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The eight member Library Green Team began discussing and implementing green and sustainable improvements with our inception in December 2008.
We represent library faculty and staff in two physical locations: Millar Library and Library Resources Services and Technology located in the Smith Center. We are dedicated to promoting both green and sustainable practices throughout the library through staff education and team work.
Prime considerations:
- reducing waste and encouraging recycling
- conserving energy and water
- promoting sustainable purchasing practices
- encouraging the use of alternative transportation
Ongoing activities:
- weekly “Green Tip” emailed to all staff
- "Library Environmental Sustainability Audit" including an evaluation of energy use, equipment and office supplies, cleaning and maintenance, transportation, and reduce/reuse/recycle efforts throughout all library facilities-- *staff transportation survey already completed!
- staff and public space Recycling/Waste Audit scheduled for Millar Library—to be scheduled for Resource Services
- establish composting in Resources Services staff lunch room
Completed projects!:
- presentation by Kelli Martin at all faculty/staff meeting to explain purpose and goals of campus green teams
- organization of two “reusable lunch bag” brainstorming sessions to discuss issues of concern specific to various library departments, gather ideas for improvement and issues of concern, and to share personal knowledge of recycling, alternative transportation, saving energy, composting, waste reduction, etc.
- desk-side recycling boxes made available to all staff
- expanded recycling in Resource Services to include plastic film and additional plastics such as, take-out clamshell containers and microwave dinner trays
- evaluation and reorganization of all recycling in Resource Services by PSU Recycles! Staff; including addition of informational posters
Library Technologies “green” accomplishments so far:
- lights on 2nd floor of the library can now be turned off
- all monitors in library kiosks now go to Sleep Mode after 5 minutes rather than 20
- inactive monitors go dark after 20 minutes (library staff, etc.)
- all printers also are set to go to low power mode after a prescribed period of time (this is not quite as efficient as off, but it does make it less crucial for staff to remember to turn equipment off manually)
- work is under way with OIT to develop a method to wake up kiosk computers remotely
- Library Technologies is also working on a one-step automatic shut-off of laptops in library classrooms simply by closing the lid
New ideas:
- devote a section in the new books area to sustainability topics
- establish composting facilities in staff rooms in Millar Library
Printing Tip : print to pdf
This is a great way to avoid unnecessary printing when completing forms online that don’t allow you to save, but suggest printing a copy. Instead, print to pdf. If you have enhanced Adobe Acrobat, you can even make editing marks and write notes, etc.
Our members:
Tom Bielavitz, Jocelyn Duffy, Josh Hancock, Anne Keech, Teresa Minato (captain), Robin Paynter, Teresa Stapelberg, and Kimberly Willson-St Clair.
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Green Teams
