Greening of the Beinecke Library

In all of their bicycling generosity, Elm City Cycling is hosting a montly bike-to-work event with free breakfast to boot.

Event:    Bike to Work Day! Free Breakfast!

When: 7:30-9:30 a.m. Starts on June 13th, 2008 and occurs every month on the second Friday of the month until November 27th, 2008.

Where: In front of New Haven City Hall, Church Street across from the Green

What: Pick up free helpful information and bike accessories. Chat with fellow cyclists about best commuting routes. Fuel up with a free breakfast.

More info: 287.9811

With temperatures peaking in the mid-90s this week, bicycle commuters deserve karmic rewards and free breakfast. From the Beinecke Greening Committee, we say: keep it comin’.

Bike to Work Day! Free Breakfast!

Brought to you by Elm City Cycling

June 13th, 2008 7:30-9:30 a.m.

In front of New Haven City Hall, Church Street across from the Green
Free breakfast, brought to you by Koffee and members of Elm City Cycling
Pick up free helpful information and bike accessories. Chat with fellow cyclists about best commuting routes.

A carbon footprint calculator from the companion website for An inconvenient Truth:

We all contribute to global warming every day. The carbon dioxide you produce by driving your car and leaving the lights on adds up quickly. You may be surprised by how much Co2 you are emitting each year. Calculate your personal impact and learn how you can take action to reduce or even eliminate your emissions of carbon dioxide.

Yale is hosting a Bicyclist Appreciation Breakfast 2008 (.pdf)

From Yale Parking and Transit, Commuting Alternatives:

Do you ride your bike to work?

Would you try it if we gave you breakfast?

Ride your bike to Yale on Friday and join us for a

FREE CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST!

When: Friday, May 30th, 2008

Where: Phelps Gate*

Time: 7:30-9:30 AM

YOU MUST BRING YOUR HELMET TO GET BREAKFAST!

The first 50 people to RSVP will receive a FREE Bike Breakfast T-shirt!

Please RSVP to: erin.pascale@yale.edu or call 432-3266.

In honor of National Bike Month and Bike-to-Work Week from May 12-16, the Beinecke Library’s Sustainability Committee (a.k.a The Green Committee) is hosting the Devil’s Gear Bike Shop for a flat tire clinic for all interested, pedal-powered, Yale staff.

What: Flat Tire Clinic
Where: Beinecke Plaza (benches near Woolsey Commons)
When: Thursday, May 15 from 12:30-1:30

All Library staff and avid bicycle commuters are welcome!

WHAT: Online, live discussion and place to share ideas about green libraries and campuses.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 14, 2008, 1:00 p.m. 30-45 minutes.

CONVENERS: Mary Carr, Dean Instructional Services, Spokane Community College and Dr. Debra Rowe, President of the US Partnership for a Sustainable Future

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: From a library/librarians’ perspective, how are our library resources when it comes to sustainability? Are we supporting the college’s curricular efforts? What about the “greening” of the library and the campus? Can we practice sustainability? Can we promote it by speakers, presentations, etc.? What can we do within our library associations, and other professional groups? The whats, whys and wherefores of sustainability? What is happening on our campuses and in our communities regarding sustainability? How can we support what is happening and how can we contribute to moving the needle?

BACKGROUND READINGS:

• Inside Higher Ed blog “getting to green” http://insidehighered.com/views/blogs/getting_to_green
• Do Colleges Need Green Czars?” Inside HigherEd. April 15, 2008. http://insidehighered.com/news/2008/04/15/sustainability

ACRL OnPoint chats are free and open to the public. Sessions are unmoderated, 30 to 45 minutes long, and take place in a Meebo chat room. While no registration is necessary to participate, ACRL recommends creating a quick and easy Meebo account for the best experience while participating in ACRL OnPoint discussions. Full details are available on the ACRL Web site at www.acrl.org/ala/acrl/acrlproftools/OnPoint/onpoint.cfm.

From the New York Times May 8, 2008:

If you’re not eating lunch at your desk or working all night, you can save electricity — and maybe even a little bit of the earth — by setting your computer’s monitor to turn off automatically after a few minutes of inactivity. This advice may seem rather basic, but about half of Americans don’t do this, according to a Harris poll last year.

