Sustainable Libraries Certification Program
The Cranbury Public Library recognizes the important role libraries play in their communities. The Cranbury Public Library aims to minimize our organization’s impact and maximize future generations’ ability to live, work, and play in our shared community, with equal access to clean air, clean water, and natural resources.
The Cranbury Public Library’s Board of Trustees and Library staff have committed to the “triple
bottom line” definition of sustainability: to be truly sustainable, an organization must embody
practices that are environmentally sound, and economically feasible, and socially equitable.
The Library Director and Library Board of Trustees aim to apply sustainable
decision making throughout the Library’s policies, procedures, and practices, including, but not
limited to, the areas of facilities, operations, technology, programming, purchasing, and
partnerships.
In its commitment to sustainable principles, the Cranbury Public Library aims to ensure a resilient,
sustainable community and Library for all our residents.
Moving Forward
To begin the Cranbury Public Library’s journey toward improved sustainability, the Library has joined the Sustainable Libraries Certification program.
The Sustainable Libraries Initiative’s Sustainable Libraries Certification Program (SLCP) is a nationally recognized certification that provides public, academic, and school libraries with a tested, structured path forward to increase each library’s commitment to environmental stewardship, economic feasibility, and social equity.
During the Sustainable Libraries Certification process, the Library will work through 12 categories that help align our efforts with the triple bottom line:
- Organizational Commitment
- Energy
- Materials Management – Waste & Recycling
- Materials Management – Purchasing
- Transportation
- Land Use
- Water
- Collective Impact
- Social Cohesion
- Community Resilience
- Financial Sustainability
- Collections
Actions within each category will provide us with the opportunity to take a closer look at how things are done and/or consumed at our Library and encourage staff to think differently about how the Library will proceed on that issue in the future.
Click here for more information about the Sustainable Libraries Initiative.
Sustainably Designed: Cranbury Public Library’s Bio Retention Basin
A sustainable and resilient solution that manages stormwater runoff to minimize erosion and pollution while recharging groundwater supplies.