The Sustainable Libraries Initiative’s Sustainable Library Certification Program (SLCP) provides library leaders with a tested, structured path forward to increase a library’s commitment to environmental stewardship, economic feasibility, and social equity.
In 2024 the Maine Library Association partnered with the Sustainable Libraries Initiative to help equip MLA members with resources and tools to address the challenges of climate change in their communities. Through this partnership, MLA members can join a nationwide community who are using tools created or compiled by the Sustainable Libraries Initiative and its members to uncover ways that their libraries and communities will understand, lessen, and adapt to the effects of climate change.
In 2025, Buck Memorial Library joined this initiative.
OUR JOURNEY TO BEING SUSTAINABLE
Our journey begins with a presentation to the library board, staff and volunteers, as well surveying our stakeholders and forming a sustainability team.
Our sustainability team will work through 12 categories that are aligned with our survey results. Each libraries goals and tasks are unique to that library. Actions within each category provide the team with the opportunity to take a closer look at how things are done and/or consumed at the library and provide the team with the opportunity to think differently about how we will proceed on that issue in the future.
Twelve Categories
Organizational Commitment
Energy
Materials Management – Waste & Recycling
Materials Management – Purchasing
Transportation
Land Use
Water
Collective Impact
Social Cohesion
Community Resilience
Financial Sustainability
Collections
Once we have completed our progress through the sustainable initiative, we will have a final presentation to summarize the work we completed for the Sustainable Libraries Evaluation Team and as a way to share what we have accomplished with the Bucksport community.