The Power of Three:Academic Librarians, the Curriculum and Sustainability

Madeleine Charney, UMass Amherst LibrariesACRL-NE conference 6/1/12

Photo: Tim Platt, Getty Images

What is “sustainability?”

“…development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

From the World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

The Three Aspects of Sustainability

Image:

Image:Sustainable Campbell River http://sustainablecampbellriver.ca

In other words……it’s about survival

Image: http://www.enjoygoinggreen.com/all/is-global-warming-real/

Some motivation for “sustainability” in Higher Education

“Among prospective students and parents, 69 percent said that a campus's eco-friendliness would influence their decisions on where to apply.”

From “More Colleges Adding 'Green' to School Colors”New York Times, August 16, 2011

Is “sustainability” top down? Bottom up? Both?

Click icon to add picture

Rat Man, Bugelski and Alampay (1961)

American University & College Presidents’ Climate Commitment

EXCERPTS:• Campuses that address the climate challenge by reducing

global warming emissions and by integrating sustainability into their curriculum will better serve their students and meet their social mandate to help create a thriving, ethical and civil society.

• Within two years of signing this document, develop an institutional action plan for becoming climate neutral, which will include: Actions to make climate neutrality and sustainability a part of the curriculum and other educational experience for all students.

http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/about/commitment

The next portion of my presentation

is derived from survey responses (112) and follow up telephone interviews (24) with academic librarians in the U.S. who are instrumental in shaping sustainability on their campuses.

Based on 2011 Sabbatical Project: “Academic Librarians and Sustainability in the Curriculum.”

Why Librarians?• Teachers of critical thinking and sound reasoning• Seasoned consolidators and distributors of information• Systems Thinkers• Unique perspectives on curricular development• Involved in expansive networks across campus

Photo: Leslie Schaler

What inspires you most about this work?

• “General personal ethic - an imperative that we have to - we have no choice.” – Charles Vesei, Baldwin-Wallace College

• “The Library’s Sustainability LibGuide is #1 for hits and there is no course connected to it…It’s a real positive note because I assume in many cases that LibGuides are used “just in time” because students are doing assignments… people are just interested. We are going back to the 70’s to ‘finish the job.’” -Janet Klaessig, Delaware Valley College

• The thing that’s cool about librarians – we’re all about sharing information. We’ve been “sustainable” for years. We’re already half way there! … Librarianship and sustainability are a no brainer -- to take that and make it more conscious. I bet there are going to be a lot more ‘sustainability librarians’ in the world soon. “ –Sarah Dorsey, Univ. North Carolina Greensboro

Who answered the surveyReference 22Science (including Enviro, Food Sci, Ag) 16Instruction/Information Literacy 11Social Sciences 7Faculty Librarian 7Technology/Digital/Electronic 6Director/Head 5Architecture 5Business/Economics 5Collection Development 5Associate/Assistant Director 5Subject Librarian 4Public Services/Outreach 4Humanities 3Sustainability 2Cataloging 2Math 1Assessment 1

Please specify the topics of your research guides below. Choose as many as are relevant.

Some “others”Classic Books on Sustainable Development Environmental PolicyEnvironmental ToxicologyNorth West Earth Institute Discussion Course BookletsSocially Responsible InvestingSustainability Efforts at Our InstitutionSustainability in Art EducationSustainable Art and Higher EducationSustainable Business PlansSustainable Forest Management Sustainable Houses, Homes & CommunitiesSustainable Practices for Civil & Environmental EngineersSustainable PreservationWater Issues of the Great LakesWetlands ecology

By Mark Lenker, Greenwood Library

Longwood Universityhttp://libguides.longwood.edu/sustainability

Briefly describe any curriculum-related connections or communications that you or your Library have with the "Office of Sustainability" or their staff

• Meet regularly• Collaborate on LibGuides• Track sustainability courses• Co-facilitate sustainability book group• Co-coordinate sustainability conference• Post selected book lists on the OoS web site• Co-create for-credit sustainability internship• Administer Sustainability Faculty Fellows program• Carry out the STARS assessment (curriculum section)• Work together on sustainability curriculum committee• Select materials for discussion-based courses; materials

added to the Library collection

Barriers (aka “touchy subjects”)

• “Fiefdoms” in academia• Territorialism between faculty members/departments• Blurring lines of Liaison Librarian areas

Photo: Leslie Schaler

• Neutral place - meetings, programs, activities• United place - Institutional Repository brings silos together• Sharing place - collaboration, consolidation and conservation of resources• Learning place – workshops, presentations, demonstrations

Photo: Leslie Schaler

The Library as “Common Ground”

Ready, Set, Action!

Please refer now to

Your “Take Action” Checklist Image:

www.flickr.com/photos/library_mistress/

“Librarians are evolving along with their work…”-Mark Lanker, Longwood University

Image: http://claire-legrand.com

Madeleine Charney• MLIS, University of Rhode Island (1991)• MALD, Sustainable Landscape Planning and Design, Conway

School of Landscape Design (2003)

Contact: Research & Liaison ServicesW.E.B. Du Bois LibraryUniversity of Massachusetts Amherstmcharney@library.umass.edu 413-577-0784Web site: http://works.bepress.com/charney_madeleine/