Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Time: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Place: Online at https://www.library20.com/sustainability
Presenters: Panel, a list of confirmed presentations is at the above link
Cost: Free  but registration is required

This mini-conference will center on the concept of “Sustainable Thinking” which aligns the core values of libraries with the “Triple Bottom Line” definition of sustainability–i.e. the intersection of environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic feasibility–to inspire investment and build support for your library in the future.

Library leaders must mobilize to ensure libraries take an active, visible role in building sustainable and resilient communities, particularly in light of the events of 2020. Our future depends on citizens who are able to work together with empathy, respect, and understanding to adapt to the many challenges and opportunities facing society today. As we struggle with the concurrent challenges of COVID-19, the resulting financial crisis, the political landscape and the increasing effects of climate change, we also find opportunities in these moments such as the rise of the Black Lives Matter/Solidarity Movement in the face of the “I Can’t Breathe” protests and an increasing call for locally driven solutions to problems impacting us on a global scale.

Through this mini-conference we will explore the importance of infusing the new core value of sustainability into everything we do and demonstrate how libraries – of all types – that lead into the future using “sustainable thinking” to fulfill our mission as libraries in new and innovative ways.

Conference sessions will include topics related to:

• Libraries as Inspiration & Catalyst – topics and examples related to how libraries may provide leadership and serve as a model for sustainable practices through facility stewardship, innovative service design, and outreach and partnership practices.
• Libraries as Conveners & Connectors – topics and examples related to how libraries work collaboratively through visionary partnerships to facilitate collective impact work to address existing challenges and opportunities with a focus on community well-being and self-reliance
• Libraries as Contributors to Community Resilience – topics and examples of how libraries contribute to future community resilience from disaster preparedness, & response and recovery efforts to work that contributes to creating a culture of respect, understanding, and empathy in the library’s service area.

Everyone is invited to participate in Library 2.0 conference events, which are designed to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among information professionals worldwide. Each three-hour event consists of a keynote panel, 10-15 crowd-sourced thirty-minute presentations, and a closing 30-minute keynote. A mini-conference FAQ (frequently asked questions) page is here. 

This event is being organized in partnership with Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, the Executive Director of the Mid-Hudson Library System and co-chair of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Special Task Force on Sustainability.