Welcome!

Welcome to Alliance Library System’s Green Blog!  This blog is designed to help libraries of all sizes and types become more environmentally friendly. Green is gaining in popularity and it is here to stay! This blog will focus on Environmental Organizations & Initiatives, Financial Resources (Grants, Funding, and Discounts), Green Buildings, and Programming Ideas.  You will find two tabs at the top of this blog with Additional Resources and Downloadables.  Under the Additional Resources tab, you will find lists of useful links on each topic. These links may have already been featured in a blog post or may be highlighted in an upcoming post.  Under the Downloadables tab, you will find all kinds of documents ready to be downloaded and used as you see fit. These documents include booklists, brochures, sample proposals, and more.  If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, a question you would like answered, or any suggestion that you might have to improve this resource, drop me a line and let me know!  Little changes add up, and together, we can all make a difference!

Go Green with Christmas Gifts

The Peoria Journal Star recently published an article about going green with Christmas gifts.  The ideas are simple but often overlooked.  The article mentions three important things to consider when looking for last-minute Christmas gifts:

• Think local
• Think low-impact
• Think about making your dollars more meaningful

Buying locally not only reduces your shipping costs and but it cuts greenhouse gas emissions required to transport items.  Don’t forget about the wrapping.  Get creative and use a reusable container.  If you are giving a kitchen ware, wrap it in a towel.  If you really want to use wrapping paper, try to use recycled wrapping paper.  When you are looking locally, don’t forget your your area environmental organizations and foundations.   Many sell environmentally friendly gifts and are in desperate need of funding.  In the Peoria area, the Forest Park Nature Center offers many green items, including fair-trade products, organic beauty items, tree-free greeting cards and green guides.   If you have a person on your list who has everything, you might even want to consider making a donation in their name.   You may even wish to enroll them in an environmental organization like the Audubon Society, and they will receive a newsletter and magazine.  The important part of these gifts is that it is a win-win situation.  The environment benefits, you feel good about your efforts, and the recipient will appreciate the thought process behind the gift.

The First Carbon Positive Library

Little changes in behavior can make a big difference in the environment, but it is still fun to look at those that go above and beyond as a source of inspiration.  The Rangeview Library District’s new Anythink Brighton, Colorado branch is on the cutting edge of environmental design.  Although most libraries ,  it is certainly interesting, innovative, and may be an example of libraries in the future.  The building, which opened in September, offsets 167,620 pounds of carbon dioxide—16% more than it is anticipated to use annually.  The $7.2-million Brighton branch will seek LEED certification.  A 108 kW photovoltaic system generates more than a third of the building’s power.  This system converts solar radiation into direct current energy and will will save the library about $30,000 a year in energy costs.  The system is expected to repay the $300,000 initial cost in 10 years, but it is also saving tons of carbon emissions.

Other environmentally friendly features include:

• Geothermal heating and cooling carries fluid through the floors to wells 500 feet below the parking lot. While underground, the temperature of the fluid moderates to about 58 degrees Farenheit, year-round; when it’s pumping through the floors, it helps to cool the building in summer and heat it in winter, requiring about half the energy of blowing heated or cooled air.
• Solatubes capture natural light outside, and deliver through reflective tubes to illuminate interior spaces, even if there is no window or skylight.
• Lighting controls, including motion sensors and stepped ballasts regulate the amount of artificial lighting needed.
• South-facing facades receive direct light in winter, with awnings to provide shade during summer.

For more information on the building, check out the branch’s  website!

Recycle Those Gift Cards!

