Green Options - Eight Ways to Green Your Library

As part of Eco-Libris' ongoing content partnership with Green Options Media, we feature a post that was originally published by Tina Casey on January 14 on Eco Child's Play. Today's post gives you few ideas how to green a very special place: your local library.

Library use is surging upwards, as the economy surges downwards. More people are saving money by sharing community-owned books, computers, and other resources. That’s certainly the green way to go, but what about the libraries themselves? How green is your local library?

While some new libraries are LEED-certified, your library might be old, inefficient, and in need of expensive retrofits that it can’t afford. Let’s read on to see how you can help your local library go green, no matter what kind of building it’s in.

1. Your Library: Go Early and Often.
First things first: if you’re a new parent and you haven’t taken your child to the library yet, do it. Don’t be shy about bringing an infant or crawler. For a while now, the trend has been to include more stuffed animals and other attractions for people who prefer crawling around to reading a book. If an eruption seems immanent you can always cut the visit short.

Green Tip: As your child grows out of kid-sized play tables, easels or seating cushions, ask if you can donate them to your local library.

2. Green Your Trip to the Library.
Is your library near mass transit? If it is, include a bus or train ride in your library routine. Pack some healthy snacks and a couple of commuter-friendly activities in case things bog down. Car-pooling with another family, walking, or biking are other green travel options.

3. Bring a Book, Leave a Book at Your Library.
Does your library have a book freecycling rack, or a used book sale room? If not, suggest one. It gives every library patron in the community a convenient place to recycle their used books, without making an extra trip to donate them at another location.

4. Toy Lending at Your Library.
Does your library lend toys? Toy lending libraries are another popular trend, and another great way to share and reuse community resources.

5. Help Your Library Green Up.
Does your library recycle? Does it use green cleaning supplies? If your library seems a little behind the curve, ask about volunteering to help them introduce some simple, basic office greening into their operations.

If you have time to help your library develop an in-depth greening program, the American Library Association has many resources to get you get started.

6. Green the Air Around Your Library.
Do cars tend to idle on the library grounds? Ask about setting up and publicizing a no-idling policy.

7. Green the Grounds Around Your Library.
Does your library have a rain garden? Could it use some strategically located shade trees? See if you can partner up with a local landscaper or nursery to help your library transform a resource-guzzling lawn into an educational greenscape.

8. Green the Movies at Your Library
Does your library show films? Ask if they’ll screen a green documentary. The list of entertaining docs on green topics is growing. Supersize Me and Kilowatt Ours are two that come to mind.

Friends: Does your local library have an interesting or unusual way to go green? Let me know, and I’ll share the info in a future post.

Image: Public domain via indiamos at flickr.com under creative commons.

An interview with Greg Barber, an environmental printer

"My name is Greg Barber and I specialize in environmental printing. " This is the first line on the homepage of Greg Barber Company, an eco-friendly printer and also the printer that prints Eco-Libris' stickers and flyers.

Greg is also one of the most experienced people in the area of green printing and we thought it would be very interesting to hear from him what does it mean to be an environmental printer and what's going on in this market. We weren't wrong. This interview is a great opportunity to get a glance of the growing market of environmental printing, which as you will see is becoming not only beneficial for the environment, but also for businesses' bottom line.

Hello Greg. You describe yourself as an environmental printer. Can you tell us what that means?
We are eco-friendly in our paper, inks, energy and our recycling of our waste. We specialize in printing on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper, rock paper, and tree free paper ,and we use soy based inks, for our offset printing, and 100% non toxic toner for our digital work. Our energy is primarily Wind energy, and the paper we stock comes from mills that get their energy from either Wind or BioGas.

How long have you been an environmental printer? how did you get into the business of eco-friendly printing?
I started at the 20th anniversary of Earth Day in 1990. I saw middle school children celebrating Earth Day and I decided to join them by specializing in Environmental Printing.

