The New York Library Association (NYLA) has announced a one-of-a-kind opportunity for New York's public libraries to step up as sustainability leaders in their communities: The Sustainable Library Certification Program.
The NYLA Sustainable Library Certification Program's benchmarking system is designed to help libraries improve their "triple bottom line" as environmental stewards, economically feasible institutions and as community leaders that place great stock in social equity.
"This initiative exemplifies the commitment of NYLA and our member libraries to community leadership,"
said Barbara Stripling, President of the New York Library Association. "It is our willingness to take on important issues, and help our communities find solutions that ensures that libraries will always be an integral part of our communities."
Libraries that achieve Certification through this program will:
1.
Raise their profile as a community leader
2. Ensure that sustainability remains part of their library's process and practice in the future and
3. Improve their ability to make the case that their library is a good place for the investment of public and private dollars
4. Help make the world a better place
"NYLA is thrilled to serve as a conduit for this important work, bringing together the efforts and passions of the dedicated members of the Sustainability Initiative,"
said Jeremy Johannessen, NYLA Executive Director."This certification program serves as an important step in ensuring the long-term vitality of the libraries in our state."
The custom process is modeled on what has proven successful in other industries - from the business world (e.g. B Corporation certification), to the world of construction (e.g. Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design certification), to academia (e.g. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System). This tool fills the void in the library field.
The program is designed to lead a library's administration, board, and staff through a series of questions and activities that ultimately lead to creating a more sustainable, resilient, and regenerative library that is well positioned to help its community thrive.
This program is open to all public libraries in New York. There is a discounted rate available through the end of 2017 for early adopters. To learn more please visit: www.nyla.org/sustainability You may also want to sign up for an introductory webinar on Friday, November 17th from 11:00 am-noon:
https://goo.gl/forms/WLod2L7DyC4CnlsI3