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Growing Green

Having just returned from the 2007 American Library Association conference in Washington, D.C., I am sure that green efforts are here to stay. References to ecology—shortened to "eco"—and references to green and energy savings can be found on light bulbs (compare incandescent to compact fluorescent), our electrical appliances (look for Energy Star ratings) and just about anything that is fabricated. We can rarely pick up a periodical without seeing an article on eco-clothing or furniture and homes being constructed using sustainable materials and information on eating local rather than transporting food from great distances to be consumed. Some feel that it is chic to use ecologically made products, while others feel the urgency of the situation. I was fortunate to be one of the 350 or so people to attend a local Live Earth event—a worldwide entertainment to support the cause and call attention to the global warming issue—on July 7, at the Smithsonian's Native American Museum on the Washington Mall. The crowd was only a stone's throw away from the U.S. Capital, a place that has the ability to make decisions that can influence a greater use of these materials.

Green Options for Libraries

Two of the booths that made their first appearance at ALA this June were particularly notable for the manufacturing of furniture that is green. Peter Danko has been using surplus seat belts for use as woven webbed seating since the 1990s; he uses discards from the automobile industry as colors are discontinued, and steam- bends wood to construct seating in a way that destroys fewer trees. He claims that "ply bending (of wood) yields 8-10 times more useable wood from a log than solid lumber." ¹ His booth was under the banner Peter Danko Design.

Green Play systems by Skyline Design could be found a few aisles away in the huge exhibit hall. Their offerings included activity tables and benches, computer stations and modules that hold books, toys, activity kits, and walls that define activity areas. The company explains that they are "committed to the use of only recycled, renewable and low-impact materials with low or zero VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions" from the materials used. Choosing shapes for library tables and creating themes in children's areas looks easy with this manufacturer.

Denelle Wrightson, architect of PSA-Dewberry, says that rather than blending with the rest of the library, the children's area should deliver the "wow" experience. She says that “a successful children's room is one where as soon as kids see it, they immediately feel they have to go there, forget any signs."² This children's furniture line is made from wheat board harvested from leftover stems. The wheat has less environmental impact than using traditional lumber. No formaldehyde is added in the manufacturing process. Sunflower hull boards are also used in the Green Play walls, and both wheat and sunflower walls accept a variety of finishes from stains to paint or digital imagery.

Getting Informed

Most manufacturers have produced a statement about their commitment to using sustainable resources as well as saving some trees or energy in the process of getting the furniture to you. Blanket wrapping furniture or some other form of packing that is of recyclable materials may be another form of saving the environment. An inquiry to the company concerning the use of environmentally friendly practices should be made if this is an important factor to you.

Here are a few links for more information about green materials and products:    
 
www.treehugger.com    green materials archive
www.scscertified.com    certification process for products
www.greenguard.org    non-profit that evaluates products effects on indoor air quality
www.vivavi.com             modern green design
www.coopamerica.org   directory of screened and approved green businesses
www.usgbc.com            U.S.Building Council, Leeds Certification

Tish Murphy, Library Furniture Consultant and Author of Library Furnishings; A Planning Guide lives in Phoenix, Arizona. www.libraryfurnishings.com

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.