The document discusses the concept and importance of green libraries, emphasizing their role in promoting sustainability and the challenges faced in implementing these initiatives. It highlights major green library projects internationally, particularly in the US and Canada, as well as efforts in India spearheaded by the Indian Green Building Council. The conclusion stresses the need for collective action towards creating more environmentally friendly libraries to benefit users and the environment.

1. GREEN LIBRARY :
SCOPE AND
IMPLICATIONS
AT THE NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
Sonali Choudhury Biswas,
Librarian,
R.M. College,
Silchar, Assam.
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2. INTRODUCTION:
 Green Library is uniquely placed to educate
people on the importance of sustainability
and at the same time creating interest and
attraction towards libraries.
 The term ‘Green Library’ refers to a library
that is environmentally conscious in many
ways.
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3. WHY ARE LIBRARIES
BECOMING GREEN?
 Role in conserving environment.
 Providing environment friendly and
sustainable library services to the users.
 To generate attraction towards library.
 To continue working for the betterment of
mankind.
 But what about libraries that want to
go green but cannot afford the cost…?
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4. OBJECTIVES OF THE PAPER:
 To study the major green library initiatives
at the international and national level.
 The paper would attempt to recognize the
standards for Green Libraries in India and
the movement so far in the context of
Indian libraries.
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5. LEED CERTIFICATION
 In new construction and library renovation,
sustainability is increasingly achieved
through LEED certification, a rating system
developed and administered by the
USGBC.
 LEED certification-predominant design and
standards set.
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6. HOW DOES ONE ACHIEVE LEED
CERTIFICATION?
 The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED
website: http://in.usgbc.org/ provides tools
for building professionals, providing
information on the LEED certification
process.
 Besides this, information about Green and
Sustainable Libraries is also available in
http://greenlibraries.org/
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7. GREEN LIBRARY INITIATIVES
At International Level:
The awareness among the countries
abroad is promptly remarkable about Green
Libraries especially America, Canada,
England, Atlanta and Japan. Most of the
green libraries started their project and they
are striving for LEED Certification. The
following table is indicative of the Green
Library initiatives in different countries of the
world:
Source:http://greenlibraries.org/
http://in.usgbc.org/leed/
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8. S l. No. Name of the
Green Libraries
Project
Started
Country LE ED
Certificate
1 Ballard Branch
Seattle Public
Library Seattle W A
Top Ten Green
Projects for 2006
America
Washington
2 Blair Library
Fayetteville Public
Library, Fayetteville,
A R.
October 2004 America LE E D
Silver N C
3 Bozeman Public
Library Bozeman
MT.
America L E ED
Silver
4 Broward Community
College/South
regional Library
Pembroke Pines
Opened
February
1, 20 07
America L EE D
certified
5 Budlong Woods
Branch Chicago
Public Library,
Chicago, IL.
America Received
L EE D
6 Central Library
Seattle Public
Library Seattle, W A .
America L E ED
Silver
7 Candler Library
Emory University.
Atlanta, GA.
America L E ED
Silver
8 Eden Prairie Library
Eden Prairie, M N
America
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9. 9 Jay Johnson Public
Library Quinter , KS
America
10 Lake View Terrace
Library, Lake View
Terrace, CA.
Started 2004 America Platinum
L EE D
11 Mallets Creek Branch,
Ann Arbor District
Library
Ann Arbor , MI A n n
Ar bor , M I.
Started America
12 Minneapolis Central
Library Minneapolis,
MN
America
13 North Adams Public
Library North
Adams, M A .
Started 2007 America
14 Oaklyn Branch
Library Evansville
Vanderburgh Public
Library Evansville, IN
Started 2003 America
15 Ossining Public
Library Ossining, N
Y.
America Pursuing
L EE D
16 Pittsfield Branch
Ann Arbor District
Library Ann
A rb or, M I.
America
17 Portsmouth Public
Library Portsmouth,
N H.
Started 2007 America
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10. 18 Rosemary Gar foot
Public Library Cross
Plains , WI.
Opened in 2006 America L E ED Silver
19 Seattle Central
