Sustainability: Home
What is Sustainability?
From the Sustainable Libraries Initiative website:
Sustainability is much more green design applied through strategies such as the use of solar panels and LED lights. It’s the capacity to thrive. Both ALA and NYLA have adopted the Triple Bottom Line definition of sustainability. This consists of practices that are environmentally sound, economically feasible, and socially equitable. Libraries play an important and unique role in promoting community awareness about resilience, climate change, and a sustainable future.
Why Sustaibility?
During member library staff focus groups that led to the development of the 2022-26 Plan of Service, there was a clear trend: libraries care about sustainability, and wanted RCLS to provide sustainability continuing education and services. Because of this feedback, RCLS committed to becoming a certified sustainable organization by the Sustainable Libraries Initiative. RCLS achieved this goad and earned certification in October of 2024.
Sustainability has been included in our plan of service, and we look forward to taking the necessary steps to meet these goals.
RCLS: A Certified Sustainable Organization
RCLS is proud to be the third library system in the country to become certified as sustainable through the Sustainable Libraries Certification Program, facilitated by the Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI). Click here to learn more about the SLI
What did we do to become certified as sustainable? You can learn more by viewing the slide deck RCLS staff created to share their sustainability journey.
