Table of Contents

• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Part I — Situation Report
• 1 Disruption: Inside, Outside, and All Around
• 2 Beyond Our Walls
• 3 Back to Basics
• 4 Survive the Earth
• 5 The Most Important Thing
• Part II — The Strategy
• 6 Being Strategic
• 7 The Why Behind the What
• 8 WHY: Core Values of Librarianship
• 9 HOW: The Three Es of Sustainable Libraries
• 10 WHAT: Local Supports Local
• 11 Sustainable Thinking Defined
• 12 Interpreting Sustainability Using the Triple Bottom Line
• 13 Whole Systems Thinking
• 14 Beyond Sustainability
• 15 Beyond Resiliency
• Part III — The Tactics
• 16 From the Inside Out
• 17 Change Leadership
• 18 How We Get There
• 19 Benchmarks for Sustainable Libraries
• 20 Sustainable Libraries Certification Program
• 21 Top Level Infusion
• 22 Sustainable Organizational Culture
• 23 Increasing Ecological Intelligence
• 24 Construction and Renovation: Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunities
• 25 Catalyst and Convener
• Part IV — Resources
• American Library Association’s Resolution on the Importance of Sustainable Libraries
• New York Library Association’s Resolution on the Importance of Sustainable Libraries
• Case Study: Kingston (New York) Library Climate Smart Pledge
• Climate Smart Community Library Pledge
• American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment
• Long-Range Plan Example: West Vancouver (British Columbia) Memorial Library

About the Author

Rebekkah Smith Aldrich (MLS, LEED AP) serves as the coordinator for library sustainability at the Mid-Hudson Library System (New York). Her work has focused on library leadership, governance, marketing, and facility design, all with an eye toward inspiring financial investment in libraries. She is the sustainability columnist for Library Journal, cochair of the New York Library Association’s Sustainability Initiative, and a founding member of the American Library Association’s Sustainability Round Table. Named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker, she is a frequent national presenter and writer on the topic of leading libraries forward in smart, practical, and effective ways.