Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MLS, LEED AP
Author of Sustainable Thinking: Ensuring Your Library’s Future in an Uncertain World and Resilience, Rebekkah has been a public library development consultant and advocate since 1998. Rebekkah is currently the Executive Director of the Mid-Hudson Library System in New York.
Culturism and vegan nutrition: power balance oxanabol bodybuilding blog in 2017 – predictions – sitl.Rebekkah is a certified Sustainable Building Advisor (cSBA), Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and a holds an advanced certificate in Public Library Administration from the Palmer School of Library and Information Science at Long Island University where she is now an adjunct professor.
Currently the co-chair of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Special Task Force on Sustainability and advisory board member for ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries, Rebekkah is co-founder of the Sustainable Libraries Initiative and a founding board member of the ALA Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT).
Named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker in 2010, Rebekkah is Library Journal’s sustainability columnist and a frequent presenter at libraries and conferences around the world.
Contact Rebekkah: Rebekkah @ SustainableLibraries dot org
Publications
Sustainable Thinking: Ensuring Your Library’s Future in an Uncertain World, ALA Editions
Resilience, Library Future Series, ALA Editions
Sustainability Column, Library Journal
- Power to the People, 12.2020
- No Justice, No Peace, 10.2020
- What the World Needs Now, 6.2020
- Sustainability at a Social Distance During COVID-19, 4.2020
- Wake Up, Your House is on Fire, 9.2019
- Social Cohesion Means Survival, 8.2019
- Next, Do These 5 Things, 6.2019
- On a Mission, 4.2019
- Certified Sustainable, 10.2017
- Don’t Let This Moment Pass You By, 7.2017
- Subversive Librarians, 4.2017
- Arming the Ramparts, 2.2017
- Deliberate Resilience, 12.2016
- Each Choice Tells Our Story, 10.2016
- Local Supports Local, 7.2016
- The Capacity to Endure, 5.2016
Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding (Introduction), ALA Editions
Better Library Design (Chapter), Rowman & Littlefield
Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State
Sustainable Thinking (Chapter), The Green Library – Die grüne Bibliothek, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
Greening Libraries in Historic Buildings (Chapter), Greening Libraries, Library Juice Press
A Whole Systems Approach: Integrated Building Design, Library Journal
Handbook for New Public Library Directors in New York State
Recent Presentations
Texas Library Association Conference
Closing Keynote, Connecticut Library Association
Keynote, NCLIVE
Computers in Libraries, 2021
Opening Keynote: The Just Transition, 2021 Library Journal Summit: Building the Next Normal
Opening & Closing Keynote, Library 2.020 Mini-Conference on Sustainability in Libraries
Keynote, Florida Libraries Online Conference: Fostering Resilient Communities
Keynote, The Exchange, ALCTS/LITA/LLAMA
Symposium on the Future of Libraries, American Library Association, Midwinter Conference, Nashville, TN
Keynote, Association of Rural and Small Libraries Conference, Burlington, VT
International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), Athens, Greece
US Embassy, Peru: Sustainability in US Libraries
Next Library Conference, Dokk1, Aarhus, Denmark: Scaling Social Cohesion – Co-Creating Library-Led Community Resilience (with Rebecca Miller)
New Jersey State Library: Sustainable Thinking for the Future of Libraries (with Matthew Bollerman)
Library Journal’s Public Library Think Tank: The Power of Youth Services, Transforming Public Library Impact (with Lisa Kropp), Miami, FL
Keynote, joint conference of the Hawai‘i Library Association (HLA) and the Hawai‘i Association of School Librarians (HASL)
Change Management, New York Library Association
Youth Services & Sustainability, with Lisa Kropp, New York Library Association
Sustainable Thinking for the Future of Libraries | Public Library Association webinar
Keynote, Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference
Symposium on the Future of Libraries, American Library Association, Midwinter Conference | Atlanta, GA
Library Journal Library Director’s Summit (with Matthew Bollerman) | Sacramento, CA
Keynote, Vermont State Library Trustee Conference | Stowe, VT
Libraries: A Powerful Platform for Change (with Matthew Bollerman) | New York Library Association Conference | Saratoga Springs, NY
Saving the World, One Library at a Time | Virginia Library Association
LEEDing and Living: Sustainability’s Role in Your Project | Lead the Change, Library Design Workshop | Library Journal
Masters Series | American Library Association Midwinter Conference
LLAMA Thought Leaders Series: Rebekkah Smith Aldrich
Empower, Engage, Excite: The Future of Library Advocacy | Central New York Library Resource Council | Syracuse, NY
Sustainable Thinking | Leadership & Management Academy | Albany, NY
10 Easy Ways to Ruin Your Library’s Reputation (PR Essentials) | Pre-Conference | Public Library Association (PLA) Conference
Throw Out the Map and Get Out the Compass: Leading Libraries Forward in Uncertain Times | Library Survival Conference | Buffalo, NY
Fear is the New F Word | New York Library Association Conference | Niagara Falls, NY
Strategies for Sustainable Funding | Westchester Library System | Ossining, NY
The Changing Season of Libraries | Lackawanna County Library System | Scranton, PA
Sustainable Thinking: Passageway to Better Buildings, Budgets & Beyond | American Library Association Conference | Anaheim, CA | [co-presented with Susan Benton, Director, Urban Libraries Council, Jeffrey Sherer, founding principal of MS&R Architects, and Louise Shaper, former director of the Fayetteville Public Library (AK)]
Building Your Base (& Your Budget) | Public Library Association Conference
Rebekkah, are you or Matthew available for a 4 hour workshop/presentation to library trustees in southeast PA? I’m on a planning committee for a organizing a workshop (late May thru early July is our timeframe) and are wondering if this is something you do.
Thanks for responding,
Chris
Hi Chris,
I’ll email you about this.
Rebekkah
The Trustee Handbook Book Club is terrific. I have been on the Ossining Library Board for 8 years and did not know much of the material you discussed.
I am considering a Westchester County trustee group for training like this. Would you have any additional suggestions?
Matthew Weiss
Ossining Library
mjweiss2@optonline.net
914-263-9467
Any advice or insight regarding having a Treasurer for our library? Any sources that you might recommend for guidelines would be appreciated.
Matthew Weiss
Ossining Public Library
914-263-9467
mjweiss2@optonline.net
Hi Matthew,
I’m glad you enjoyed the Trustee Handbook Book Club! Check with your system, we here at MHLS spearhead trustee education opportunities so Terry may have stuff in the works. If not, we’ll be issuing a DIY discussion handout you could use to do a program like this on your own.
Be well,
Rebekkah
Hi Matthew,
Have you reviewed The Role of the Treasurer section of the Trustee Handbook? https://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/trustees/handbook/pltreasurer.htm
Good Morning,
Would you care to share any insight on how to transition towards sustainable library cards?
Hi Ashley,
Libraries that have moved to more sustainably sourced materials in their library cards have reported mixed results so far, I think more pressure on the companies producing these cards to create more durable cards out of responsibly sourced materials is called for.
Just my two cents…
Rebekkah