Research Guides: Climate Change: Library sector resources

Climate Action at UBC Library

The Library #Climate Action Team (L#CAT) was formed to address the existential threat posed by climate change within the UBC Library context. L#CAT works to identify and implement UBC strategic priorities and recommendations laid out in the UBC Declaration on the Climate Emergency, UBC Climate Emergency Task Force report, and the Climate Action Plan 2030.

Below we share initiatives of L#CAT and members of the UBC Library community.

UBC Library Climate Action Team: Terms of Reference

Mitigating Air Travel Emissions

Air Travel Decision Tree
A framework for decision-making around work-related air travel. Available for adaptation and reuse!

IAMSLIC Conferences in Changing Times (2023)
Poster assessing an international library conference's air travel emissions and attendance over eight years, including four in-person conferences, three virtual conferences, and one hybrid conference. By Helen L. Brown, Mathew Vis-Dunbar, Sally Taylor.
Available for adaptation and reuse!
Climate Crisis, Libraries, and Evidence-Based Decision Making (2020/2021)
Poster assessing a Canadian library conference's emissions over three years. By Helen L. Brown.
Available for adaptation and reuse!
Professional Development in a Time of Climate Crisis, BCLA Perspectives (2019)
Trade journal article addressing air travel impacts in the library field. By Helen L. Brown.

Research, Projects, & Presentations

slippages
Web exhibition featuring the work, inspiration, and background behind Deborah Caruthers' graphic score, "slippages" as well as materials from the UBC Library’s Canadian Women Composers Archive Collection (CWCAC).
In 2017, multidisciplinary artist, Deborah Carruthers, served as the inaugural Artist in Residence at the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, University of British Columbia (UBC). Carruthers teamed up with science researchers at the institution as well as the UBC School of Music to create an interdisciplinary work combining sound, science, and visual art for the purposes of increasing public awareness of the climate crisis and inciting action.
Navigating the Climate Crisis: Creating Hope in a Time of Uncertainty
British Columbia Library Association Conference 2021. Presenters: Helen Brown, Lisa Nathan, Allison Richardson, David Boudinot, Sally Taylor

UBC Library #ClimateAction Team: What One Library is Doing About Climate Change
IAMSLIC Conference 2022 presentation. By Helen Brown, Sally Taylor, Mathew Vis-Dunbar, and Elizabeth Stevenson

The Tree and the Trees: Climate Justice & Air Travel Culture Change at UBC (recording)
Climate Action Week 2022 presentation hosted by UBC Sustainability Hub and featuring Arshia Uppal, Elizabeth Stevenson, Mathew Vis-Dunbar and Gavin Esdale.

Library & Information Sector Resources

Library Associations

BC Library Association Climate Action Committee
Ontario Library Association Climate Action Committee (coming soon)
IFLA: Environment, Sustainability, and Libraries Section
California Library Association Climate Justice Interest Group
ALA Council Committee on Sustainability
ALA IRRT International Sustainable Library Development Interest Group
ALA Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT)
ALA Task Force on United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals

Initiatives

Open Access Week: Open for Climate Justice (Oct 24-30, 2022)
Open Access Week 2022 is an opportunity to join together, take action, and raise awareness around how open can be a means for climate justice.
Climate Action Week (Sept 23-29, 2022)
Hosted by BC Library Association Climate Action Committee, Climate Action Week aims to bring the library and information sectors together to respond to the climate crisis.
Climate Preparedness Week (Sept 24-30, 2022) / Blue Marble Library Blog
Climate Prep Week is hosted by the Massachusetts Library System in partnership with Communities Responding to Extreme Weather and with participation from many other libraries.
Open Climate Campaign
A partnership between Creative Commons, SPARC, and EIFL to promote open access to research to accelerate progress towards addressing the climate crisis and preserving global biodiversity.
Sustainable Libraries Initiative
Created by the New York Library Association and includes member libraries from across the US. Includes a Certificate Program for libraries and additional resources.
ALA Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change
Programming resources for libraries
IFLA Green Library Award
American Library Association (ALA): Sustainability and Libraries
Includes a list of ALA committees and resolutions, as well as a library specific bibliography and links to online resources.

Resolutions, Statements, and Policies

Strategic Plans (note that the links for these examples may be more likely to change)

Simon Fraser University Library Strategic Plan (2022-2024)

Reports, Benchmarking, & Briefing Documents

Navigating Uncertainty (2022)
Briefing prepared by McKelle Hansen for the BC Library Association Climate Action Committee

Sustainability in Libraries: A Call to Action (2022)
Sustainability Briefing from the ALA Council Committee on Sustainability