Green Initiatives
The following initiatives support the environmental sustainability goals of the College. We are Reducing, Refusing, Recycling and Rethinking.
Reducing
- LITS rolled out a new "leave no trace" campaign in Fall 2008 to combat food waste left throughout the building.
- Library Acquisitions continues to reduce the number of printed materials received, and is committed to providing more access to electronic resources.
- Energy efficient lighting has been installed in many areas of the library, including the entire third floor, reducing our electricity usage.
- Lights are turned off in the building nights and weekends when the library is closed.
- Library patrons receive the majority of notices, such as overdues, via email, rather than print mail.
- A print management system is in place in LITS managed spaces.
- Computers in LITS managed public labs are configured to shutdown during off hours or use reduced power consumption.
- Computer equipment is purchased annually; one order per vendor and whenever possible orders ship complete.
- When provided with the option, new computer equipment is purchased without media and printed documentation.
- Server Virtualization - LITS has combined multiple servers onto a single piece of hardware reducing power and cooling requirements
- Multi Processor Core Servers - LITS has purchased multiple servers with multi core technology reducing the number of physical processors reducing power and cooling requirements.
Refusing
- Due in part to copyright restrictions, the Access Services department no longer photocopies reserves and uses departmental copiers as scanners, eliminating paper copies altogether.
Recyling
- LITS recycles notebook batteries.
- Old computer equipment is sold to a company for recycling or reuse.
- 30% to 100% recycled paper is used for printers whenever possible.
- Black and White laser printers use remanufactured/refilled toner cartridges.
- Recycling bins, for the correct disposal of paper, plastic, glass and returnables, are located throughout the library, including public areas, staff offices and lounges.
- Instead of sending them to a landfill, LITS donated almost 15,000 volumes of periodicals to Bridge to Asia, a nonprofit organization that supplies donated books and journals to universities in China.
- Library scrap paper is made from cast off pieces from the College Print Shop.
Rethinking
- New computer equipment has energy star ratings.
- LITS provides LCD displays as part of computer configurations.
- Printers in LITS managed public labs are configured with duplex units for 2-sided printing.