Going Green

The new buzz word in libraries is "Green." With the current economic crises in the world economy, Going Green makes even more sense. It's one of the cost effective things we can do in the library, as well as, at home. I just heard on the news today that the price per pound of recycled items has dropped drastically from last year. This may be due to the greater interest in recycling and I expect will continue to drop as the amount of recyling increases.

At the El Toro Library we have recently partnered with with city of Lake Forest to recycle used batteries. The staff is collecting bottles and cans for recycling. We are looking into recycling paper. There are several options on this. I haven't explored all of them or worked out the feasiblity. Do we want to recycle office paper, cardboard, magazines and phonebooks, hardcover books or all of them or part of them? Do we go with the county waste management services, look into private services or check into local services at the college or other institutions? Can we do this for free or how much are we willing to send? There are many options when it comes to paper and I feel that the amount of waste paper generated will steadily decrease during the coming decade.

I would like to have a Green Officer at the branch. This is a voluntary position, like a safety officer, responsible for monitoring our recycling efforts and education or assisting the public in their Green efforts. This officer would be responsible for displays in the library on Going Green, recycling, and conservation. Fliers, handouts, and bookmarks on Going Green tips can be created to give away in the library that would benefit people interested in doing more at home. The scope could be enlarged to include bibliographies and webographies, and even programming and speakers.

Much can be done with Going Green and there is much yet to do. It's time that we think a little more about what we are doing and how we can be more Green doing it. All of us can start with one small thing. It the small things that add up, just like a drop in the bucket will added up to a full bucket one drop at a time.