Is it true that it's more expensive to print on recycled paper? if it is, what's the premium you currently need to pay for it?
This is the #1 question asked me. So much so, that I put that question on my website http://www.gregbarberco.com/ at the very top a link that says "Is Environmental Printing More Expensive?" My answer is it is not more expensive if you use the 100% PCW recycled paper from my firm.

Our paper is competitive to the minimum recycled paper or non recycled paper prices. We have a wide range of equipment to select the most effective press to keep the pricing competitive. If you need a small run in 4 color, we will probably print digitally. We have 2 color up to 8 color offset equipment and web presses for the very large inquiries, and I partner with several plants, that are leaders in the environmental movement. My partners were hand picked by me for their environmental set up, their price structure, and their response to timing needed by my clients.

Why do you think so many publishers of paper-based products such as books, newspapers and magazines are not going green yet? is it the cost? availability? quality of paper? or another reason?
Magazines and newspapers use ground wood based paper and those sheets are much less expensive, and thus price is the reason. The paper mills we use sell higher quality recycled coated paper for the higher quality runs. Upscale fashion type magazines, brochures, annual reports, flyers, 4 color books etc, use the more expensive recycled coated and uncoated lines we carry.

Who are your customers and what is important for them when it comes to environmental printing?
We sell to upscale environmental entrepreneurs, ad agencies, graphic designers, and corporate clients. My website is listed #1 in Google and everyday I see clients from all walks of the business world. We print postcards for art galleries, greeting cards for start up companies, business cards for anyone.

I printed stationary, postcards, envelopes, greeting cards, etc, for an agency for Coca Cola, the VIP material needed at the Olympics in China, They selected mostly 100% PCW paper and soy inks. The common denominator for our clients is using paper with the highest post-consumer waste content, the correct inks, no chlorine for bleaching our papers, and they like to know that we are FSC certified.

Also, most people like to know we have a wide range of paper to select from. Tree Free lines , such as Sugar Cane, Bamboo, Hemp, and paper made from fruit plants mixed with PCW. We stock lemon, mango, coffee, and banana papers. We also have paper made from Rock & Minerals called Terraskin. And price. We remain competitive by selecting a few environmental grades we feel are the most environmental, and buying those papers in bulk. We save our clients a lot of money on the small to medium size runs, that can be expensive for most printers buying small lots of stock for the smaller jobs..

How is the economic slowdown influencing the green printing market?
We are in a tough market. Business is off and payments are slower. But, I feel environmental printers are not affected as much as non environmental printers. Green printing is important to our clients, and they don't want to go back to non recycled printing. My clients are mostly small to medium buyers of printing and they still need to advertise. The large printers that specialize in magazine or book work are hurt more, as advertising is off 50%.

What are the current trends (if any) you see in the market?
We see Direct Response, Personalized Printing going way up, and I am spending a lot of my time promoting this type of printing. Clients can track results and then decide if they should increase their budgets in this type of printing, especially when sales go up.

We own XMPIE, the software that can take a supplied excel spread sheet that has a lot of personal variables included in the columns, and create PURL'S, or Personal URL. If I was on the mailing list, my postcard which has my name and my preference in the copy, and my own web link to go to. It might be www.gregbarber/greenoffer.com. Once I go to that link, I might see a special offer from the client that is directly speaking to me. We find sales go up 500 percent with personalized PURL printing. You can test this on a 500 postcard print run, as we do personalized printing digitally. We can print 500 different postcards digitally, that change name, color of pictures, copy, and the personal links to visit.

You also started to publish books lately - can you tell us about it?
We print mostly 4 color books on 100% post-consumer waste paper. We find our clients like that we have no minimums and many times we print 100 books digitally to see if the books will sell, and then we can print the larger runs via offset. We did this for my first book, "How The Land Of Litter Became The Kingdom Of Clean". We printed 100, 6 x 9 size books, 48 pages plus cover, in 4 color on 70# Enviro Text and 100# Enviro Cover.

