We are proud to announce that the Hauppauge Public Library is the tenth public library to be certified as a Sustainable Library through the Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI). With this certification, the Library will model sustainable decision making for other libraries and community organizations locally and globally.
The Sustainable Libraries Certification Program encourages libraries to integrate the principles of triple bottle line sustainability – environmentally sound, socially equitable, and economically feasible practices – into their policies and actions.
The Library fulfilled the criteria for environmental sustainability through its Green Business Partnership certification in February 2021. The Library was designed with flexible, multipurpose areas that take advantage of natural light, and energy saving measures such as LED lights, programmable thermostats, Energy Star rated electronics. It features a water bottle filling station, a cistern to collect rainwater, and receptacles for recycling batteries and cell phones. The Library also collects donations of food, clothing and eyeglasses that are shared with other community organizations.
In recent years, the Library has held community conversations to gain a deeper understanding of the needs, concerns and aspirations of the people the Hauppauge Library serves. From these discussions, it became clear that residents were seeking a sense of place, as well as more community events and a way to share local news.
In response to these findings, the Library created “The Buzz”, a website that provides information on local news and events relevant to Hauppauge residents. The Library also started hosting an annual Trunk-or-Treat event every October to bring together the community with local businesses and organizations. When establishments in Hauppauge began to reopen after COVID shutdowns, the Library helped to bolster the local economy by connecting residents with these businesses through a “Ghost Hunt” scavenger hunt. In these ways, the Library showed it was essential partner facilitating connections between the public and community businesses and organizations.
The Library’s SLI certification is proof of its awareness of the community’s needs, and its commitment to serve its residents now and in the future.