Suffolk County, NY –August 1, 2025 – School librarian Susan Cooper at Georgetown High School Library in Georgetown, Texas has been designated a "Certified Sustainable School Librarian" through the Sustainable Libraries Initiative's award-winning Sustainable Library Certification Program (SLCP).

Susan Cooper has earned her Sustainable Library Certification by exemplifying leadership and demonstrating commitment and perseverance in reaching her sustainability goals.

Susan incorporates sustainable practices into her library's interactive atmosphere with a recycling program for select school supplies through TerraCycle, a pair of exercise bikes situated in front of a television screening nature-themed visuals, and a partnership with The Locker – a local organization that provides immediate, on-campus access to school supplies, clothing, personal hygiene and more for any student at their request.

"I was excited to learn about the Sustainable Libraries Initiative and was glad when it was expanded to school libraries across the country. This personal certification means a lot to me and inspires me to continue to develop more sustainable practices in my library and to educate others in my campus, district and community," said Susan.

To improve the fairness and accessibility of her library, Susan allows students preferring a quiet environment to eat lunch in the library. She also develops her collection to support assorted abilities and interests: her Spanish and bilingual section has been expanded, a "social issues" book cart provides a rotating collection of educational material on pressing topics, she has several shelves with short or picture-dominant books for reluctant readers or students with disabilities, and has a color-coded labeling system to inform students of content matter in certain books: allowing students to make informed and independent reading decisions. 

Susan is the first librarian in Texas to complete the Sustainable Library Certification Program: an award-winning benchmarking system designed to provide public libraries, academic libraries, library systems, and school librarians with exclusive resources and guidelines to shift towards a cleaner, greener, and more equitable future.

In the future, Susan hopes to expand her sustainable services to include a snack-share table in the library and host a "read-a-thon" to raise money for charity and boost student reading rates. 

"I am excited to see Susan Cooper continue to expand her effort is practices of sustainability in libraries," said Susan's mentor and fellow certified school librarian Anne-Marie Kalin. "Susan has demonstrated dedication to sustainable library certification at Georgetown High School and shows tremendous promise. Her innovative approach demonstrates leadership in environmental stewardship, I am excited to see the continued growth and positive impact of her pioneering work."

For more information, please view Susan's final presentation here or reach out to SLI staff by emailing sliadmin@suffolknet.org.