Greening Your Library – Rebekkah Smith Aldrich
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Greening Presentation for Onondaga County Public Library 5.7.10
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Signage & QR Codes
At the LJ Design Institute last week a question from the audience got me thinking – the question was whether or not using digital signage, specifically LCD panels, were an energy efficient option and a waste reducing option (the idea being less paper would be used to announce programs, etc.)
The hive mind in the room came up with the answer that LED panels would be more energy efficient than LCD, that yes, it would reduce the amount of paper used and that there was a definite hip factor to the application of digital signage in libraries.
It got me thinking about something I heard at the PLA Conference at the Top Tech Tips panel discussion about QR-Codes – these cute squares of connection can be used by owners of smartphones to link to more information. Evidently stores use these, posting them by the front door so customers can connect with sale information or the online version of the store through their phone.
Libraries could make use of these as well for program announcements, posting of hours, board meetings or build them into a program – thinking of something like a scavenger hunt using clues found through the QR-Codes….
For now you can play with QR-Codes using this free QR-Code generator. Stick one in your email signature, post one on your library’s front door and gauge reaction – as more patrons use smartphones the more potential there is to connect virtually with them.
Solar Panel Thefts on the rise
The New York Times Green Blog had a recent post about Solar Panel Thefts:
“Since we last reported on this problem in 2008, the theft of solar panels from homes and commercial buildings has increased at about the same pace as installed megawatts.”
How much water does a leaking faucet waste?
Check out this “Drip Calculator” from the US Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.
If you had just one faucet dripping 3 times a minute you’d waste 1 liter of water a day!!
Libraries with Green Teams!
Public Libraries
Academic Libraries
- Syracuse University Library
- Yale University Library
- Jean & Alexander Heard Library, Vanderbilt University
- Birkbeck, University of London
- Harvard College Library
I hope to be adding a lot more public libraries to this list in the future!
Serenbe
Steve Nygren, one of the founders of Serenbe, a “conservation community,” in Georgia, was the luncheon speaker at the Library Journal’s 2010 Design Institute in Atlanta, GA on April 30, 2010. Due to technical difficulties his time was cut short but even in the short time he was given he managed to capture me from start to finish.
I had this ridiculously huge grin on my face throughout the presentation as he described what has to be one of the most well thought out community development projects in America, if not the world.
“Serenbe’s ultimate goal is to demonstrate how development can accommodate the need for housing with minimal
impact on nature—Serenbe’s land plan call for a preservation of at least 70% of the acreage, while
accommodating as many or more people as traditional subdivision-style development, which would
disturb nearly 80%.”
Thoughtful design of housing, landscaping, forests, food and – at the core of it all – a community.
“Serenbe is 1000 acres; at least 70% will always be preserved green space. geo-thermal heated buildings
This market sells organic & local goods, including produce from the Serenbe Organic Farms Next door, the Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop is the smallest Silver LEED certified building in the nation Walkability: everything in Serenbe is connected via a walking path All homes are EarthCraft Certified Native plants & organic landscaping (no lawns = no chemicals) Underground trashcans sort trash, recycling & compost Serenbe: Green at a Glance outdoor lighting regulations = clear, starry skies”
There is a “trash concierge”: homes have in-ground trash receptacles where color-coded bags for recyclables, trash and compost are discarded. Instead of a noisy dump truck rolling by every week, this garbage is picked up by a “concierge” on a golf cart. The compost is used as fertilizer on the farm. Others are taken to a recycling center or a city landfill. [from an article in Savannahnow.com]
While blown away and hungry for more – one thing struck me… there was no mention of a library in the community…
Library Journal 2010 Design Institute @Atlanta
Just returned from the Library Journal’s 2010 Design Institute in Atlanta, GA where I moderated a panel: Sustainable Libraries with or without LEED. On the panel with me:
We tackled whether or not LEED is “worth it” (yes); will it cost more (upfront, yes; long term – probably not); “must-have” green features (best answer: building owners willing to make the commitment to green the project); and “green” features to skip (showers in libraries to get the LEED point for bike racks and preferred parking spots for hybrid vehicles).
During the “green must-haves” portion of the discussion David Moore took me by surprise when he focused on water conservation. I was expecting everyone to focus on renewable energy (geothermal, solar) or energy efficient options as that is what has been most important here in New York, however, given that the overwhelming majority of the audience was from the South East (Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina) they were acutely attuned to the recent drought. Stories were told of people trying to capture the condensation off the air conditioning tubes for a little extra water and using buckets to capture the water coming out of the shower as it warmed up to a reasonable temperature. David expressed that he would be hard pressed not to incorporate water conservation (rain catchment, gray water recycling for toilets, landscaping etc.) features into future projects.