As Christmas is rapidly approaching, many people will give and receive plastic gift cards.  They don’t take up a lot of room, so you probably don’t think much about throwing them away after they are used.  Unfortunately, they add up quickly and over 75 million pounds of PVC material from plastic cards enters our waste stream each year.  So, what is the alternative to throwing away the 10 billion new gift cards that are circulated each year?  Earthworks has developed an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional PVC plastic. They have information for manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. You can start by encouraging retailers to use recycled plastic to produce their cards and before you turn in a used card, ask if they recycle them.  If not, keep the card yourself and send them in.  Some of the cards that can be recycled include: gift cards, promotional cards, ID cards, signs, point of purchase displays, membership cards, hotel cardkeys, bookmarks, rulers, hang tags, drivers licenses, circle calculators, playing cards, luggage tags, specialty advertising, and even library cards.  All of the above items can also be made from Earthworks recycled plastic.  Individuals can send in their cards, or you might want to consider collecting them at your library.  You will have to pay postage to send them in, but this is an easy way to provide another green service to your patrons.  For more information, see the Earthworks website or for an article and interview with the company’s founder, see the Mother Nature Network.

New Handouts

I recently created two new handouts that you might find useful.  Both handouts are now available under the Downloadables Page or through the following links:

Going Green: Building, Recycling, and Cleaning

Green Programming Ideas for All Ages

The Building, Recycling, and Cleaning handout will get you started with the basics of making your library a little greener.  You will find easy tips to save money, become more energy efficient, and look at recycling in a new way.  You will also find some of my favorite useful resources.

The Green Programming handout contains lots of ideas that will appeal to patrons of all ages.  It contains links to websites that have been featured in some of my posts and many more.  Programming ideas include Crafts: Turning Trash into Treasure, Calculating your Ecological Footprint, Interactive Sites for Children, Green Holidays, and Green Booklists.  You may even want to make copies of this handout to give to your patrons.

If you have any ideas or suggestions for new handouts, please let me know and don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments!

Water Bottle Crafts

Consumers spend over $100 billion a year on bottled water, and according to the Container Recycling Institute, only 23 percent of plastic bottles were recycled in 2006.   In 2005, an estimated 144 billion containers were wasted in the United States.  So, if you don’t have access to recycle plastic bottles in your community you might as well make something out of them and keep them out of the landfill.  I have searched for creative ideas and listed the best ones below.

Bottle and Sock Snowman – make a snow man out of a sock, a bottle, and a few other supplies.

Plastic Bottle Stained Glass Candle Holder – this one seems like it may be a little more challenging, but looks great.

Recycle Soda Bottles into a Coin Purse – all you need is two soda bottles (or water bottles) and a zipper.  Stitch or glue the zipper to the bottles.

Recycled Bottle Fish Mobile – you can’t even tell that the fish are from water bottles, but I think it might be for the more experienced crafters.

Winter Star Garlands – unless you look closely, you’d never guess these were made from water bottles.

Plastic Bottles turned to Bracelets – this is a very cute idea for kids.  Many bottles have ridges in them, so they’re perfect for cutting strips.

Plastic Bottle Flowers – these are really pretty and seem simple.

I could go on and on, but these are some of my favorites.  If you don’t like these, try a simple internet search and you will come up with lots of ideas.  If you find one you like, feel free to send it to me and I’ll add it.  If you try some crafts with recycled bottles and you want to send me pictures, I’ll post them to share with everyone!

 

Computer Recycling

The other day I was asked the question, “How can I recycle my old computer?”  After doing a little research, I found several sites that allow you to search for local organizations that accept used computer equipment.  I found at least one local resource on all of the following websites.  They offer different types of searches as described below:

• Earth 911
  Earth 911 is a comprehensive communication medium for the environment. Earth 911 has taken environmental hotlines, web sites and other information sources nationwide, and consolidated them into one network. Once you contact the Earth 911 network, you will find community-specific information on eCycling and much more.
• My Green Electronics
  Provided by the Consumer Electronics Association, this site is a resource for consumers wishing to purchase green products and/or searching for local opportunities to recycle or donate used electronics.
• Electronic Industries Alliance’s Consumer Education Initiative
  The Electronic Industries Alliance’s eCycling Central Web site helps you find reuse, recycling and donation programs for electronics products in your state.
• TechSoup
  TechSoup has compiled a comprehensive body of information to promote computer recycling and reuse. This site provides resources for those who would like to donate hardware, those who would like to acquire recycled hardware, and refurbishers.
• Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC)
  RBRC can help you recycle portable rechargeable batteries commonly found in cordless power tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, camcorders, digital cameras, and remote control toys. Search for collection sites by zip code.

