Celebrate Earth Day @ your library!

Submitted by Megan McFarlane in

• Green Living

Planning to celebrate Earth Day today, but not sure what you can do to be “greener?” The solution could be a trip the library, your community’s original renewable resource.
In addition to offering books on topics like organic gardens, water conservation and renewable forms of energy, your library and libraries across the country are doing their part when it comes to reducing, reusing and recycling.
Here are just a few things that libraries are doing this Earth Day.

In celebration of “Earth Day @ your library,” the Atlanta-Fulton (Ga.) Public Library System reminds library users of new “green” innovations available through the library. In addition to promoting “recyclables” like books, DVDs and CDs, the library encourages users to conserve gas by using its OverDrive database to download audiobooks and e-books at home.
Leading up to the Earth Day, the Warren-Newport Public Library District of Gurnee, Ill., has encouraged library users to “Take the Earth Day Challenge @ your library.” Library users submit their own “recipes” for creating “green” cleaning supplies using household items like vinegar and baking soda that have less of an environmental impact then traditional cleaning agents. Entrants will get a chance to win a bucket of green cleaning supplies.
For “Earth Day 2011 @ your library,” the East Hampton (N.Y.) Public Library will collaborate with East Hampton Public Works and the Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA) to sell backyard compost bins and rain barrels to library users.
For each compost bin and rain barrel sold, the library will receive $2.  The library will use those proceeds to purchase books about eco-friendly topics.
The Quarryville (Pa.) Library will promote Earth Day to a new generation of library users and environmentalists. “Earth Day @ your library” programming will include the planting of a children’s garden, a used book sale, recyclable crafts and a presentation on learning how to recycle.