It IS easy being green.

I'm part of a ThinkTank that is comprised of librarians and industry leaders interested in green practices in libraries. We've met just a few times, but what seems to surface during each meeting is our desire to debunk green and make it easy.

When green practices and libraries co-mingle, so much of the big news is often focused on new buildings and accompanying LEED certifications. While the trend of including green practices from the beginning in building projects is a huge leap in the right direction, I imagine that many organizations wonder how inexepensive or free practices play into being green. What are the baby steps folks can take to start reducing their carbon footprint and to be a bit more intentional about the environment?  

One very smart idea was shared recently on the The American Libraries’ Green Your Library blog. Blogger Laura Bruzas shared the model of TechSoup Cookbooks logo"be green: keep it onscreen" logos and signatures to entice users to think twice before printing copies, and then she took it one step further:  how about touting your own steps to be green, like riding a bike to work? Or perhaps turning off your computer when you leave for the day? 

I love the ease and community-based spirit of this idea! Encouraging your email recipients to do something new and consider a different practice is a super friendly and low-entry gateway to being green. 

TechSoup's GreenTech program also has practical tips on incorporating green practices into your library. This area of TechSoup.org is dedicated to surfacing information and practices both libraries and nonprofits can implement to reduce their impact on the Earth. Relevant to the topic of paper use is a fun challenge GreenTech facilitated to reduce your organization's paper use.

Perhaps it IS easy being green! What baby steps are you taking?

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