Greening the Library

Bill Mitchell from York Library Region, Fredericton, NB presented this session on how to make libraries more environmentally friendly. He noted that public libraries are leading the way in green construction. As well as features such as wind and solar energy some of the green features used include using recycled steel & gypsum board, flooring made from recycled tires, carpet made from corn or rice, countertops from recycled aluminum. One green innovation which doesn't always work as planned is re-using greywater - ie. the water that drains down the sinks - to flush the toilets. It turns out that even when there are numerous signs warning people that the toilet water is not supposed to be perfectly clear, patrons flush the three times as much.

He mentioned that one of the most used features on new buildings is green (sedum) roofs, such as that of the Cardiff Central Library in Wales, which is a very sustainable building. Langara College Library and North Vancouver Public Library are other examples of recent green buildings.

What can we do? Bill had a number of tips, such as rearranging photocopiers so the ozone from the copiers doesn’t affect the entire library; choosing reusables such as rejuvenated toner cartridges, mechanical pencils, refillable pens and tape dispensers; shred unrecyclable paper for packaging material; try to repair broken items before discarding; turning off computers and printers; setting monitors at most energy efficient setting, taking advantage of sunlight as much as possible; using non-toxic highlighters; using refillable ink cartridges; plus many more.

He expanded the 3 r’s of reduce, reuse and recycle to 6, adding rethink (form a discussion group to reevaluate library practices), repurpose/recover (purchase new or used) and rejoice (your successes). He mentioned the Calgary Public Library has a comprehensive Eco-Action plan worth reading

Two quotes worth repeating:

“Many library buildings can benefit from quick low-cost/no-cost energy-saving solutions, such as turning things off, turning things down and keeping up with cleaning and maintenance”

And remember, “something as simple as using a library helps the planet”.

His presentation is available at Greening our libraries with a list of Internet sites of interest at Greening Libraries links