In 2008, the Green Himmelfarb task force identified areas in which the staff could easily improve the environmental impact of the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library. This poster presentation is a summary of the library\u27s initiative to evolve into a  green library 

Abate, Laura E.

Gomes, Alexandra

Lyons, Laurie

Ross, Hasna

English

George Washington University: Health Sciences Research Commons (HSRC)

The Green Himmelfarb task force has a lot of ideas for future activities. Members are pursuing sev-eral initiatives that require more planning.Re-using shipping boxes We would save shipping boxes through the semester • Host an event for students to get moving materials• Currently looking for space to store the boxes• Reducing energy usageCurrent lighting installation has all lights turned on most or all of the time• Would like to install lighting occupancy sensors in study rooms and lesser-used areas• Currently investigating the issue with the facilities department• Improving air qualityExploring the idea of hosting a plant sale/show• Would focus on plants that thrive in low-light and improve air quality• Looking to partner with students/faculty from the Department of Environmental and Occupa-• tional HealthRecycled PaperAt the advice of our vendors, we don’t currently stock printers with recycled paper • Would like to test using recycled paper on staff printers• We have ordered a carton of recycled paper•  Where we are goingOur staff journal club discussed an article about environmental issues in academic libraries. Af-ter this discussion, an interested staff member solicited others to talk about greening our library. This task force identified existing green practices:Separate bins for paper, glass and bottles, and waste in both public and staff areas• A box of scrap paper available for students to use for note-taking • Pay-for-print system substantially reduciing the amount of paper wasted in the library• Public computers set to print double-sided by default• Recycling printer toner cartridges and fusers• The Green Himmelfarb task force next created an online survey to try to determine what envi-ronmentally friendly practices the staff was already engaged in and to what extent. The results were generally good, but we discovered a few areas for improvement.     Where we wereAlexAndrA W. Gomes, msls, mT, AssociATe direcTor for TechnoloGy And curriculum, lAurA AbATe, msls, elecTronic resources & insTrucTionAl librAriAn,lAurie lyons, mA, reference sPeciAlisT, hAsnA ross, ill/documenT delivery sPeciAlisThimmelfArb heAlTh sciences librAry, The GeorGe WAshinGTon universiTy medicAl cenTer, WAshinGTon, dcgRoWing gReeneR: step by step Print on both sides of a piece of paper (either by sending it to the printer for double-sided printing or by reprinting on the blank side) and make other efforts to minimize the amount of paper used for printing? Always  15.8%More often than not 47.4%Not as much as I could 26.3%Never 10.5%3952Recycle glass and plastic bottles?Always  57.9%Sometimes 42.1%118Recycle paper/mail/catalogs when no longer needed?Always  68.4%Sometimes 31.6%136Recycle cardboard shipping boxesAlways  33.3%Sometimes  44.4%Never  22.2%684Have your monitor set to go to sleep when your computer is idle after a period of time? Yes  78.9%No  21.1%154Selected Survey ResultsComments from the survey were limited but included suggestions to make it easier to recycle card-board boxes and to help staff members turn off the automatic banner sheet function when printing. The Green Himmelfarb task force identified areas in which the staff could easily improve our envi-ronmental impact. These no/low cost activities included reduction of waste from paper, eating and drinking, and general trash handling practices. Each area was highlighted with a friendly informa-tional email to the entire staff.The first email about paper reduction included an invitation to a bring-your-own-mug coffee break during which staff could get assistance with their computer settings (ex. changing defaults to no banner page, printing double-sided, and setting monitor to shut off when not in use). The Green Himmelfarb task force members donated cookies, coffee, and tea.  Two subsequent email messages were sent to library staff covering reducing food trash, and general trash.We also hosted a speaker from GW’s new Sustainability Initiative sponsored by our incoming Presi-dent.  The speaker outlined campus-wide plans and provided staff with a history of the University’s green initiatives.     Where we areEmail #1:  Paper TipsAre you overwhelmed with paper (even in this electronic age)? Here are a few hints that can help reduce the amount of paper in your life:-- Feed the scrap paper binsScrap paper collection bins are located by both Xerox staff printers. Please put any unneeded (and non-confidential) one-sided print outs/faxes facedown in these bins. These supply the bigger and much used scrap paper bin for patrons at the Reference/Circulation desk.-- Put the Xerox printers on a dietYour printer settings can be adjusted so that you no longer print a banner page before each print job. Also, setting your default print setting to double-sided will save a lot of paper.-- Stuff the paper recycle binsRemember that all sorts of paper can go in the recycle bins: printer paper, envelopes, old cat-alogs, paper ream wrappers, junk mail, worn-out file folders, and even the backs of used up note pads.Need help?If you’d like some help with your printer settings or have questions, the Green Himmelfarb group is sponsoring a short cookie/coffee and tea break (bring your own mug!) on June 3rd at 3:30 pm in 103.Hear from the expertThe hands-on help/cookie session will be a great lead-in to the Staff Development speaker, Professor Mark Starik, who will be speaking at 4:00 pm on the GW Sustainability Initiative sponsored by President Knapp (room B103).Email #2:  Green Eggs and Ham, and Coffee and Lunch, Too!We all need food and drink during the work day. But the packaging from our food and drinks can produce a lot of unnecessary waste. Here are a few tips for reducing the waste we create eating and drinking here at Himmelfarb, so we can all be ‘greener’.Use reusable dishware and utensils as much as possible.Bring reusable mugs, bottles, and other beverage containers for your drinks. You can even • use these for your coffee fix at Starbucks or 7-11 (we checked and it’s OK!).Keep a stash of real utensils in your desk and use those instead of plastic ones.• If you bring a lunch, use reusable containers.• Recycle the cans and glass or plastic bottles for purchased beverages.Reduce the amount of packaging that is thrown away.Keep a stash of shopping bags in your desk and bring them with you to reuse at Trader • Joe’s, Safeway, CVS, or the farmer’s market.Donate clean used shopping bags (plastic or paper) to the Circulation desk for patrons • to carry books. The daycare center at GW can also use plastic bags (drop-off at Laura’s desk).  Try to purchase food and beverages with minimal packaging. • Don’t forget the weekly farmer’s market. It is a great place for fruit and vegetables, eggs, dairy, and baked goods. Buying local food helps reduce the environmental impact of shipping and keep more land green. The farmer’s market is held right outside our building on I and 24th Streets every Wednesday 2:30-7:00 through November. Email #3:  Waste Not, Want Not....In our last email message we listed steps we can each take to reduce waste related to eating and drinking here at Himmelfarb. However, there’s a lot of waste generated in other work ar-eas as well. Here are some waste reduction tips for other aspects of our work day.ReduceConsider whether you’ll actually use a vendor freebie before taking one. Do you really • need that cold drink cozy or squishy toy? If you won’t use it, then don’t take it.Check the supply closet for a needed office supply before ordering something new from a • supplier.ReuseHang on to shipping boxes and packing materials and use them again for future ship-• ments.Place any unneeded manila file folders, hanging file folders, 3-ring binders, paper trays or • magazine files in the supply closet so others can reuse them.Keep disposable plastic trays/bowls and excess cups and napkins from catered functions • to reuse at other events.Recycle Gently used books and videos can be donated to the Himmefarb book sales or placed in • the leisure reading collection on the third floor in the Bloedorn Technology Center.Thanks for contributing to our efforts to minimize the amount of waste generated from our daily office practices.

Growing Greener: Step by Step

https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1025&context=libfacpres

Growing Greener: Step by Step

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George Washington University: Health Sciences Research Commons (HSRC)