LIBRARIES AND SUSTAINABILITY
To be truly sustainable, an organization or community must embody practices that are environmentally sound, economically feasible, and socially equitable. As institutions that serve the community as educational hubs and critical infrastructure, libraries are uniquely positioned to provide robust and trustworthy information about the world’s climate crisis while reducing their own carbon footprints for the betterment of their communities.
NEARLY 60%
of electricity generated in the U.S. comes from coal and natural gas.
$50,000
distributed to libraries by ALA as part of its “Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change” pilot initiative.
124,900+
estimated libraries in the U.S., each with the potential to impact sustainability in their communities.
LIBRARIES ADAPT FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES
As the planet’s climate changes and extreme weather events become more common, an increasing number of libraries are embracing their roles as “second responders” in their communities. Many public libraries serve as cooling centers in extreme heat or warming centers in extreme cold. Others are providing crucial and lifesaving resources in the aftermath of severe weather events. In the aftermath of 2024’s Hurricane Helene, which tore through the southeastern U.S. and devastated western North Carolina, the Buncombe County Public Library in Asheville, NC, became one of the few locations in town able to provide free WiFi access so affected residents could access timely information and contact loved ones.
In 2019, the American Library Association added sustainability as one of its Core Values of Librarianship, highlighting the important and unique role libraries and library workers play in promoting awareness about resilience, climate change, and a sustainable future. Shortly after, ALA partnered with the New York Library Association to expand its Sustainable Library Certification Program at the national level.
FROM THE FIELD
Bookmobiles are more than just books on wheels. In some communities, they can be the only means for residents to access library services – books, internet, programs. And when severe climate events strike, they can double as critical lifelines.
In August 2023, wildfires driven by dry, gusty conditions tore through western Maui, killing more than 100 people and devastating the island town of Lahaina. More than 2,200 structures were destroyed—most of them residential—and the town was left without its library. Then, librarian Jessica Gleason rolled in with the Holoholo Bookmobile. The bookmobile, which operates out of the Wailuku Public Library, now brings regular library services to western Maui in the absence of its permanent library. Traversing the mountainous area to reach schools, churches, shopping centers, and more, Gleason and her team provide books, internet access, and programming to a community still recovering from the devastating fires. In 2025, Gleason was awarded an I Love My Librarian Award from the American Library Association for her outstanding service to the community.
FOR OUR LIBRARIES
Libraries are adapting to our changing climate by educating our communities on the importance of sustainability and investing in resilient infrastructure, and it’s up to us to invest in the sustainability of our libraries. The American Library Association provides training and funding opportunities for libraries and library workers across the U.S., but we need your help. When you become a supporter of the ALA, you help fund our efforts to advocate for library funding, improve the skills of library workers, and improve our communities.
