For Immediate Release

New York–July 29, 2024 - A new partnership between the Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI) and the Maryland Library Association (MLA) aims to equip MLA members with tools and resources to address the challenges and mitigate the impact of climate change in their communities. 

“We are very excited to work more closely with the Maryland Library Association and enable all of their members to accelerate their adoption of practices that will help them live their values out loud while adapting in the face of climate change,” said Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Board President of the Sustainable Libraries Initiative, “Positioning the Maryland library community as leaders in this conversation will allow them to follow the lead of hundreds of other libraries in our program, a strong move to ensure libraries contribute to their community’s resilience and remain relevant and responsive institutions.” 

Through this partnership, MLA members will join a nationwide community of practice who are using SLI-curated tools to uncover ways that their libraries and communities can understand, adapt to, and help lessen the effects of climate change. These tools include hundreds of best practices proven by peers, access to an archive of professional development focused on the core value of sustainability, program examples, a vetted vendor list, and a custom CO2 calculator to help members estimate their current institutional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and measure reductions, and custom publicity pieces to help libraries tell their sustainability story. 

"We are thrilled to begin this partnership with the Sustainable Libraries Initiative, which will support Maryland libraries' ability to advance the profession's core value of sustainability,” remarked David Dahl, MLA president and Associate Dean of Libraries, Digital Services and Technologies, at the University of Maryland. “Our members will benefit from SLI's corpus of resources and programs as we work to take tangible action toward a more sustainable future for our libraries and their communities." 

The Sustainable Libraries Initiative’s Sustainable Library Certification Program (SLCP) —available to public libraries, academic libraries, library systems, and school librarians — provides libraries with a reliable course of action to enhance library leadership and demonstrate commitment to environmental stewardship, economic feasibility, and social equity. The certification program guides participants to evaluate their decision-making philosophies, build stronger connections within their community, and consider the lasting impacts of their action for their service area. 

A number of Marylanders are already blazing a trail in their state as early adopters of the Sustainable Library Certification Program, including School Librarian Melissa King and the soon-to-be certified University of Maryland Libraries. 

Members of the Maryland Library Association who opt-in via the SLI website will receive one free year of annual membership to the Sustainable Libraries Initiative and a 20% discount on the award-winning Sustainable Library Certification Program. Cohorts of five or more libraries will receive a 25% discount on certification, supporting the principle that there is power in collective action. 

Learn more with our MLA Partnership Dashboard or by reaching out to sliadmin@suffolknet.org. 

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Sustainable Libraries Initiative 
The Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI) is a member-driven organization that empowers library professionals to be leaders using triple-bottom-line sustainability (environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic feasibility) throughout their organizations and in their communities. The Sustainable Library Certification Program is now enrolling public and academic libraries, library systems, and school librarians nationwide. 

Maryland Library Association 
The Maryland Library Association (MLA), founded in 1923, provides leadership for those who are committed to libraries by providing opportunities for professional development and communication and by advocating principles and issues related to librarianship and library service. Among members are library staff and trustees, library school students, libraries, and friends of libraries representing the full spectrum of librarianship in Maryland.