Libraries Going Green

Libraries Going Green

The environment is one of the most precious things we human beings have, and we have a responsibility to conserve it. That is why so many libraries are examining their own environmental impact and looking for how they should do their part. The team at CoLibri USA want to help you! So, todays’ blog is related to libraries going green.  

  

WAYS TO PROMOTE THE IDEA OF GREEN LIBRARY  

Let’s start with the question “what is a green library?”. According to the New World Encyclopedia (2017) “a green library is a library built with environmental concerns in mind. Green libraries are a part of the larger green building movement.”  

Working from that very broad definition, we can see that there are many ways for a library to move toward being a green library. They can range from higher level changes such as choosing green certified suppliers and offering virtual client administrators, to the everyday changes of recycling, eliminating single use plastics and plastic packaging as much as possible, and even switching to fair-trade coffee in the break room.  

 

LIBRARIES DOING GREEN INITIATIVES IN THE USA   

Financial insecurity, energy infrastructure strain, and climate change are affecting almost everything in society, and in turn changing libraries. To help you keep up with the changes, let’s look at some specific examples of libraries doing green initiatives.  

First, the Budlong Public Library in Chicago has an eco-friendly power system that supplies 7 % of the building’s electricity. Additionally, another system of divider and rooftop protection, lighting controls, and windows that keep heat out and let light in, which allows the building to operate at 20% less energy than specified by the Chicago Energy Code.  

Another example is the Santa Monica Public library which hosts a green prize for sustainable literature. The purpose of this prize is to encourage and celebrate writers, illustrators and publishers who produce quality books for both children and adults. They widen public awareness of sustainability.  

Our third example is the Lake View Terrace library in Los Angeles which is housed in a sustainable building. That means many elements of the actual structure such as flooring, dividers, casework boards, and tiles, are composed of recycled materials.  

Finally, we have the Austin Public Library in Texas which called their communities to recycle their used batteries and cellphones. They do it as part of a friendly community competition among their local library branches.  E-waste causes the uniquely harmful pollution. So, these sorts of electronic recycling programs help prevent it and can be useful and convenient to your local community. 

 

COLIBRI BOOK ECO COVERS   

We are the first book covers in the world to be certified “I’m green”. This certification which verifies that the resources we use in our covers are sustainable, demonstrating our concern about the environmental impact of day-to-day operations.   

Henrick Hudson Free Library, a customer of ours, states that “Colibri Green ECO covers help you protect your books while respecting the environment and your mission.” The Henrick Hudson Library instituted a ‘green team’ to develop other sustainable initiatives internally and with local organizations. It has been such a success that the library began to communicate nationally, with the American Library Association.  

  

BENEFITS OF THE ECO-FRIENDLY COLIBRI SYSTEM  

CoLibri offers a durable and non-toxic system to cover your books. It is 100% recyclable and could be used for the popular sizes of books. What is more, these book covers are excellent for low-to-moderate use environments, such as libraries and library archives, where a strong but flexible book cover is desired. Please, take a minute to browse our green covers. Feel free to contact our team if you have any questions.    

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