Sustainable Academic Libraries: A Campus Partnership at Michigan State University

Abstract

Through the sharing and reuse of materials, libraries have an inherent sustainability as institutions that reduce the environmental impact associated with producing informational resources. Libraries must, however, take additional steps in order to be truly sustainable. This paper describes the Michigan State University Libraries’ history of sustainable development, both independently and in collaboration with the MSU Sustainability Office. The MSU Libraries has been a pioneer in sustainable development on campus, creating a Library Environmental Committee to organize educational programming and encourage sustainable practices within the library long before other campus units. The Environmental Committee, MSU Sustainability, and other operational departments on campus have collaborated on educational and programmatic projects, resulting in increased recycling rates in the library, decreased energy use, a 100 % landfill diversion rate for materials deaccessioned from the library collection, and a pilot program collecting compost from both public areas and office spaces. This paper will be useful for anyone interested in sustainability in academic libraries or sustainability based collaborations between campus units.