the U.S. would be incredible. We will have resources posted for libraries and I’m glad to provide additional info - theresa_schwerin@strategies.org | ||||||||||||||||||||||
60 | special | baseline facilities energy (GHG) audit | library operations/infrastructure | Work with community - students educators to set out a plan for developing a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory | ngoraselden@gmail.com | |||||||||||||||||||||
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