Earth Day is Friday April 22, 2016. Learn more about what you can do to support our environment by visiting: http://www.earthday.org/earth-day/earth-day-theme/
http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2016/04/08/booklist-books-celebrate-earth-day-environmentalist-us/
The Library recycles discarded books and recently installed a water bottle tap in the Learning Commons. We support Print Green and recycle office supplies when possible. We also recycle materials and are currently saving boxes to help with the end of the semester campus move-out. Below are some answers to questions posed to us from students concerns about sustainability.
Question: Computers— Do they actually shut down when the library is closed? If not, why?
Answer: The computers are not completely shut down at night. They do go in to power save mode when not in use. They need to be on at night as this is when updates are delivered to the machines. The power supplies on the computers are at least 80 Plus Bronze rated to be 85% efficient. On average this saves at least 20% more energy than the standard power supply offered. [Other lab computers on campus have the screens set to sleep after 15 minutes. In the library we have them set to always on to display the screensaver. Are the monitors turned off at night?]
Question: Could the computers in the Learning Commons have some sort of environmental campaign on the screensaver? The calendar of events, or perhaps some messaging about saving electricity, etc.?
Answer: We cannot put any images on the screensaver as that is set up in the summer, but we do display information on our two large flat screens.
Question: Can you advertise Print Green:
Answer: PrintGreen is a campus-wide initiative that provides all students with 750 prints per semester. Students can use those prints however they choose. Since most students print significantly less than 750 prints per semester, I cannot address a reduction in actual printing. From my observations, PrintGreen has reduced the number of unclaimed prints left on and around the printers on a daily basis. However, there is still a large number of prints that are not picked up and end up in the recycling bin. It is those unclaimed prints that are the real waste of resources.
Question: Can you please put something small on the chargers themselves or adhesive on the desks telling people about how they drain energy even when nothing is plugged in if they are “on.” This happens with all chargers as long as they are plugged in.
Answer: We have placed signs on the charging stations asking users to turn them off when not in use.