Investing in the Future

Sustainable Libraries
Despite the library’s growing online presence—from electronic databases and online catalogs to blogs, wikis, and much more—some people still believe that a library is nothing more than a physical building. Since the physical structure plays such an important role in an organization’s environment, it is worth noting how the physical library building affects its patrons, staff, and the larger community. Mary Jo Hatch (2006) noted that humans “associate certain experiences with particular places” which “allows physical structures (built spaces) to evoke meaning for their occupants” (p. 222). Symbolic-interpretivists argue that these physical elements communicate an organization’s values and culture. Thomas Gieryn, an American sociologist, studied this phenomenon at Cornell University during the planning, construction, and occupation of the university’s new biotechnology building. Gieryn found that “agency played a predominant role in the design phase but that the building’s physical structure became the dominant force once the building was completed and occupied” (Hatch, 2006, p. 236). As time passed, Gieryn observed that the physical structure’s influence on human behavior diminished. Unlike these fleeting behavioral changes, I contend that sustainable libraries have an enduring impact on their communities because the two are deeply connected. With Gieryn’s findings in mind, I will discuss how sustainable library structures influence human agency.

What is a Sustainable Library?
While Modernists tend to define sustainability as “that which is economically sustainable,” the symbolic-interpretive and postmodern perspectives emphasize environmental and social justice (Sands, 2001, p. 5). Sustainable libraries “are designed and built to reduce reliance on nonrenewable resources, to consume only the resources that are needed, and to shift consumption of resources to recycled or recyclable products, thus reducing waste” (Boyden & Weiner, 2000, p. 74). Myriad factors are considered throughout the design and creation processes. These include energy and water efficiency, accessibility, air quality, selection of building materials, location options, social and cultural values, the role of stakeholders, funding incentives, and the institution’s long-term goals. Due to the project’s complexity, community members and all constituent groups must be involved in the process to ensure that “actual needs are prioritized, identified, and addressed” (Boyden & Weiner, 2000, p. 74). As a result, long-term relationships are formed among the community, library, and environment.

Change, Change, Change
According to American historian Lynn White, Jr., “All forms of life modify their contexts” (VanDeVeer & Pierce, 2003, p. 55). Similarly, Gieryn discovered that people changed their behavior after occupying the university’s new biotechnology building. In this way, the physical building shaped their behavior. The sustainable library has great potential for influencing change because it is an educational tool in and of itself. It exemplifies—in word and deed—a commitment to the community and environment, both now and in the future. Behavior modification, especially on a grand scale, does not come easily. However, as patrons begin to “modify their contexts” they will begin to use (and perhaps discover the advantages of) naturally lit reading areas, recycling bins, and Energy Star-rated technologies. Sustainable libraries also present opportunities for community outreach through field trips, special presentations, and guest speakers. Lessons about environmental responsibility and social justice may translate into behavioral changes, both in the library and at home.

Sustainability Begets Sustainability
It is crucial that libraries continue to join the sustainable library movement. Academic libraries play an especially integral role because universities are “laboratories for invention” where “campus innovations carry with them an academic imprimatur that will encourage other institutions—whether government or business—to copy the colleges’ work” (Buttenwieser, 2008, p. 37). In order for this movement to be successful, we must recognize that sustainability goes beyond the library’s physical structure. We must change the way we look at these issues in order to properly address them. By adopting core values that emphasize resource conservation, environmental responsibility, and sustainability, we begin to change the nature of the conversation. We must move away from the modernists’ emphasis on rationality and empirical research in order for social justice and environmental issues to gain the standing, consideration, and influence that they merit.

References
Boyden, L., & Weiner, J. (2000). Sustainable libraries: Teaching environmental responsibility to communities. The Bottom Line: Managing Library Finances, 13 (2), 74-82.

Buttenwieser, S. W. (2008). Greening the ivory tower: Campuses make sustainability a core curriculum. Earth Island Journal, 22 (4), 34-38.

Hatch, M. J., & Cunliffe, A. L. (2006). Organization theory: Modern, symbolic, and postmodern perspectives (2^nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

Sands, J. (2001). Sustainable library design. Retrieved October 11, 2008, from http://www.librisdesign.org/docs/SustainableLibDesign.pdf.

VanDeVeer, D., & Pierce, C. (2003). The environmental ethics & policy book (3^rd ed.). Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth.