Sustainable Libraries Initiative Partners with the New England Library Association
Sustainable Libraries Initiative Partners with the New England Library Association
The Sustainable Libraries Initiative partners with the New England Library Association to cultivate library leadership for community resilience. Download the Press Release PDF
For Immediate Release
New York–August 31, 2026 - A new partnership between the Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI) and the New England Library Association (NELA) aims to equip NELA members with tools and resources to address the challenges and mitigate the impact of climate change in their communities.
“We are very excited to work more closely with the New England Library Association and enable all of their members to accelerate their adoption of practices that will help them live their values out loud while adapting in the face of climate change,” said Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Board President of the Sustainable Libraries Initiative. “Positioning the New England library community as leaders in this conversation will allow them to follow the lead of hundreds of other libraries in our program, a strong move to ensure libraries contribute to their community’s resilience and remain relevant and responsive institutions.”
Through this partnership, NELA members will join a nationwide community of practice who are using SLI-curated tools to uncover ways that their libraries and communities can understand, adapt to, and help lessen the effects of climate change.
These tools include hundreds of best practices proven by peers, access to an archive of professional development focused on the core value of sustainability, program examples, a vetted vendor list, and a custom CO2 calculator to help members estimate their current institutional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and measure reductions, and custom publicity pieces to help libraries tell their sustainability story.
“Partnering with the Sustainable Libraries Initiative allows the New England Library Association (NELA) to offer our members tangible, effective tools to lead climate action and sustainability in their local communities,” said NELA President Joanna M. Fuchs. “Libraries across New England are uniquely positioned to foster resilience and environmental responsibility, and this collaboration ensures our library staff and institutions have the direct support, training, and resources needed to make a lasting difference in the region.”
The Sustainable Libraries Initiative’s Sustainable Library Certification Program (SLCP) — available to public libraries, academic libraries, library systems, and school librarians — provides libraries with a reliable course of action to enhance library leadership and demonstrate commitment to environmental stewardship, economic feasibility, and social equity. The certification program guides participants to evaluate their decision-making philosophies, build stronger connections within their community, and consider the lasting impacts of their action for their service area.
A number of New England libraries are already blazing a trail in their region as early adopters of the Sustainable Library Certification Program: 3 libraries in Connecticut, 22 in Maine, 13 in Massachusetts, 15 in Vermont, and 1 in New Hampshire. An additional group of libraries in New England have been certified: Curtis Memorial Library and Alice L. Pendleton Library in Maine, Concord Public Library in Massachusetts, and Charlotte Library, Norman Williams Public Library, and Windsor Public Library in Vermont. Click the links to view their final presentations.
Members of the New England Library Association who opt-in via the SLI website will receive one free year of annual membership to the Sustainable Libraries Initiative and a 20% discount on the award- winning Sustainable Library Certification Program. Cohorts of five or more libraries will receive a 25% discount on certification, supporting the principle that there is power in collective action.
Learn more with our partnership dashboard or by reaching out to [email protected].
Sustainable Libraries Initiative
The Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI) is a member-driven organization that empowers library professionals to be leaders usingtriple-bottom-line sustainability (environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic feasibility)throughout their organizations and in their communities. The Sustainable Library CertificationProgram is now enrolling public and academic libraries, library systems, and school librarians nationwide.
New England Library Association
The New England Library Association (NELA) is the premier source for the creation and enrichment of diverse, dynamic New England library professional networks through conferences, scholarships, leadership development, advocacy, and collaboration with affiliated associations. Officially chartered in 1963, the New England Library Association is a regional organization whose membership represents a wide range of library‑related interests.