Melissa Correll, Instructional Services Librarian, Lycoming College. Currently reading Syria by Samer Abboud

by Melissa Correll

Earth Day provides an opportunity for libraries to promote civic and social literacy, especially with a focus on the environment. For the past two years, Snowden Library at Lycoming College has partnered with the student group Lycoming Environmental Awareness Foundation (LEAF) to mark the occasion.

In 2015, LEAF helped the library by identifying which of the library’s indoor plants were Clean Air Plants, using NASA’s houseplant study from 1989. The library then made identification cards for these plants, featuring both the library’s name and LEAF’s logo. LEAF also donated two potted plants to the library, and the library and LEAF split the cost of a tree to plant on campus on Arbor Day.

This year, LEAF and the library again partnered to celebrate Earth Day, and planned the event around the tree we planted last year. We dedicated the tree to Dr. Mel Zimmerman, Professor of Biology and Director of the Clean Water Institute, who is retiring after more than three decades of service to the college.

LEAF and the library split the cost of a plaque to commemorate Dr. Zimmerman and his inspirational commitment to environmental stewardship, and held a brief dedication ceremony near the tree, just after his last lecture. We did, of course, serve cake.

This simple event has helped to solidify the partnership between the library and this particular student group, and is an easy and fun way to promote environmental awareness on campus. A school or public library could easily adapt this idea by reaching out to a local environmental group.