The test was a lot more per book than when we next went to 1000 books and then onto 5000 books. But, it's safer than to print 1000 books and not selling them. Land Of Litter is very popular and teaches kids that it does matter to be environmental.

Thank you Greg!

If you want to learn more about Greg's printing company and their green opreations, you're welcome to check out their website - http://www.gregbarberco.com/

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
http://www.ecolibris.net/

My Green Resolution for 2009 - East West Bookstore

Today our search for 2009 green resolutions and wishes bring us to the heart of Silicon Valley. East West Bookstore is located in the beautiful city Mountain View in California, and we are very happy to host Surendra James Conti, the manager of the store.

East West Bookshop is a resource center for the art of conscious living. It opens doors to self-discovery, higher awareness and true understanding. East West Bookshop is participating in Eco-Libris' bookstores program, where customers at the store can plant a tree for every book they buy there and receive our sticker at the counter!

Hello Surendra. What are your green wishes and resolutions for 2009?

East West has been committed to the greening of America since our opening in 1980. Whether in times of prosperity or recession, it is vital that we, as a nation and individually, serve the causes that promote a healthy planet. Eco-Libris is a concept that deserves our support, and we urge every reader to invest an extra dollar in its noble purpose when purchasing a book. A little goes a long way.

Thanks, Surendra!

East West Bookstore is located at 324 Castro Street, Mountain View, California 94041. You are welcome to visit their website - www.eastwest.com. You're also invited to read the interview with Surendra we published last April.

So far on "My Green Resolution for 2009":

Jennifer Taylor of GreetQ

Bill Roth, author of "On Empty (Out of Time)"

Vonda Schaefer of Valley Books

Madeline Kaplan, author of "Planet Earth Gets Well"

Chris Flynn of Torpedo

Edain Duguay of Wyrdwood Publications

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Plant a tree for every book you read!

Sign up to Eco-Libris newsletter and you can win a copy of the new book 'The Letters'

Our first newsletter for 2009 is planned to be sent next Tuesday, and we have a great offer for new subscribers:

Sign up this month to our newsletter and you can win a copy of Fiona Robyn's new book "The Letters". (If you're already subscribed, please keep reading - you can participate in the raffle as well!)

Eco-Libris' newsletter is a monthly newsletter, so you can expect to hear from us only once a month. On the newsletter we will offer you updates about our work and our latest collaborations in the book industry. We also include articles on the book and paper industry from our unique green perspective, as well as special offers and discounts, which are presented exclusively on our newsletter!

And as mentioned above, if you sign up until January 31, you will have the chance of winning a copy of "The Letters" by Fiona Robin.

All you have to do is just to sign up, using the box on the right side of the page saying 'Join Our Email List' and that's it.

If you're already subscribed to the newsletter, we want to give you a chance to win the copy as well. Just add a comment telling us when was the last time you actually wrote someone a letter (and if you have an interesting story to tell about it, please feel free to do so), and you're in the raffle!

What this book is about? here's a short description of its website:

Violet Ackerman has drifted through a career, four children and a divorce without ever knowing who she is or what she wants. After moving to the coast, she starts receiving a series of mysterious letters sent from a mother and baby home in 1959, written by a pregnant twenty-year-old Elizabeth to her best friend. These letters intersperse Violet's turbulent relationships with her lover, her infuriating son and the eccentric fellow members of the Village Committee. Who is sending Violet these letters, and why? 'The Letters' invites us see what happens when we don't run away. Will love be enough to encourage Violet to stay?

What people say:

"Finely observed, intense and eminently readable."
Jacqui Lofthouse, author of Bluethroat Morning

"Violet lives on in your imagination long after you've finished reading her story."
Susan Utting, author of Houses Without Walls

"An entirely entrancing tale, with visuals that leap and spin from every page."
Caroline Smailes, author of In Search of Adam

You can read more about the book at www.fionarobyn.com/theletters.htm

We want to thank author Fiona Robin, who is a supporter of Eco-Libris, for the copy donated! The book, published by Snowbooks, won't be out until the beginning of March, so this is a great opportunity to get a copy before everyone else does! So what are you waiting for?

