A blog about libraries fostering resilient communities.

Spring 2023 Nominees Needed

SustainRT is seeking nominees to stand for Spring 2023 election for the roles of Coordinator-Elect and Member-at-Large (see position descriptions below). If you see a sustainable future with libraries leading the way, a leadership position in SustainRT offers a remarkable way for you to realize that vision. As one of the fastest growing roundtables in ALA, SustainRT is currently working on multiple initiatives as part of a strategic plan that challenges and supports ALA, our profession, our own libraries, and ourselves to live and work in more sustainable ways. Can you picture yourself helping to shepherd this work along? Nominees must complete and submit a nomination form by December 15th, 2022. Contact Past-Coordinator Lisa Kropp for the nomination form link, details, and any questions: lkropp@lindenhurstlibrary.org

Coordinator-Elect: The Coordinator-elect will be elected for a three-year term and serves one year of that term as Coordinator-elect, one year as Coordinator, and one year as Immediate Past Coordinator. The Coordinator-elect shall appoint the chair of each standing committee and members to fill vacancies in such committees for terms beginning their year as Coordinator, except the Nominating Committee.

The Coordinator-elect is expected to attend the ALA Annual Conference, and LibLearnX if a membership meeting is planned for the roundtable. The following year, as Coordinator, duties will include leading and convening monthly Steering Committee meetings and working towards completing goals identified in the SustainRT strategic plan. The Past-coordinator, will be expected to convene the nominating committee to find candidates for upcoming leadership positions, and maintain and update procedure documentation relevant to SustainRT’s work. Member-at-Large: The Member-at-Large position is a two-year commitment, including attending monthly SustainRT Steering Committee Meetings. The Member-at-Large will serve as liaison between the Steering Committee and a SustainRT committee, and work on special projects as assigned by the Steering Committee or the Coordinator. Members at Large are expected to attend either the LibLearnX conference or the ALA Annual Conference.

Webinar Opportunity: Universities & Municipalities: Working Together for Sustainable and Just Futures

Please consider attending the following webinar on May 19th, 2022, at 2:30pm EST: “Universities & Municipalities: Working Together for Sustainable & Just Futures” presented by Colleen Murphy-Dunning of Yale University’s Urban Resources Initiative and Hixon Center for Urban Ecology

Colleen Murphy-Dunning is the Program Director at the Urban Resources Initiative (URI), a not-for-profit university partnership based at the Hixon Center for Urban Ecology, and a Lecturer in Urban and Community Forestry at the Yale School of the Environment. Faculty, staff, and students can significantly contribute to local environmental conditions. The Urban Resources Initiative (URI) at the Yale School of the Environment has worked in close partnership with the City of New Haven and New Haven residents to address local environmental concerns that they have identified. Colleen will describe some of URI’s projects to address community-led environmental priorities and offer Yale students’ valuable learning opportunities.

ALA/SustainRT scholarships for 2022 graduates

ALA/SustainRT scholarships for 2022 graduates:

Congratulations! We hope all 2022 graduates are excited to embark on or continue your library career and continue your membership in the professional community of ALA and the Sustainability Round Table. We understand that dues can be a financial challenge and therefore SustainRT is offering a number of scholarships to pay for one year’s membership in ALA and SustainRT. Our goal is to help you continue to interact with a large community of library peers in ALA and develop and share your ideas and expertise to further sustainable communities in all types of libraries.

You can apply for one of the scholarships by submitting an application at https://forms.gle/tSjwgxwmKDPEAFBv6. The deadline is May 30, 2022. If you have any questions, please contact any SustainRT Membership Committee member (https://www.ala.org/rt/sustainrt/membership – you must be logged into ALA to view email addresses).

Sincerely, The SustainRT Membership committee

Committee Spotlight: Publicity and Outreach

Welcome to the Sustainability Round Table Committee Spotlight feature! For the next few months, we’ll be highlighting the various SustainRT committees here on the blog as a way to celebrate our colleagues and their work, allow everyone to get to know a little more about what the various committees are up to, and encourage folks to get involved themselves.

First up, we’re featuring the SustainRT Publicity and Outreach Committee. We work on putting together this blog, but that’s not all we’re up to! Read on, and thanks for joining us.

A series of yellow, green, and blue text boxes with information about the Publicity and Outreach Committee.

