The Evelyn Meador Branch Library's Sustainability Series, Going Green in Seabrook, is a monthly program focusing on sustainability and environmental topics. Topics are presented through Facebook videos and live virtual meetings.
Our December installment was the Holiday Edition: Cease the Grease, an initiative that encouraged participants to avoid pouring grease down the sink while doing their holiday cooking. We often partner with various groups for the Going Green series, including the Turtle Island Restoration Network, Galveston Bay Foundation, and the Gulf Coast Bird Conservatory.
Advanced Planning
Planning for the Going Green in Seabrook series primarily revolves around making a blueprint plan for each of our monthly installments and its various themes.
The goal of each installment is to share a small slice of sustainability so patrons walk away feeling confident that they can make changes in their daily lives to work toward environmental sustainability.
Marketing
To market our Going Green in Seabrook series, we post clear descriptions in our newsletter, events page, and the county’s virtual calendar. About a week before the program, we create colorful flyers to post to Facebook, Instagram, NextDoor and Twitter. Additionally, we hand out a clever flyeror token as an attention grabber.
Getting the word out to patrons about live programming has been a challenge, as with most libraries in the COVID era. Our programming has been picked up by the entire Harris County Library System and has even been spotlighted by the ALA Sustainability Roundtable. Feedback from the community has been excellent, and participation increases every month.
Budgeting
Thus far, our budget has remained under $25 per program, with most of the funds spent on fun flyers, tea bags, etc. Our upcoming upcycled craft program involves discarded plates, candles, chalk paint, and glue, which will bring this month’s budget to about $35. Once we return to in-person programs, we will expand our budget as we increase patron participation.
Day-of-event Activity
The day prior to the event, we give the flyers an extra push and mark in-house signage as "happening tomorrow" or "today."
On the day of, I make sure that everyone who has shown interest has the link to the presentation. The pre-recorded presentation is uploaded the day before the program. I will also reach out to the guest presenter, to ensure they have no questions.
Program Execution
Program execution is different depending on the monthly topic. In August, our topic was the Sustainable Kitchen, with tips and advice for eliminating food waste, diminishing water usage and lessening our carbon footprint in the kitchen. For this program, we gave out the Ziploc sandwich bags that are made from recyclable paper and contained program information. For other programs, we have given out tea bags (Get the "Tea" on Recycling), handouts in the shape of a shirt (the Conscientious Closet), green cleaning recipe booklets (Green Cleaning), and information from our local waste management office (Can I Recycle THIS?).
The Going Green in Seabrook series has been a great success and will continue. We started with 28+ views for our pre-recorded programming and approximately 10 guests for our live virtual presentations. We have met and exceeded our goals in launching a sustainability program, and we foresee the series continuing to grow.
Advice
Get the community involved and excited. People are ready to learn how to recycle and increase sustainability, however they are often to overwhelmed to know where to start. A “Going Green” program of this kind can be tailored to reach a variety of ages, not just adults.
Supporting Materials
- Feedback (Coming Soon!)
- Programming Librarian Facebook Group
Slideshow Images
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