The document summarizes sustainable thinking and practices for libraries. It discusses how sustainability involves more than just daily green actions like recycling and involves embedding sustainable thinking into an organization's culture, mission, and processes. It provides examples of how libraries can commit to sustainability through policies, goals, and changing daily habits and operations in areas like energy use, transportation, food, and materials. The document advocates for sustainability to be a clearly articulated organizational purpose that is achieved through engaged people and thoughtful process changes.

1. Sustainable Thinking
Passageway to Better Buildings, Budgets & Beyond

2. Rebekkah Smith Aldrich Louise Schaper
Coordinator for Library (So much more than a) Library Consultant
Growth & Sustainability
Jeffrey Scherer Susan Benton
Architect Extraordinaire Urban Libraries Council

3. WHAT
IS
SUSTAINABILITY?

5. By Anthony Burrill

6. “Most people are more comfortable with old
problems than with new solutions.“

8. The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
www.louis es c haper.com lschaper@me.c om

9. if your library’s daily green is...
o recycling
o double-sided printing
o managing the thermostat
and you think...
Books repurposed as a Christmas tree
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

10. your library’s daily green can be more...
o healthier indoor air quality
o lower energy and water bills
o healthier food
o zero or reduced waste
o reduced supply costs
o competitive advantage
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

11. if U.S. public libraries…
reduced their energy use by just 10%
total savings = $32,000,000 year
Appaloosa Branch Library, Scottsdale, AZ
Timmerman Photography
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

12. story.

13. one thing I knew back then...
it’s more.
it’s a way of thinking that inspires.
it’s an inspiration that becomes embedded in organizational culture.
it’s an organizational culture that drives measurable actions.
it’s daily action that reaps continual bottom line and beyond returns.
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

14. here’s what I did (and should have).

15. getting to the daily green in...
3 simple steps
1. people–unleash the energy
2. purpose–commit and embed
3. process–let it roll
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

16. people.

17. people
1. nurture 2. unleash 3. educate 4. partner
personality harvest positioned think out of the
what works to influence box
key roles recycle and share competitive
reuse ideas progress advantage
resources new ideas programs., win-win
tours,
resources
external disciplined speakers for profits, govt,
roles bureau non-profits
participation vendors
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

18. purpose.

19. purpose
deeply embed sustainable thinking...
work wash it in
o mission & vision
o values
o goals/objectives
o standards and expectations
o policies
o job descriptions
R. Al and S. House: “Going Green in North
American Public Libraries: A Critical Snapshot of
Policy and Practice, “ IFLA Conference, 2010.
“…there is an exciting emergent library discourse on “green” policy and actions.
However: (1) public libraries are implementing “green” measures at the service and
programming levels, but not yet encoding a green ethic in official institutional
language; and, (2) library associations are generally remiss in addressing environmental
responsibility in any form or manner in their policies.”
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

20. purpose
OUR EMPLOYEE VALUES STATEMENT (PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN)
We at our library value:
· Excellent customer service
· Open and respectful access to all
· Diversity, intellectual freedom, and personal privacy
· Collaboration with local agencies and organizations
· Effective and efficient stewardship of library resources
· Staff for their initiative, flexibility, and teamwork.
U. of California-Merced’s Triple Zero Commitment
1. To consume zero net energy
2. To produce zero landfill waste
3. To produce zero net carbon emissions
http://sustainability.ucmerced.edu
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

21. purpose
The National Library of New Zealand
Sustainability Policy
The National Library recognizes that providing our services
consumes resources that have adverse impacts on the
environment. Sustainability is one of our core principles.
Accordingly, we have adopted a sustainability policy
through which we aim to provide leadership in sustainable
performance in New Zealand.
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

22. purpose – policies
Mesa County Libraries Purchasing Policy
PURCHASING POLICY
ENVIRONMENTAL (GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE) PREFERENCE
“Buy Green. Buy Local. Buy Less.” Our Library District supports
and promotes recycled content and environmentally preferred
products in order to minimize negative environmental impacts. The
District will purchase recycled content and environmentally preferable
products unless such products do not perform satisfactorily and/or are
unreasonably expensive.
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

23. purpose
“Omega holds sustainability as one of its
core values. We consider the impact of our
actions, advocate for fairness in the
treatment of all living things, and make
decisions for the common good. Our
facilities are managed with an acute
awareness of our relationship to the
environment, and we endeavor to do our
best to serve as stewards of our unique
and irreplaceable Earth and everyone who
inhabits it.”
Omega Institute website: http://www.eomega.org/omega/omegaliving/6/
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

24. purpose – goals & objectives
City of Philadelphia: Greenworks
o reduce vulnerability to rising energy costs
o reduce city building energy consumption by 10%
o increase tree coverage toward 30% in all neighborhoods by 2025
o divert 70% of solid waste from landfill
o bring local food within 10 miles of 75% of residents
o create competitive advantage from sustainability
o is greenest city in America
photo: http://www.dvgbc.org
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

25. purpose – measure
o goal
o baseline
o current status
o share & celebrate
…it changes behavior
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

26. process.