Yours,

Raz @ Eco-Libris

www.ecolibris.net

My Green Resolution for 2009 - Jennifer Taylor of GreetQ

Our quest for 2009 green resolutions brings us today to the beautiful (and green) Seattle, where GreetQ, an online greeting card retailer is located. We are very happy to host Jennifer Taylor, the owner of GreetQ.

GreetQ offers a unique service: shoppers can buy paper greeting cards online, add a personal message, then schedule the cards to be sent on a specific date. GreetQ then mails the personalized card to the recipient on behalf of their customers on that specific date. The scheduled cards, which can be scheduled for up to one year in advance, are queued online in the customer’s “card-queue.”

GreetQ is collaborating with Eco-Libris to plant a tree for every 10 greeting cards purchased through the GreetQ.com's website.

Hello Jennifer. What is your green resolution for 2009?
In addition to seeking out talented independent designers, one of our main focuses when selecting new lines for GreetQ, is to make it a priority to find brands that use environmentally responsible practices. Many of our brands use recycled paper, are FSC certified or print with soy inks.

One of our resolutions this year is to better highlight these practices for our customers so that they can more easily make informed purchasing decisions. We are also introducing a “Green Glossary” which will define in detail how each of these practices helps the environment. For instance, “what is soy ink and why is it better than regular ink?”

We are also working to “greenify” our operational practices, including reducing packaging while not compromising the safe delivery of cards. We are also researching ways to decrease our overall environmental footprint by reducing energy usage and using environmentally safer ink - not just for greeting cards but for all of our printing needs including invoices and receipt.

What's your green wish for 2009?
I would hope that more companies, in the tradition of Eco-Libris, work to find solutions that help customers reduce their environmental footprint without drastically compromising their lifestyles or without introducing additional complexity into everyday living. Eco-Libris is a great example of a solution that allows book lovers to continue reading “real books” while helping the environment. I hope that GreetQ moves closer and closer to refining similar solutions, allowing customers to still send paper cards, while keeping their environmental impact at a negligible level.

Any other plans for 2009 you would like to share with our readers?

We are working to introduce features that will make sending and personalizing greeting cards even easier; this will include additional personalization options such as rich text editing, making it easier to get your personalized message formated exactly the way you want it.

Thanks, Jennifer!

This collaboration also includes a special offer for Eco-Libris customers and fans: a 25% discount off the regular subscription rate. Code to enter at checkout: ECOLBR.

So check out GreetQ's artful, beautifully made cards at their website: http://www.greetq.com.

So far on "My Green Resolution for 2009":

Bill Roth, author of "On Empty (Out of Time)"

Vonda Schaefer of Valley Books

Madeline Kaplan, author of "Planet Earth Gets Well"

Chris Flynn of Torpedo

Edain Duguay of Wyrdwood Publications

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Plant a tree for every book you read!

What's in your paper? a new website gives your the answers you're looking for!

The Environmental Paper Network launched a great new website entitles 'What's In Your Paper' (thanks to the Green Press Initiative's newsletter for the info!), where you can learn not only what's in your paper, but also how your paper can go green.

Firstly, a little bit about EPN: The Environmental Paper Network (EPN) was founded in 2002 to bring together conservation organizations to draft a Common Vision for the Transformation of the Pulp and Paper Industry. The consensus platform of the Common Vision has been the primary basis for citizen and NGO advocacy and institutional policy development which is driving the rapid growth of environmentally responsible paper markets.

The new website is full with informative and user-friendly information, including Paper Steps - a guide for making your office or company paper more environmentally responsible, glossary with all the definitions you need to know about, toolkit for the eco-friendly paper purchaser, a guide on how to save paper and much more.

