Resolution on the Importance of Sustainable Libraries

ala At the 2015 Annual Conference in San Francisco, the American Library Association (ALA) Council passed a resolution on the importance of sustainable libraries.  This resolution had been previously discussed and passed at their June 4 Virtual Membership Meeting and, in fact, was the first ever resolution to be presented at a virtual membership meeting. More than 300 members voted yes to move it to Council!

The resolution notes that libraries play an important and unique role in wider community communications about resiliency, climate change and a sustainable future and that libraries that demonstrate good stewardship of the resources entrusted to them can build community support that leads to sustainable funding.

The resolution goes on to encourage the national library community to be proactive in their application of sustainable thinking in the areas of their facilities, operations, policy, technology, programming, partnerships and library school curricula.

Based on the resolution passed by the New York Library Association in February of 2014, MHLS’ own Coordinator for Library Sustainability, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, serves on the board of the ALA Sustainability Roundtable and helped to bring this resolution to the national stage.