Posts on going green

As of this week, American Libraries, the magazine of the American Library Association, has opened its online content to nonmembers. This means, among other things, anyone can sign up for AL Direct, their weekly e-newsletter which includes news on libraries, books, technology, intellectual freedom challenges, and other library-related issues, from ALA, major media outlets, and the blogosphere.

What's the happy occasion? Open Access Day, first celebrated October 14 (news to me, I'm afraid). From AL's press release:

Open Access Day is sponsored by SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition), the Public Library of Science (PLoS) and Students for Free Culture. Building on the worldwide momentum toward open access to publicly funded research, Open Access Day was established to create an opportunity for the higher education community and the general public to understand more clearly the opportunities of wider access to and use of content.

In addition, AL has opened access to its PDF archives going back to 2003, and as of 2009 issues will be available online in HTML format. I'm wondering if these are steps not only toward open access but toward going greener. I like reading AL and all, but I—and most of the other 65,000+ ALA members—could probably just as easily read it online and save a lot of paper and production costs.

Today at the St. Ives Library, I purchased my first souvenir, for the lofty price of two quid. And seriously, never have I been more choughed (chuffed)...

Apparently the Cornwall County Council has bagged the bags. No more will you find plastic bags available in the libraries; instead you have the option of buying this charming burlap tote.

My own library talks about efforts to "go green", and it has been taking certain steps in that direction. Meanwhile, we still give plastic bags to patrons at the circulation desks and during our summer reading program. Canvas bags with the library logo are available, but they cost $10, which is $10 more than a lot of people have or want to spend.

I'll be bringing back my new tote to show off, of course, but also to voice support for moving away from the plastic and toward alternatives that are not only more earth-friendly but affordable.