Library
Opened in May
2004
Washington
20 National Library,
Singapore
Opened in July
2005
Singapore
21 Public Library of
Charlotte and
Mecklenburg County
2005 America L E ED Silver
22 Santa Monica Public
Library Santa
Monica, CA.
America L E ED Gold
2006
23 Utah Valley State
College Library
Orem, UT
Opened in July
2008
America
24 West Valley Branch
Library San José
Public Library
System. San José, CA
America Received
L EE D
25 The Oldham County
Public Main Library
LaGrange, Ky.
Started in 2008 America LE ED Silver
26 Ritter Public Library
Vermilion, Ohio
Expect to
complete in
2010
America Gold LEED
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11. 27 Canmore Public
Library Canmore,
Alberta
Moved to
1 996
Canada
28 Crowfoot Branch
Calgary Public Library
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
29 City of North
Vancouver Public
Library
Canada Striving for
LEED Gold
30 Collingwood Public
Library (Ontario) Canada Striving for
LEED Silver
31 Coquitlam Public
Library Poirier Branch
(British Columbia)
Canada Following
LEED
32 Edmonton
Public Library
Lois Ho le
B ranch( Alb erta)
Canada LEED Gold
33 Langara College
Library (British
Columbia)
Canada Striving for
LEED Gold
34 Regent College
Library (British
Columbia)
March 6 , 20 07 Canada Striving for
LEED Gold
35 Selkirk-St. Andrews-
St. Clements regional
library, Manitoba
200 6 Canada Established as
LEED certified
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12. 36 Semiahmoo Library
and R CMP Facility
Canada LEED Silver
37 University of
Toronto Hazel Mc
Callion Academic
Learning C entre (HM
ALC) (Ontar io) -
January 20 05 Canada Seeking
Silver LEED
38 Vancouver Public
Library Green Roof
Monitoring
Pr oject (British Colu
mb ia)
199 5 Canada Striving for
LEED Gold
39 Waterloo Public
Library (Ontario) Canada Striving for
LEED Silv er
40 Emory University Atlanta LEED Certified
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13. STANDARDS AND PROSPECTS FOR
GREEN LIBRARIES IN INDIA:
Indian Green building Council (IGBC):
 The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC),
part of the Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII) was formed in the year 2001 to
promote and rate Green buildings in India.
 The council offers a wide array of services
which include developing new green
building rating programmes, certification
services and green building training
programmes.
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14. Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED-India):
 USGBC has also established a LEED hub in
India to further accelerate the adoption of
LEED in India.
 The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) has
been instrumental in mobilizing the green
building movement in India.
 USGBC and IGBC continue their collaboration
in advancing the uptake of green buildings in
India. LEED India projects registered with
IGBC till June 2014 would be certified by IGBC.
LEED projects in India registered after June
2014 would be certified by the Green Building
Certification Institute (GBCI).22/01/2015
14

15. Green Library Initiatives in India:
1. Perma Karpo Library, Ladakh in Indian Himalayas.
2. National Library of India, Kolkata.
3. NIT Library, Silchar.
4. The LEED Gold Anna Centenary Library located in
Kotturpuram.
Besides this, Green initiatives and measures have been
taken up by Madras University Library System, Calcutta
University Library System, Delhi University Library
System, Mumbai University Library System. The
University Libraries buildings are converting into
modern buildings known as ‘Knowledge Resource
Centre’, which are on the concept of a ‘green’ building,
providing open space learning environment and
provisions for natural lights, natural air and other
sustainable facilities. 22/01/2015 15

16. CONCLUSION:
 Going for a Green Library with the specific
standards as set by IGBC and USGBC with a
LEED certification will really persuade the type of
services and facilities libraries will provide to their
users.
 The present study shows that USA leads in
developing green libraries followed by Canada
and other nations too started to gain awareness
about the same. In Asia, Singapore and India
have taken steps in this direction but still long way
to go.
 The need of the hour is to take few collective
steps by the libraries in going green by saving the
valuable resources, sustaining environment and to
indulge in green thoughts and activities.
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17. THANK YOU.
sonalichoudhury08@gmail.com.
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