Your Name and Title: Eric Tans, Science Collections Coordinator and Environmental Sciences Librarian
Library, School, or Organization Name: Michigan State University (MSU) Libraries
Co-Presenter Name(s): Terence O’Neill, Head of Digital Scholarship; Stephanie Perentesis, Humanities and Public Services Librarian
Area of the World from Which You Will Present: Michigan, USA
Language in Which You Will Present: English
Target Audience(s): Library staff
Short Session Description (one line):
In this hands-on workshop, attendees will be able to build a plan to implement an initiative in library sustainability using the Sustainability Canvas as a project management tool.
Full Session Description (as long as you would like):
In many ways, developing an environmentally sustainable library initiative is similar to creating an entrepreneurial startup project. Starting either a library recycling program or a new business requires a plan to identify a solvable problem, propose solutions, and metrics for measuring success. As such, entrepreneurship mental mapping tools are also effective project planning aids. In this hands-on workshop, attendees will be able to build a plan to implement an initiative in library sustainability using the Sustainability Canvas as a project management tool.
Sustainability, whether within libraries or the broader culture, sits at the center of intersecting environmental, economic, and personal issues. A truly sustainable library initiative must address all three aspects. Various guides have been designed to encourage libraries to incorporate sustainability into their service models, and librarians have access to resources that support sustainability planning in specific areas like building management, collection development, programming, and more. However, while libraries can incorporate sustainability measures in any number of ways, there is a significant lack of tools available to help libraries identify which initiatives are most appropriate for their individual institution based on their patron base, available resources and partners, and their own values and goals. Modified from the Business Model Canvas, the Sustainability Canvas is particularly well-suited for this purpose and can easily be adapted to fit the specific needs of libraries. Utilizing entrepreneurial tools provides a framework to make sure that potential projects will sustain themselves going forward.
Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session: https://staff.lib.msu.edu/tans/Sustainability%20Canvas.pdf
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