Fondren Library embraces the American Library Association’s value of sustainability, affirming that “[s]ustainability means making choices that are good for the environment, make sense economically, and treat everyone equitably. ”
As the library’s Sustainability Plan (written in 2019) explains, Fondren aims to:
Promote sustainable approaches to library spaces, including energy efficiency, reduced water usage, and an orientation toward wellness
Reduce resource consumption
Deepen library support for research and teaching in sustainability
Collect and preserve environmentally-focused information and materials, especially those produced by Rice faculty and students
Engage with the Rice community to foster a culture of sustainability
Fondren’s sustainability plan was developed by Fondren Fellows Ashley Fitzpatrick and Svetlana Borodina, who were mentored by Lisa Spiro.
Fondren Library is a Communities Respond to Extreme Weather (CREW) Climate Resilience Hub.
We are grateful to the American Library Association's Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change program for its support.
Activities
Fondren Library's recent activities in support of sustainability include:
- Deploying new trash and recycling bins across the library to reduce waste, make trash pickup more efficient, and promote proper recycling
- Hosting weather preparedness events
- Developing information guides about environmental media and Historical Environmental Research
- Assisting an environmental science class in developing a Wikipedia entry about environmental justice
- Working on an updated sustainability plan for Fondren
- Participating in larger efforts, including the Digital Library Federation's Climate Justice Working Group
Green Team
Fondren’s Green Team helps the library pursue practices that are environmentally sound, economically feasible, and socially equitable. Members of the team include:
Hong-Ye Wang, Fondren eco-rep
Joe Goetz, Reference
Nicolas Castellanos, Business Information Center
Shannon Kipphut-Smith, Digital Scholarship Services
Sam Rogers, Electronic Resources
Lisa Spiro (chair), Digital Scholarship Services
Amanda Thomas, User Experience Office
Past Events
- The Challenges of Communicating Climate Risk with Prof. Lacy M. Johnson - Sept. 29, 2022 at 3:00 PM CST
- Dr. Sylvia Dee, Dr. Lizzie Wallace, and Hollie Evans, Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico: Why They Are Stronger and How to Be Ready, Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 2.pm, Zoom
- Getting Ready for Extreme Weather: Community Preparedness for Climate Disasters, April 20, 2021, 11 am CST. [recording]
- Panel Discussion on Fire & Flood: Queer Resilience in the Era of Climate Change, April 1, 2021, 7 pm [recording]
- Rev. Vernon Walker (Program Manager of Communities Respond to Extreme Weather), "Finding Hope in Extreme Weather," Wednesday, December 2, 2020, 1 PM CST.
- All We Can Save Book Circle
- Justice and Transformation: Houston Women on Climate Action (October 28, 2020) [recording on YouTube]
Presentations
- Lisa Spiro and Ashley Fitzpatrick, "Academic Libraries Join the Fight Against Climate Change," CNI’s Fall 2020 Membership Meeting, 2020
News
- Katharine Shillcutt, "Fondren’s Green Team hosting sustainability-focused events thanks to ALA grant", Rice News, October 19, 2020
Resources
Estimate of Library Environmental Impact (online calculator)
Contact Us
Email sustainablefondren@rice.edu.