In Windows, right-click on the desktop and choose Properties. Then click the Screen Savers tab and select the Power button to get to the settings. On a Mac, go to the Apple menu, select System Preferences and click on the Energy Saver icon to get to the settings.

While you are there, you can save even more energy by changing the settings so that the entire machine goes to sleep after a certain period of inactivity.

Water drinkers at both 121 Wall and 121 Whitney have been quaffing from our new bottle-less water coolers delivered by Poland Spring. There are a few reasons to cheer this recent change. First, rather than using petroleum-based plastic, five gallon water bottles, these new coolers connect directly to our water lines. Through carbon filtering, chlorine, sediments, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are removed. On top of that, the old, five gallon plastic bottles are made of bisphenol-a, or BPA, a widely used polycarbonate plastic that has come under some scrutiny. Most notably, Canada banned this plastic for use in baby bottles back in April. Thanks to Ralph Mannarino, Facilities Manager, for heading this water revolution.

Keep a look-out for new Post-it® Notes containing 30% post consumer and 100% recycled content. On top of that, they are certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). So, make notes to yourself, lots of notes:

“Use a reuseable cup!”

“Bring reuseable lunch sack“

“Wash mug in breakroom!”

“Recycle Post-it® Note after using!”

“Read about making my office green @ break”

From the Yale Office of Sustainability:

Take the Sustainability Pledge – join a growing number of Yale staff, faculty and students who are taking personal actions to reduce our collective impact.

While a commitment to make as few as three personal changes may seem insignificant, as more and more of Yale’s 21,000 community members take the pledge, together we can make a difference!

If you missed it in print (or perhaps you were too hasty in recycling this issue), here is a link to the 13 articles highlighting Yale’s commitment to operating campus in a sustainable manner. Recycling, solar power, transportation, food, green architecture, and research, among other topics are covered.

Once again, Renee Cawley, the Beinecke Library’s tireless Archives Assistant has sought out a green solution to an everyday need: the disposal of batteries and small electronic appliances without negatively impacting the environment. The Yale Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS) has provided the Library with several buckets for the disposal of batteries (from our flashlights, digital cameras, etc.) and other small hand-held electronic devises (e.g. cell phones, Palm pilots, etc.). OEHS will retrieve the buckets as they become full. To learn more about e-cycling visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) web page.

Lisa Belkin of The New York Times published an interesting article in March about efforts to “green  up” offices and our daily work processes.

Renee Cawley, Beinecke Library Archives Assistant, has switched to 100% recycled cardboard packing materials to replace all of the plastic bubble wrap and styrofoam peanuts previously used to pack materials sent off-site for conservation work. Welcome to the Beinecke, corrugated wrap and honeycomb void fill! Renee has requested that vendors return our materials with the same recycled materials that they arrived in, therefore closing the cycle of petroleum-based packaging materials. So far, the Northeastern Document Conservation Center has agreed and Renee is contacting others in the upcoming days. Renee has offered herself as a resource for departments interested in vanquishing bubble wrap and peanuts from this day forward. Thank you Renee!

Ralph Mannarino, the Beinecke Library’s Facilities Manager, has been switching to green cleaning products. As reported to the Green Committee, a whole line of biodegradable, non-toxic cleaners will be replacing the chemical cleaners traditionally used by the custodial staff. These new cleaners contain no ammonia, phosphates, dyes, or fragrances nor do they contain ozone-depleting chemicals and they come in recycled packaging. A green huzzah to all involved and particularly to the Beinecke’s custodial staff for integrating new tools into their work routines. In return, we will all have a safer, less toxic workplace (with a natural citrus aroma to boot). For you diehards, here is a complete list with links to the new cleaners and technical specifications:

Earth Sense® Multi Surface Cleaner (”safely, yet effectively clean almost any washable surface imaginable!”)

Earth Sense® #16

Earth Sense® Degreaser Cleaner

Earth Sense® #19 Glass & Window Cleaner

ASPIRE® Environmentally Responsible Metal-Free Floor Sealer/Finish

Earth Sense® Disinfectant Detergent

Green Impact® Speed Stripper

Earth Sense® Certified Green Liquid Hand Cleaner