For Immediate Release
                                                                                                                                                February 28, 2024

 

                                                                      South Country Library is Certified Sustainable
                               The Sustainable Libraries Initiative Recognizes South Country Library as a Leader in Sustainability.

 

              Suffolk County, NY - February 28, 2024 - The South Country Library located in Bellport, Long Island, NY, became a Certified Sustainable Library this past January. Certification was achieved through the Sustainable Library Certification Program (SLCP). This undertaking was made possible by the dedication of Library Director Kristina Sembler and South Country’s staff who committed to diligently improving their workplace and the culture to reflect a renewed sustainable mindset.

The SLCP helped the South Country Library showcase its value to the community through new partnerships with multiple organizations. Among the vital steps they took, they hired a Community Engagement Librarian to enhance community connections and increase collective impact efforts.

“The strong community partnerships, and the library’s commitment to socially equitable and environmentally sound practices, is inspiring to see in the dedicated work South Country’s staff achieved while working on the Sustainable Libraries Certification Program.” said South Country’s Mentor, Lisa Kropp, Director of the Lindenhurst Memorial Library and SLI Advisory Board Member, “The Director of the library has become a leader in sustainability within their local community, and is setting a strong example for its patrons and other agencies to follow their lead with this important work.”

A great example of their collective impact was the Social Services Fair they planned and coordinated, which showcased different non-profit, for-profit, and government agencies who share the library’s goal of providing help and information to the community. The Fair introduced the library to numerous new visitors who initially sought information or assistance. These unfamiliar faces have since become regular patrons. The significance of services for patrons in the community extends beyond just borrowing books, as shown by the library. In its modern representation, the library is associated with invaluable resources.

South Country Library is among a growing number of libraries nationwide that are taking part in the award-winning SLCP, the first of its kind in the world. This benchmarking program is designed to assist various types of libraries, such as public and academic libraries, library systems, and individual school librarians. Its purpose is to help them make sustainable choices for the local and global community. The path to certification through the SLCP is flexible for libraries of different types, sizes, and budgets and is guided by the communities they serve.

“Becoming certified in the Sustainable Libraries Initiative was a major goal in South County Library’s current 5-year strategic plan. We can’t say enough about how educational, eye-opening and beneficial going through the certification process has been.” said South Country Library Assistant Director, Patrick O’Leary, “Very few aspects of the library’s operations went overlooked by sustainable thinking and we are extremely proud to join this exciting movement in the Library field.”

The South Country Library is ready to move forward with additional recommended goals which provide them with a roadmap to continue their sustainable efforts in the right direction. Analyzing and acknowledging the importance of the recommended actions shows a positive culture within their library and shows library administration’s dedication to the library’s culture, its staff, and community. South Country Library demonstrates its progress and commitment to making changes in every aspect of library operations, budgeting, and long-term sustainability.