Is paper that important? does your paper usage really matter? for those who still ask it, the website gives a very clear explanation:

What’s In Your Paper matters because the impacts of paper production result in one of the world’s most significant environmental challenges. Our daily choices about paper use and what paper we buy is one of the easiest, and most significant choices we can make to make a difference.

Paper’s life-cycle is often a trail of greenhouse gas emissions, fresh water consumption and pollution, and the loss of native forests and biodiversity. It also brings us many benefits, from great literature to personal hygiene, and it is inevitable that paper will be part of our lives for the foreseeable future. So, our choices matter. We must all do our part to take the Steps to Responsible Paper Purchasing.

Not convinced yet? here's a reminder from a video we showed a while ago from The Secret Life of Paper's website, which is also presented on the website's What's Hot section:

And don't forget to check out their blog - The Paper Planet

Yours,

Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

My Green Resolution for 2009 - Bill Roth, author of "On Empty (Out of Time)"

Today on our 2009 green resolutions and greetings series we have the pleasure to have with us Bill Roth, the author of a great book entitled "On Empty (Out of Time)".

Bill is collaborating with Eco-Libris to plant a tree for every printed copy of the book. Each book will have an Eco-Libris sticker saying "One tree planted for this book".

Hello Bill. What are your green wishes for 2009?

My dream for 2009 is that America takes world leadership in implementing the Green Economic Revolution.

This means that as individuals we reduced our consumption of gasoline, electricity, plastics and beef by 20% to achieve the UN’s target for 2020 CO2 emission reductions this year. By the way, that would put approximately $500-$1000 annually in each of our pockets!

And here’s one path for achieving this result, make Fridays your “save to gain day” by not eating red meat, buying only locally grown food, doing something other than commuting to work in your car, not consuming anything that comes in a throw away container and turning your thermostat up or down 5 degrees in the direction that will reduce energy consumption.

It means that our governments adopts energy efficiency standards for ALL buildings designed to reduce energy and water demand by 20% and will facilitate this re-engineering of our buildings by providing 30 year financing at a 3% interest rate to pay for the upgrades. This will re-stimulate our construction and manufacturing industries with millions of good paying jobs and the 3% interest rate is not a subsidy, that’s today’s interest rate on a 30 year government bond.

In my book, On Empty (out of time) I outline the fullest range of technologies and government policies that will produce Energy Independence, lower pump/meter prices and Global Warming solutions. We have the technologies and our consumers are the best in the world in adopting new technologies. What we need is only commitment, by our government and by us as American consumers.

Any green resolutions on the personal level for the 2009?

My personal green resolution is to reduce my use of plastic water bottles. The U.S. disposes of 60 million per DAY! I am switching to a metal container and filtered tap water.

And I am happy to report that I continue to implement last year’s resolution of carrying a reusable grocery bag rather than relying upon “paper or plastic” provided by the grocery store.

Thanks, Bill!

Here are more details about On Empty (Out of Time):

(from the author's website) America's final "wake-up call". Since the 1974 oil embargo we have been promised Energy Independence and lower prices. Instead we are now paying 10 times more for oil and we are importing 4 times as much.

And we are now out of time. We face a recession because of high oil prices and the military cost of protecting someone else's oil fields. And a new crisis, Global Warming, is emerging.

On Empty graphically details the imminent threat of economic and environmental disaster and proposes fresh solutions for achieving a "Man on the Moon" crash program of deploying American-owned sustainable technologies. And it outlines how you, the American Consumer, will lead the charge.

You can buy the book at http://www.onemptyroth.com.

So far on "My Green Resolution for 2009":

Vonda Schaefer of Valley Books

Madeline Kaplan, author of "Planet Earth Gets Well"

Chris Flynn of Torpedo

Edain Duguay of Wyrdwood Publications

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Plant a tree for every book you read!