Top 10 Sustainability-Themed Children’s Books 2022

Each year, the Sustainability Round Table Booklist Committee curates an annual list of 10 notable children’s books on nature, conservation, and communities that reflect the mission of SustainRT “to exchange ideas and opportunities regarding sustainability in order to move toward a more equitable, healthy, and economically viable society.” Click below to download the formatted list!

TOP-10-SUSTAINABILITY-THEMED-CHILDRENS-BOOKS-2022 Download

Member Monday: August Smith

Welcome to Member Mondays! The first Monday of each month, we’ll feature a member of SustainRT with a short profile.

We’re super excited to continue our 2022 Member Mondays with this profile of August Smith (me!), Children’s Librarian at New Orleans Public Library in New Orleans, LA. All SustainRT members are welcomed and encouraged to follow August’s example and fill out our short self-nomination form in order to become featured in a future Member Monday themselves. We’re looking forward to getting to know one another a little better in hopes of strengthening our community of people committed to sustainability in our profession. Happy Member Monday!

A Call for Nominations and Applications

A Call for Nominations: Citation for Wellness in the Workplace Award

To acknowledge the fact that library staff are our greatest asset in building and supporting sustainable libraries and communities, the ALA Sustainability Roundtable (SustainRT) is recognizing libraries that go above and beyond in meeting the wellness needs of their staff with the SustainRT Citation for Wellness in the Workplace.

All ALA members are invited to nominate any library who has made efforts to meet the needs of their staff in the areas of continuing education, wellness, positive work environment, unions, salaries, gender equity, pay equity initiatives, and other activities designed to improve the salaries and status of librarians and other library workers. Nominations should be submitted by March 15, 2022.

Nomination: https://bit.ly/3B7jGcw

More info: https://www.ala.org/rt/sustainrt/wellness-award

A Call for Applications: SustainRT Diversity in Sustainability Conference Stipend

The SustainRT Diversity in Sustainability Conference Stipend recognizes the importance of social equity to SustainRT and ALA, and works to support new and diverse members to overcome barriers to participating in the professional development and networking opportunities presented by ALA conferences and events. SustainRT will provide up to $500 each year to help one candidate to attend the ALA Annual Conference through the stipend which can be used for fees associated with registration, housing, meals, travel, or any other costs incurred as a result of attending the in-person or virtual conference.

The Sustainability Round Table will offer a $500 conference stipend to a SustainRT member attending the 2022 ALA Conference. Applicants should be new and diverse voices in library sustainability or first-time attendees.

See the submission form to apply and for more info on requirements for awardees: https://bit.ly/3GRlQyl

More info: https://www.ala.org/rt/sustainrt/diversity-award

Member Monday: Jen Ripka

Welcome to Member Mondays! The first Monday of each month, we’ll feature a member of SustainRT with a short profile.

We’re super excited to continue our 2022 Member Mondays with this profile of Jen Ripka, Programming and Outreach Librarian at Indian Prairie Public Library in Darien, IL. All SustainRT members are welcomed and encouraged to follow Jen’s example and fill out our short self-nomination form in order to become featured in a future Member Monday themselves. We’re looking forward to getting to know one another a little better in hopes of strengthening our community of people committed to sustainability in our profession. Happy Member Monday!

Webinar! Communicating Sustainability in a Changing Climate: Challenges and Strategies

This talk by Dr. Jennifer Carmen, Postdoctoral Associate at Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, will focus on the intersection of sustainability and climate change. It will discuss how climate change adds to new challenges to achieving sustainability, and how action on climate change can support sustainability goals.

Dr. Carmen’s research interest is in how individuals and households can support personal well-being, without harming social and environmental systems, during times of environmental change and stress. Her past projects include research on climate change education in middle school, and research with Detroit community-based organizations on how to support human health during heat events.

The webinar will be recorded and made available after the event.

Date/Time: February 24, 2022, 9:00AM Pacific/12:00PM Eastern
Hosted by ALA Sustainability Roundtable Education & Programming Committee

Member Monday: Rachel Sperling

Welcome to Member Mondays! The first Monday of each month, we’ll feature a member of SustainRT with a short profile.

We’re super excited to start off 2022 with this profile of Rachel Sperling, Librarian for Environmental Studies at Marx Science and Social Science Library | Yale University Library. All SustainRT members are welcomed and encouraged to follow Rachel’s example and fill out our short self-nomination form in order to become featured in a future Member Monday themselves. We’re looking forward to getting to know one another a little better in hopes of strengthening our community of people committed to sustainability in our profession. Happy Member Monday!