Library Sustainability Initiatives

The Libraries has a long history of reusing and recycling, particularly as we have migrated print to electronic collections. We are still using old catalog cards as note cards twenty years after the card catalog was eliminated, and we recycle a large amount of paper for staff and public computers as well as newspapers that we subscribe to or distribute in the library (e.g., The Collegian). We are active participants in the campus recycling program and have recently begun to offer a reusable coffee mug for purchase in the Hale Library café, Bookends.

As a provider of campus and community cultural and educational programming, the Libraries' Dow Chemical Multicultural Resource Center is one of the proud sponsors of the very successful Movies on the Grass. This outdoor film series has featured one or more environmentally-themed film each year including this year's showings of King Corn and Darwin's Nightmare. Films are assigned to many classes on campus, and this year UFM hosted discussions focused on film topics.

Subject librarians work directly with the academic departments and colleges on campus, so our collections and services are developed and delivered to reflect the research, teaching, and learning needs of the university community. Subject librarians in the areas of interior design, landscape architecture, architecture, agronomy, environmental design, and many other areas have purchased books, journals, and electronic resources on sustainability-related topics. Subject librarians also point to relevant internet resources that support these areas of study (see, for example, the Interior Design Subject Guide at http://www.lib.k-state.edu/subguides/interior/index.html).

Beyond the campus, library communities are becoming increasing involved in sustainability issues. The Association of College and Research Libraries' national conference in March 2009 in Seattle is encouraging participants to take a "Green Pledge" and conference planners are focusing efforts on greening the conference. Also, the Art Libraries Society of North America Central Plains Chapter held its spring meeting here in Manhattan and featured three K-State instructors speaking on the topic of sustainability. The University of Utah Libraries recently released a report called "Recommendations for Greening the J. Willard Marriott Library" that we will be looking at more closely in the coming months.

Type:Waste Management / Minimization

Investment:

N/A

Impact:

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Credit: Lori A Goetsch

Contact: Lori A Goetsch

Tagged:library