Brett Kochendorfer

For my paper I’d like to make the case that ecological concerns should be combined with the 2.0 philosophical approach to librarianship. I’d like to think of 2.0 as referring to an update of previous thought, all business should now be conducted as intelligently, ecologically friendly, and with the greatest results for the users. 

There are two kinds of problems facing librarians when they consider digital collections and services, these are hardware and software. The concerns with software are like those noted by McLeod and could also include virus attacks, glitches in the coding, or the software could simply be nonuser friendly. These sorts of issues are at forefront of concern and often discussed by librarians as large cons to the digitization of media An aspect of digitization that is not often discussed is the hardware or how it can affect the environment. The New Scientist recently featured an article stating that, “…with more than 1 billion computers on the planet, the global IT sector is responsible for about 2% of human carbon dioxide emissions each year – a similar figure to the global airline industry.

 The rate at which data storage is growing surpasses the growth in the airline industry: in 2006, 48% more data storage capacity was sold in the UK than in 2005, while the number of plane passengers grew by 3%.” This is extremely shocking to most people who would not intuitivelly link digitization of print media (which is stored on servers) to an affect of large amounts of carbon emissions. In addition to the actual emissions caused by servers, it is estimated that the United States alone will need more than a dozen new power plants to power all of the servers and information by the year 2011.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/03/technology/solar_servers.biz2/index.htm

Librarians should also be aware of options allowing to store servers /data using green / renewable resources in order to combat the increases in data and its affects on the environment. Many third party companies are available which offer third party hosting in order to store data. Although I am generally against third party hosting, I feel that this is a valuable option available to libraries who are not able to create solar / green server farms on location. 

http://www.3wstudios.com/green/hosting.php

Another interesting option which Google has recently started to explore is offshore data barges. These barges will be more energy efficient as they will be cooled by the ocean, cutting down not only on cooling cost but actually increasing the amount of data and storage space that each server is able to handle. 

http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2008/09/06/google-planning-offshore-data-barges/

Many libraries are now interested in ways in which to incorporate ecologically friendly design into their physical building. Luckily enough someone has already invented a database of libraries which are using Green technologies. This website is http://www.greenlibraries.org/ , offering not only lists of libraries who incorporate Green designs but also resources on how to use technology to green your library. These changes are not only ecological but will allow the library to save money which it can in turn use to help provide better service to its community;

“The library is 65 percent to 90 percent more energy efficient than previously constructed buildings. It is estimated that the library will save $100,000 per year in utility costs. The building includes high-performance glass that lets in light but cuts out heat; motion sensors that shut off lights if the space is unoccupied; a process that uses excess heat to warm other areas of the building; and panels that block light in the summer but allow for warming light in the winter.” http://www.uvsc.edu/library/newbuilding/index.html

In a more extreme stance Antonelli said in a Library Journal Article :

““I see the environmental and economic changes looming ahead as an opportunity for libraries to develop new and exciting ways that support their local communities,” Antonelli says. “In the future, I would like to see automobile-lending libraries and bicycle-lending libraries. I would also like to see libraries get into the business of archiving genetic material like local seeds. And while we are at it, how about turning the grounds into community gardens? I mean, why not?”

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6475365.html

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