I’ll share more thoughts from this event this week but just wanted to share a bit about the experience as it is so fresh in my mind this morning!
40 Tips for the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day
Tomorrow is the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, to mark the occasion I am doing a Greening Your Library workshop for my member libraries and have brainstormed the list below:
40 Easy Ways to Go Green @your library for the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day
1. Establish a “Green Team” at the library to brainstorm ways the library could be greener
2. Develop a recycling policy for your staff (paper, plastic, cardboard)
3. Ask the board to pass a green policy that encourages and validates the exploration and investment in energy saving and resource saving options
4. Create a routine maintenance plan for major systems (roof, HVAC, etc.)
5. Create a building plan to predict timelines for long-term goals – replacement of HVAC, roof, expansion plans – this will give you more time to find green options
6. Recycle bins for paper next to printers (for staff and the public)
7. Purchase recycled paper for printers and copiers
8. File as much as you can electronically rather than in paper files (be sure to have an offsite back-up solution and schedule!)
9. Add a footer to your email signature that urges people to think twice before printing out an email message: “Please consider the environment before printing this email”
10. Recycle bin for plastic and glass in the staff break room and meeting rooms
11. Encourage staff to eliminate the use of plastic water bottles at work
12. Offer an enewsletter option
13. Turn off lights in offices and meeting spaces not in use
14. Only purchase ENERGY STAR computers/appliances
15. Do not water the grass
16. Use native plants in your landscaping so you don’t have to water them extra.
17. Recycle book sale donations that don’t sell
18. Recycle printer cartridges
19. Appropriately dispose of e-waste (computers, monitors)
20. Use Century Gothic font (it uses 30% less ink when printing than Arial)
21. Turn off all equipment (copies, printers, computer towers and monitors) at the end of the work day
22. Use “smart” power strips to cut off power completely when equipment is off
23. Use the energy saving features through your operating system to put computers into standby/hibernation
24. Turn down the temperature on the hot water heater
25. Wrap the hot water tank with insulation to reduce heat loss from the tank
26. Green the cleaning – purchase “Green Seal” cleaning products
27. Use biodegradable soap in the bathrooms
28. Only purchase formaldehyde free furniture
29. Use low-VOC paints in the library
30. The next time you replace your vacuum, get one with a HEPA filter
31. Plan story hour crafts that can use recycled paper, cardboard, “found items,” etc.
32. Invite a local walking or cycling group in to do programs at the library
33. Partner with local environmental groups in your community to do programs at the library
34. Offer a program on energy efficiency incentives from the state and federal for homeowners
35. Highlight books from your collection that help families go green (green cleaning, eating locally, energy efficient home ideas)
36. Encourage families to “turn off” (the TV and computer) and hang out together at the library
37. Have the library property assessed for geothermal and solar placement.
38. Schedule an Energy Audit to get professional recommendations to reduce energy usage in your building ($100) Usually available through your state energy authority
39. Get your hands on a Kill-a-Watt to discover ways to cut back your electricity bill (we got one to share with our member libraries)
40. Get your hands on a thermal leak detector to discover air infiltration in your building (we got one to share with our member libraries)
5 Ways to Make Computing Greener in your library
- Make it a library policy that all computers and monitors – public and staff – are shut down at the end of the work day. Use a Smart Strip Surge Protector to completely cut off power to peripherals when a computer is turned off.
- Make use of the power management settings (standby and hibernate) through your operating system; go a step further and check out EZ Wizard Power Management Tool recommended by the U.S. EPA
- Only purchase ENERGY STAR rated computers and monitors.
- Redesign your public access computer network using a thin client model (example: Userful)
- Dispose and recycle responsibly. Research options by calling your town/city’s recycling center.
Bonus Round: Keep your eye on cloud computing opportunities – there are an increasing number of options – cost effective options – that could reduce the number of servers needed in your building and your reliance on purchasing software. Examples: Gmail for Organizations (keep your address, drop your physical email server) & Google Docs
CFL Buying Tips
“Starting in January 2012, all lamp technology sold in the U.S., including both incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) will be required to meet efficiency requirements set by the Energy Independence Security Act.” [Greenbiz.com]
Meanwhile, as you go to purchase CFLs it is important to keep in mind that not all bulbs are created equal…
- Buyers Guide [Energy Star]
- The Best Compact Fluorescent Bulbs: PM Lab Results [Popular Mechanics]