Papermaking by Hand Daily Thoughts 1/30/2010
We've been asked to think about ways to reduce costs. One of the things which comes up in libraries is the amount of paper that resides in them. We have books, labels, bookmarks, fliers. posters, and a million different paper items in most libraries.
A reduction in the amount of paper we use could affect our spending. We get all kinds of things in the mail, everything from paper catalogs, to boxes, and other things. We make it a point to cut our excess paper into scrap as well as reuse single sided sheets of paper for printouts. I sometimes think we should buy our paper in bulk.
In my experience, librarians love paper. It is an extension of their love of books. Recently, we donated some of our deaccessioned books for a library in Kenya. I think we could do this more often. It would cut our garbage costs. It costs money to recycle material. Also, many community organizations take older computer equipment and refurbish it.
It is considered more politically correct to do this. There has been a big push by many politicians to be more energy efficient and green. Recycling, cutting back paper use, cutting down energy use, and similar things are very popular. In Westchester county, the Ossining branch was recently reopened as a major showcase for green technology.
Also, there has been a major monetary incentive to make buildings more green in the area, Westchester County has upgraded their efficiency recently in government buildings. http://climatechange.westchestergov.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2556&Itemid=4642 Also, there has been a major grant for energy efficiency in the county. http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Magazine/December-2009/Westchester-County-Receives-45M-Grant-Toward-Energy-Efficiency-Projects/
Even simple actions like putting in compact fluorescent bulbs, replacing old appliances like microwaves and refrigerators with energy star appliances could make a small difference. I even think there are incentives by the state to do this.
This is a nice summary of the process of greening libraries. http://escholarship.org/uc/item/39d3v236
There are some books which Publishers Weekly only reviews online. This is also true of Library Journal. http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6716116.html?industryid=47159
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