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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 05182010 - C.12RECOMMENDATION(S): Recognize donors to the Library's Green Zones. Accept the County Librarian's Green Zone report. APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 05/18/2010 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Clerks Notes: VOTE OF SUPERVISORS AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor Susan A. Bonilla, District IV Supervisor ABSENT:Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor Contact: Anne Cain (925) 927-3201 I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. ATTESTED: May 18, 2010 David J. Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: Katherine Sinclair, Deputy cc: C.12 To:Board of Supervisors From:Anne Cain, Librarian Date:May 18, 2010 Contra Costa County Subject:Recognize donors to the Library's Green Zones and Accept the County Librarian's Green Zone report ATTACHMENTS Resolution No. 2010/275 Green Zone report Initial Partnerships and Funding The Pleasant Hill Library has embarked on an exciting new partnership with the City of Pleasant Hill to promote reuse, increase recycling, and assist the City in reaching its goals for diverting usable materials from landfills. With money received from the City of Pleasant Hill’s Solid Waste and Recycling Fund and through a generous donation made by the local Friends organization, a Green Zone was established in the Pleasant Hill Library offering residents a comprehensive collection of books, periodicals and audio/visual media, web resources, and educational programs for adults, teens, children, seniors, and residents who live and work in Pleasant Hill so they can learn how to protect the environment and practice green efforts such as home composting, waste reduction, and recycling. While the majority of the 500+ books, periodicals, videos, and other materials in the Pleasant Hill Green Zone’s collection are geared towards adults, dozens of children’s titles are included in the collection. These items, branded with a special green leaf label, cover a wide range of green topics, including conservation, green building, hazardous waste disposal, and pest management. The highest circulating items in this collection are titles about composting, green careers, and making crafts with recycled materials. Green is Growing The Green Zone at Pleasant Hill was cited as the impetus and the model for other Green Zones in the community libraries throughout the County. After Federal Glover, District V Supervisor, visited the Green Zone at the Pleasant Hill Library, he found funding for the community libraries in Oakley, Antioch, and Pittsburg to implement green programs and collections to help adults, teens, children, seniors, businesses, and residents who live and work in East Contra Cost County do their own research and reading on environmental concepts and solutions. That funding got the ball rolling for more money to be donated by Pittsburg Disposal, the City of Pittsburg, Pittsburg Power, and the Friends of the Pittsburg Library for a green collection, bookmarks, a banner, and outside seating at the Pittsburg library. The Delta Chapter of the Kiwanis Club donated money received from PG&E and Allied Waste and the Friends of the Antioch Library also contributed for a Green Zone at the Antioch Library. The funds from the Antioch Friends and Kiwanis Club allowed the library to purchase books, dvds, and other resources for patrons to borrow. On Earth Day this year, patrons particularly enjoyed the Green Zone as they were able to easily find materials on timely topics. Oakley Disposal contributed funds to get the Oakley Library’s Green Zone established and In the Zone: Going Green at the Contra Costa County Library launched in January 2010. The Oakley Library currently has 62 items in the collection and an article promoting their Green Zone appeared in the Friends of the Oakley Library newsletter. The Friends of the Oakley Library have agreed to sponsor a program, or series of programs, to highlight the green collection and publicize it to Oakley residents. In November 2009, the Orinda Library launched its Green Zone with a donation from the Friends of the Orinda Library. The collection consists of more than 400 books and DVDs on topics related to environment, sustainability and living and working “green” and includes material for all ages ‐ adults, teens, and children. Orinda's Green Zone also serves as an information center for the community, providing free information from local, state, and federal agencies on such topics as fuel economy, stopping junk mail, "green" building, and recycling. Since its inception, nearly half of Orinda's Green Zone collection is checked out at any given time, demonstrating a strong community interest, the successful selection of materials that meet this demand, and awareness within the community of this important collection. Sustainable Lafayette supporters donated funds for the Lafayette Library and Learning Center’s collection of DVDs on going green. The Lafayette Library and Learning Center which opened on November 14, 2009, has numerous green and sustainable features, including an exterior of reclaimed teak siding and the photo‐voltaic panels above the surface parking lot generates approxi‐ mately 8% of the building’s electrical needs. Contra Costa County Library is leading the way in becoming the first place to turn for green resources. The momentum started at the Pleasant Hill Library continues to grow as a “Hot Topics” team of Contra Costa County Library staff is developing green‐ related programming, community partnerships, and online resources. By contacting local organizations and businesses that promote conservation, green technology, and ways for people to reduce their environmental impact, staff will have a list of organizations and businesses interested in partnering with the Library for the purpose of delivering more programs for