A little history

The idea of a green library movement has been gaining momentum since the 1990's. Brian Walsh feels that in 2007, the understanding of climate change became a common idea, a tipping point. Monika Antonelli feels that now the green library movement has become a common idea, our own tipping point. The Green Library Journal was first published in 1992 and libraries and more green publications and ideas followed. Often the green movement manifests itself in green building projects, conserving resources and green programs for members. ALA's (American Library Association) task force on the environment (TFOE) was established in 1989. The ALA conference in 2009 was promoted as a green conference. AASL (American Association of School Librarians) proclaimed their 2007 conference as green. SLA (Special Libraries Association) joined in 2008, promising to become an environmentally sensitive organization. At these conferences both sides of paper was used, print outs were few in favor of electronic screens and cups were given out freely to save using paper products. And of course before any scientist realized that people need to think green, libraries were cooperating and sharing resources with each other and their communities.