Resilient Communities: Advancing Sustainability in and through Libraries
Resilient Communities: Advancing Sustainability in and through Libraries, an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) in collaboration with the Sustainable Libraries Initiative, will inform public library workers about the principles and practices of sustainable librarianship and empower them to begin taking action in their own communities. In 2019, ALA Council added “Sustainability” as a core value of the profession, adopting the triple bottom line definition of sustainability to ensure balanced decision-making that respects environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic feasibility. As community leaders and facilitators, libraries should be modeling sustainable practices among their staff and within their facilities.
One-hundred public library workers will be selected to complete “Sustainable Librarianship: Core Competencies and Practices,” a four-part asynchronous e-course. In addition to free tuition for the course, participants will engage in a community of practice with advisors and peers over the course of six months.
Public library workers who would like to be considered for one of the 100 available spots should apply online by November 14. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance via email by December 5.
- Cohort Creation: Selected library workers will be split into cohorts and will have access to Mentors from the Sustainable Libraries Initiative who will serve as advisors throughout their learning journey. Cohorts will be designed for information-sharing to be as tailored and relevant as possible.
- Learning: Each learner will be given free access to the “Sustainable Librarianship” course and be expected to watch each module and complete related course work. The course was created by Rebekkah Smith Aldrich (president of the Sustainable Libraries Initiative and founder/past president of the ALA Sustainability Committee), along with expert speakers, lecturers, and writers. The modules will lead participants through the principles and practices of sustainable librarianship.
- Action Plan: As they complete the course, learners will develop an action plan of how to implement aspects of the training in their own library and community.
- Community of Practice: Following the course, ALA will host virtual, advisor-led “office hours.” Advisors will be available to answer cohort members’ questions about how to get started, building buy-in, and technical questions about the particulars of the work. They will also review each cohort member's action plans, and coach cohort members to success. Learners will also participate in a private online discussion forum in ALA Connect, which will provide space for conversations to continue outside of the scheduled meetings and a repository for resource-sharing.
- Sharing What They’ve Learned: Participants will be asked to submit a brief report to ALA about steps they’ve taken from their action plans by June 17, 2026. Stories will be amplified to the library field, including at ALA’s Annual Conference and on the Programming Librarian website.
Timeline
- Application deadline: November 14, 2025, by 11:59 pm (CT)
- Award notification: December 5, 2025
- Project kick off call: January 15, 2026, 1:00 pm CST/2:00 pm EST
- “Sustainable Librarianship: Core Competencies and Practices,” four-part asynchronous e-course: January 26 - February 20, 2026
- Office hours: Monthly, February-June 2025; second Thursday of each month at 1:00 pm CST/2:00 pm EST
- Progress report due: June 17, 2026
Sustainable Libraries Initiative Mentors
Rebekkah Smith Aldrich
Executive Director, Mid-Hudson Library System; Co-Founder & Board President, Sustainable Libraries Initiative; Co-chair, ALA Special Task Force on Sustainability; Principal author of the Resolution to Adopt Sustainability as a Core Value; Inaugural chair of the ALA Council Committee on Sustainability; Principal author of the National Climate Action Strategy for Libraries and the companion implementation guide; Researcher and co-author, The Storm is Here: Public Libraries’ Role in Disaster Preparedness and Community Recovery; author of three titles for ALA Editions: Sustainable Thinking: Ensuring Your Library’s Future in an Uncertain World, Resilience, and co-editor of Libraries & Sustainability: Programs and Practices for Community Impact; Library Journal Mover & Shaker.
Claudia Depkin
Director, Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library; Co-creator, Sustainable Libraries Initiative; Library Journal Mover & Shaker
Jennifer Ferriss
Assistant Director, Saratoga Springs Public Library (2nd library in the world to complete the Sustainable Library Certification Program); Advisory Board Member, Sustainable Libraries Initiative; ALA Councilor for the ALA Sustainability Round Table; Chair of the ALA Council Committee on Sustainability
Mandi Goodsett
Performing Arts & Humanities Librarian, OER & Copyright Advisory, Cleveland State University; Past Coordinator of the ALA Sustainability Round Table; co-founder of the Academic Library Association of Ohio's Sustainability Interest Group; Founder of her library’s Sustainability Interest Group
Lisa Kropp
Director, Lindenhurst Memorial Library (3rd library in the world to complete the Sustainable Library Certification Program); Advisory Board Member, Sustainable Libraries Initiative; former Coordinator of the ALA Sustainability Round Table; Immediate Past-President of the New York Library Association; Library Journal Mover & Shaker
Sophia LoCascio
Sophia LoCascio is a current staff member of the Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI) and the Suffolk Cooperative Library System (SCLS) on Long Island, New York. As the SLI's Member Engagement Associate, Sophia helps support libraries in their journeys toward sustainability leadership. At SCLS -- an SLI Certified Public Library System -- she coordinates the system's Sustainable Action Team to enhance workplace wellness and introduce sustainable practices. She looks forward to bringing these skills to the eCourse.
Hannah Marcum
Hannah Marcum is a staff member with the Sustainable Libraries Initiative and the Suffolk Cooperative Library System in New York - a Certified Sustainable Library System. She’s active on her system's Sustainable Action Team, supporting projects that promote environmental and community well-being. Hannah is excited to help aid libraries on their journey in making a positive impact on the planet.
Hazel Onsrud
Adult Services Librarian, Curtis Memorial Library (1st library in Maine to complete the Sustainable Library Certification Program); Advisory Board Member, Sustainable Libraries Initiative; Library Journal Mover & Shaker; Co-founder, Maine Tool Library
Janet Scherer
Director, South Huntington Public Library (completed the Sustainable Library Certification Program), Advisory Board Member, Sustainable Libraries Initiative
Sarah Tribelhorn
Sciences and Sustainability Librarian, San Diego State University (first academic library in California to complete the Sustainable Library Certification Program); Advisory Board Member, Sustainable Libraries Initiative; Coordinator, ALA Sustainability Round Table
Margaret Woodruff
Director, Charlotte Public Library (first library in Vermont to complete the Sustainable Library Certification Program); former President, Vermont Library Association; Advisory Board Member, Sustainable Libraries Initiative
The Resilient Communities: Advancing Sustainability in and through Libraries program has been made possible by a private funder.