If you are looking to recycle old computer or electronic equipment, these websites should get you started.  If you don’t find what you’re looking for, contact me!  I’ll be happy to help!

Turning Unwanted Books into Purses

If you have  hardback books that you need to recycle and you are looking for a programming activity, then this post is for you!  For step by step instructions, check out HG TV’s Website , wikiHow,  or Ehow’s How To.   All of the instructions are similar.  If you’d prefer, the instructional video is posted below.  It should get you started.   In the end, your  old unwanted books get a new life and your patron gets a new purse without spending more than a few dollars!

Green Thanksgiving

Now that Halloween has passed and Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, it is time to think about ways to make the holiday a little more environmentally friendly. I’ve put together a list of resources that feature tips and ideas for hosting a Green Thanksgiving. Some of the ideas are simple like shopping with re-usable bags, shopping locally, and buying organic products. Others, like dressingDress in vintage, hemp, organic cotton or silk; donating the fat off the turkey to a company that will turn it into bio-fuel; or drinking organic vodka may seem a little out there, but might be of interest to those that are feeling a little adventuresome!

Green Thanksgiving: Four Tips to a More Eco Friendly Celebration

12 Ways to Have a Green Thanksgiving

How to Go Green Thanksgiving Day

How to Plan a Green Thanksgiving: 10 Steps to an Eco Friendly Holiday Party

Top 10 Tips for an Eco Friendly Thanksgiving

 

Trash to Treasure: Turn Junk Mail into Paper

If you are looking for a fun activity for patrons of all ages, you might want to try making paper from junk mail or bills.  It requires very little equipment, and The Daily Green.com has step by step instructions and an easy to follow video.  It is not going to make paper that you will want to use everyday, but it will make pretty paper that you can use for note cards or gifts and it will turn your trash into a treasure!   If you are looking for an artistic, creative way to be a little greener, give it a try!

Here is what you’ll need:

Frame (or old window screen)

Screen (silk screen fabric, old stockings or window screen)

Duct tape or staple gun

Plastic bin or cookie sheet (larger than the screen and deep enough to hold enough water to cover screen with water)

Blender (food processor or a handheld blender)

Paper (junk mail, bills, old catalogs, memos from the boss, magazines etc…)

Sponge

Old rags or a very absorbent towel

Draining board (or something to lay wet screen on)

For the instructional video, step by step instructions, or toread more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/how-to-make-paper-47102101?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr#ixzz0WTdc8cMQ

Green Library Resources

As green becomes more mainstream, there are more and more resources for green libraries.  I would like to take the opportunity to list a few other green library blogs and groups.   I am sure there are more out there, so please feel free to leave a comment,  and I be happy to post any additional resources.

The Green Library – this blog is devoted to documenting significant activities, events, literature, and projects that focus on ” … increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building’s lifecycle, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal” of and by libraries.

Going Green @ Your Library - this blog lists ideas, practices, tools, and techniques to help libraries become more environmentally friendly, save money, and possibly even raise money for their library in the process.So here’s to a greener library and a sustainable future for all.

OU Libraries are Going for the Green – this blog is written by Alden Library staff interested in “greening” OU Libraries and helping the Libraries do its part to support the efforts of Ohio University’s Office of Sustainability.

The Green Librarian – Earth and Library Advocacy from Bozeman Montana.

The Green Library Global Facebook Group is  devoted to discussion of significant activities, events, literature, and projects that focus on ” … increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building’s lifecycle, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal” of and by libraries.