adults, teens, and children within the Green Zones. The Contra Costa County Library’s online Business Subject Guide includes a section on Green Business that covers topics such as “How to be Certified as a Green Business,” “Contra Costa County Green Businesses,” and “Green Resources.” A bibliography of recently added titles on “Greening Your Small Business” was added at each Green Zone location. The Green collections have proven popular with a total of 3,500 checkouts this year and usage continuing to grow. Since December 2009, administrative staff of the Contra Costa County Library has been participating in the countywide departmental campaign, “Greening Contra Costa Together” to implement practices that sustain the environment and lower costs for the county. Publicity In celebration of Community Volunteer Day and to promote the opening of the Green Zone, volunteers were recruited to make the area designated in the Pleasant Hill Library more attractive by stenciling a leafy design to frame the walls of the collection. A joint launch event with the City of Pleasant Hill and the Library was held on October 21, 2009. The Contra Costa County Library’s fall 2009 News and Events e‐newsletter announced the Green Zone, the Library’s electronic “Go Green” Subject Guide, and a sampling of the titles added to the Green Zone collection. The e‐newsletter is distributed to over 15,000 people. The Green Zone has been featured in several editions of the Pleasant Hill Outlook Newsletter: September‐October 2009, November‐December 2009, and March‐April 2010. Pleasant Hill Library staff created a “Green Zone” Subject Guide that is accessible from the Contra Costa County Library’s website. The Guide displays books available from the Green Zone’s collection and links to articles and websites on green living, including gardening tips, saving energy, and water conservation. The Pleasant Hill Library was cited on a preeminent library blog, The Shifted Librarian, on a post featuring libraries greening communities. Among the activities of libraries around the country that were listed on the blog was Contra Costa County Library’s circulation of the Kill‐a‐Watt power meter kit to measure electricity use by plug‐in appliances. Library Outreach and Programs The following green activities and programs occurred over the last 6 months: Library staff promoted the Green Zone at a farmer’s market on October 18, 2009. (Pleasant Hill Library) 37 people attended the workshop, “Backyard Composting” with waste consultant Todd Sutton on October 28, 2009. 35 composting kits were sold. (Pleasant Hill Library) 30 children and adults attended a Family Story Time on November 10, 2009, celebrating and promoting “America Recycles Day.” Participants used recycled items such as CDs, paper towel rolls, scrap paper, and bits of string and yarn, to create individual works of art, which were displayed for that month under a recycling banner. (Pleasant Hill Library) As part of the “Great Paperback Exchange,” held in early December 2009, 25 fifth graders brought 200 books and exchanged them with one another in the Green Zone. (Pleasant Hill Library) 10 teens learned to make "magic" wallets from recycled materials on December 17, 2009. (San Pablo Library) Library staff attended the City of Pleasant Hill’s Senior Summit on December 18, 2009 where they distributed information about the Green Zone. (Pleasant Hill Library) 3 workshops teaching participants to recycle objects such as t‐shirts, plastic bags, and magazines were conducted on January 27, February 14, and March 24, 2010. RecycleMore, the West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority program, invited library staff to present a workshop at Richmond’s Earth Day Celebration on April 17, 2010. (San Pablo) In partnership with the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, an awareness campaign to keep toxic metals out of the air and landfills by recycling batteries was conducted throughout March 2010. People were urged to bring their dead batteries and recycle them at the Green Zone. (Pleasant Hill Library) A composting workshop presented by the city of Antioch’s Environmental Resource Center was given on March 27, 2010. 32 people attended. A display about litter prevention by the Environmental Resource Center is on display during the month of April. (Antioch Library) “Greening Your Small Business,” a program designed to show attendees that going green does not need to be costly or difficult for the small business owner was held on April 6, 2010. (Pleasant Hill Library) A Household Hazardous Waste Information Booth was set up before and after story times during the month of April 2010. (Pleasant Hill Library) An Earth Day Celebration in partnership with Sustainable Lafayette took place on April 25, 2010. (Lafayette Library) The Allied Waste Recycle Truck visited on May 11, 2010 for a children’s programming event. (Pleasant Hill Library) Upcoming Activities: A workshop on Backyard Composting will be held on Tuesday, June 29, 2010. (Pleasant Hill Library) The Contra Costa County Library will partner with Keep California Beautiful in the campaign “Got Your Bags?” This public education and outreach campaign is aimed at encouraging residents to reuse bags for shopping and to bring plastic bags back to the store for recycling. (All library locations with Green Zones) The library is collaborating with Co‐op Extension to hold "community conversations" about water. The programs will use booklets developed by The California Center for the Book in collaboration with California State Library, Water Education Foundation and National Issues Forum. The first of these programs will be for teens and held at the Martinez Library on May 18, 2010. A second program will be held at the Oakley Library on Saturday, July 24, 2010. The Environmental Resource Center will demonstrate how to create waste free lunches just in time for back to school season on August 15, 2010. (Antioch Library)