Friday, May 25, 2007

How Green can we make our new library?

A news article earlier this month starts “Nampa officials are considering adopting green building standards they say will make future city buildings more efficient to maintain and healthier for people and the environment.” What would a LEED rating for a new library mean? I always knew it had to do with environmental concerns, but now I know it also means more natural light, better heating and cooling, more comfortable spaces and healthier air. There would be savings for the taxpayer on electricity (it can take plenty to light, heat and cool this building, and still be too hot or cold, with dim stack areas and uncomfortable glare on computer screens). For employees it means better staff retention, fewer health issues, and more productivity. For everyone it will mean a more comfortable building and doing the right thing for our community. I’m looking forward to hearing what comes next with LEED plans.
Karen Ganske

2 comments:

Liesl Seborg said...

Being “green” is becoming more of a reality and a great use of resources in Canyon County. A curb-side recycling program started recently and the library is already working to be more earth friendly by increasing our recycling efforts.

There is a Thursday Family Program on June 28th 3-5PM at the library which will focus on the earth and ways to improve our efforts to preserve our environment and make this place better for all of us.

Anonymous said...

LEED provides 3rd part verification that 'green' is not greenwashing and that performance is what was promised. It also makes it a safer bet for donors we have been told.
We are looking to build a new library building and your blog is a great resource in addition to info at http://www.greenbuildings.org and library journals.
Thanks so much!