Grinnell Libraries Pursue Sustainability Certification

Beginning in fall 2026, Grinnell’s libraries will pursue the Sustainable Libraries Initiative’s Sustainable Library Certification, a comprehensive program that helps libraries examine and strengthen their practices around environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic feasibility.

The effort will encourage sustainability across operations, services, collections, finances, community engagement, and social well-being.

“Libraries are for everyone,” says Kayla Reed, assistant professor and discovery, systems, and digital strategy librarian. “The Library Sustainability Certificate hopes to reinvigorate the library’s commitment to environmental stewardship, economic feasibility, and social equity. When we complete it, we will be the first academic library in the state to do so.”

The Sustainable Library Certification Program provides academic libraries with a structured process for pursuing those goals. After establishing a sustainability team and gathering input from stakeholders, participating libraries work through seven areas: setting the stage, campus involvement, community engagement, social well-being and resiliency, financial sustainability, collections and services, and environmental stewardship.

The process is designed to turn sustainability from an aspiration into action. Libraries assess how they currently operate, identify opportunities for improvement, develop policies and practices, and share what they learn with their communities.

At Grinnell, the work will include events, policy development, and collaboration across campus. The Libraries are also partnering with local organizations, including Farm to Table, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and Pedal Grinnell. Planning is underway and the program will officially start in Fall 2026.

The certification also creates opportunities for students to see the principles of sustainability applied in a real institutional setting. Through events, partnerships, research, and engagement with the Libraries, students can connect classroom learning with practical questions about environmental responsibility, equity, resource use, and community resilience.

“We hope that this will just be the start of the library’s work with both the campus and wider community to help shape the world around us,” she says. “This year, we will host events, develop policy documentation, and collaborate with other departments to become a more sustainable library.”

Read more about the libraries’ sustainable efforts and visit the Sustainable Libraries Initiative page to learn more.