• Staff economic development sessions were provided by MSU Extension. Topics included spending plans and credit.
• Cliff Walls, the City of East Lansing's Environmental Sustainability and Resiliency Manager, attended the ELPL all-staff meeting to provide recycling education.
• We are 70% of the way through the SLI Certification process!

• Staff economic development sessions were provided by MSU Extension. Topics included spending plans and credit.
• Cliff Walls, the City of East Lansing's Environmental Sustainability and Resiliency Manager, attended the ELPL all-staff meeting to provide recycling education.
• We are 70% of the way through the SLI Certification process!

• The Sustainability Team picked up the first few Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm shares from the MSU organic farm! This is an effort to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to staff and patrons.
• The Sustainability Team partnered with the City of East Lansing’s Environmental Steward to learn how to identify and remove invasive species on library property. 
• In an effort to reduce paper use, font and margin sizes have been reduced on daily printed internal documents (hold lists), and front desk staff ask patrons if they would like a receipt rather than printing them automatically.
• The pollinator garden was planted out front of the library, near the Children's Musical Garden! It is being watered by DPW.
• Sustainability Team members from each department have been reviewing a Wisconsin Libraries’ Inclusive Services Assessment Guide and generating ideas on how to make ELPL more accessible and inclusive.
• We moved the trash/recycling bin from the breakroom to out front of the library and added a trash bin near the picnic tables to reduce the likelihood of littering.

Here is what the Sustainability Team has accomplished in April:

• Hosted a clean out week amongst staff to swap unused office supplies.
• Highlighted the Clean Refillery, Lansing's first eco-friendly refill store for your household cleaning/personal care needs.
• There was a drop-in seed bomb workshop in the Maker Studio on April 22 to celebrate Earth Day. Seed bombs are a fun and easy way to grow seeds and learn about plants.
• Staff participated in the Red Cedar River Cleanup Day with the Michigan Waterway Stewards! We picked up many bags' worth of trash along the river trail and connected with other community members.
• Made lighting adjustments in the workroom according to staff needs and preferences, following our Light Assessment.
• We purchased plants for staff that don't have access to windows, and also for the window into the workroom.
• We added a water dispenser to the back kitchen. It is filled with water from the dehumidifiers, and that water can be used to water plants and fill the bird bath.

Here is what the Sustainability Team has accomplished in March:

• The Second Gen Sustainability team was thrilled to officially welcome Library Office Administrator, Chloe Mellor, to the team! She will make a wonderful addition to the work that is being done and has already been an immense help.
• The Second Gen team conducted a Water Assessment to better understand how water is used in the library and what improvements can be made. Many of these improvements are already being addressed by facilities staff!
• The Second Gen team also conducted a Light Study. A light meter was used to determine whether lighting levels were appropriate for different areas of the library. Solutions are being explored to adjust lighting levels.
• The team met with Cliff Walls, Environmental Sustainability & Resiliency Manager for the city, and learned more about our City Recycling Program.
  • Check out the Recycle Coach app! It has a ton of useful information about the city's recycling programs, and can even send you reminders about events!

Here is what the Sustainability Team has accomplished in February.

• The Sustainability Team implemented two new initiatives that impact all staff in February:
  • Leak detection plan: Signage has been posted in restrooms and near drinking fountains to encourage patrons to report leaks or water issues to staff.
  • Composting: Staff now have the option to compost their food scraps and divert food waste from the landfill!  Composted materials are taken to a drop-off site on a weekly basis.

• We hosted our first Staff Wellness session! We learned about how stress affects the brain and body, resilience, and strategies for collective care in the workplace.