27. process
much of what we do in
our daily operations is
habit.
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

28. process
o o sustainable site
energy use
categories
o o water efficiency
lighting
o building/landscape maintenance
o energy and atmosphere
o janitorial
o o materials and resources
food and café
o o indoor environmental
procurement
quality
o transportation
o o innovation in operations
water consumption
o paper consumption
o education and engagement
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

29. process
start with
energy
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

30. process
This is a GREEN janitorial closet
This is a REGULAR janitorial
closet
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

31. process
food at events
o throw away dishes and cups
o real or recycled dishes and cups
o obottled water
filtered water
o healthy food
o junk food
o support of local farmers
o compost, community garden
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

32. process
transportation Bike share program
o bike racks
o bus route
o preferred parking
o bike loan program for customers
o hybrid or electric library vehiclesvehicles
Alternative
o solar lit library vehicles
o charging stations
Harvard University’s Law
School Library’s bike share
King County Library System’s solar lit
bookmobiles
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

33. process
consumption
o recyclable library cards or none
o reusable bags
o reduced printing & duplex
o reused packaging
o newsletter apps and email
o reuse furniture Central Library, Delft University of Technology
o buy green
http://www.oclc.org/research/publications
/library/2010/2010-07.pdf
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

34. daily green.

35. daily green
...it happens with engaged
people, clearly articulated
purpose (and measures) and
thoughtful (habit changing)
processes
…it happens by creating a
culture of sustainability
The Daily Green: Is It Possible?
Louise Schaper | March 16, 2012

36. www.louis es c haper.com lschaper@me.c om

37. Jeffrey Scherer, FAIA. Principal, MS&R
A founding principal of Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd. (MS&R), Jeff leads
MS&R’s commercial and library design practices. He has more than 100
public, academic, and private libraries to his credit.

38. nanoDecisions

39. Sustainable Architecture
The Social Compact to Create Positive Chain Reactions

40. Conversation
Conversation is the natural
way we humans think
together. If our words mean
something different to each
other, we are not conversing
but simply passing in the dark
along separate roads and
destined for different places.

41. dichotomy of our culture...

42. Libraries
$12.5B ($35/C)

44. Madison Wisconsin Public Library Forum

47. behavior
equity money
service

48. Body
Spirit Mind

52. A COMPLETE HISTORY OF EVERYONE
Zoe Strauss

54. Because praying
won’t help

55. Headache # 1

56. “Money makes the
world go around.”

57. The gods will
always promise:
believe in us
and we will
deliver you to a
better, faster,
cheaper and
happier place

58. Economic
social cultural
environmental

59. 4 Cardinal Points
» Economic Performance: Where cost can be found to
provide measurable functional and use or utility
benefits
» Social Performance: Where community and shared or
political process benefits can be measured
» Environmental Performance: Where minimal
environmental impact (ideally measurable
environmental benefits) can be found
» Cultural Performance: Where aesthetic, ethical and
other cultural meanings can accrue

60. minimumSizematters

61. Sustainability is more than a
green (slogan) building
Pride TrustMadison Wisconsin Public Library Forum

63. CONTEXT

64. 64

65. IDENTITY
DAYLIGHT / VIEWS
DELIGHT
COMMUNITY
FLEXIBILITY
SUSTAINABILITY

66. PLAN DIAGRAM

67. COURTYARD PROGRAM PORCH VIEWS
EARLY STUDIES 67

68. VOLUME WATER DAYLIGHT SHADE
EARLY STUDIES

70. ARIEL VIEW (DURING CONSTRUCTION)

71. IDENTITY

72. IDENTITY

73. IDENTITY

74. DAYLIGHT & VIEWS

75. DAYLIGHT & VIEWS

76. DELIGHT

77. DELIGHT

79. COMMUNITY

80. COMMUNITY

81. FLEXIBILITY

82. SUSTAINABILITY

85. 249,273,533
$81,000 / day
$29M / year

86. service for
700,000
people

88. Where do you belong?

89. “Local governments and
public libraries are
emerging as powerful
partners in building
strong, sustainable
communities.”
http://www.urbanlibraries.org/

90. Sustainability Leadership
Phase I: Making the Case for Change
• Collaboration & Influencing
• Change Leadership
Phase 2: Translating Vision into Action
Phase 3: Expanding Boundaries
The Change Leadership Sustainability Demands
MIT Sloan Management Review | Summer 2012

94. “What is required for
libraries to remain
relevant is to think
outside of the box, to
re-imagine the
traditional idea of
what a library is. ”

97. “The map has
been replaced
by the
compass.”
-Seth Godin

98. SUSTAINABLE
THINKING.
Facebook.com/SustainableLibraries