For Immediate Release
July 27, 2022
Sustainable Libraries Initiative named as a Community Connection for California State Library's Sustainable California Libraries Grant
New York – July 27, 2022 – The Sustainable Libraries Initiative has been named as a Community Connection and the Sustainable Library Certification Program (SLCP) has been highlighted as a Program Idea for the Sustainable California Libraries Grant. This grant is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grant and is focused on creating programming and educational resources in California libraries that focus on sustainability and climate resilience. The goals of this grant overlap significantly with the mission of the Sustainable Libraries Initiative, a member-driven organization that seeks to catalyze library leaders to become sustainability leaders in their communities. There is a shared focus on collaborating with community-based organizations and community members to educate about sustainable practices and climate action strategies.
The current SLCP community is comprised of more than 60 public libraries, including the San Diego County Library – the first library in California to join. These libraries have joined forces to create a robust community of practice, benefiting the new enrollees, current, and prospective members through the sharing of ideas and resources. This connection affirms that libraries are well positioned to be leaders in demonstrating sustainable practices and in educating their communities about climate adaptation, mitigation, and sustainability through the lens of the triple bottom line.
The Sustainable Library Certification Program is an opportunity for public, academic, and school librarians to shift their policies and practices to align with the principles of triple bottom line sustainability: environmentally sound decisions, advancing social equity, and considering the economic feasibility of all choices. The comprehensive collection of Action items completed through this one-of-a-kind benchmarking program developed exclusively for libraries are organized into 12 categories including: Energy, Collective Impact, Social Cohesion, and Resilience Planning. The discrete items in each of these categories are designed to guide participants to look to their communities to identify needs and potential partners, adjust their current practices to align with the triple bottom line definition of sustainability, and reflect on how these actions are having a real impact in their organization and community.
International Recognition
Libraries enrolled in the SLCP and are leading the way to demonstrate in policy and practice the importance of sustainable thinking in the library profession. This project and the unique benchmarking program were developed to assist libraries of all kinds - public, academic, and individual school librarians - to create opportunities for making better choices on behalf of the local and global community.
The SLI has been recognized by the International Federation of Library Associations at their 2019 World Congress in Athens, Greece, becoming the first program in the United States to be honored through their "Green Libraries" Award.
Sustainable Libraries Initiative
The Sustainable Libraries Initiative is a member-driven organization that empowers library professionals to be leaders in triple bottom line sustainability both within their organizations and in their communities. The award-winning project provides tools to mobilize libraries to think and act sustainably. The Sustainable Library Certification Program is now enrolling public libraries nationwide, School Librarians throughout New York State, and will launch an Academic Library Certification Program later this year.
For more information, see the Sustainable Libraries Initiative website (https://sustainablelibrariesinitiative.org) or contact:
Annemarie Gordon, Sustainability Coordinator
Sustainable Libraries Initiative
Suffolk Cooperative Library System
631-286-1600 x1355
mailto:sliadmin@suffolknet.org
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Annemarie Gordon
Sustainability Coodinator
Suffolk Cooperative Library Sytem
She/Her/Hers
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