CR2 Blog the knowledge blog
  • scissors
    November 11th, 2009LISWire aggregatorLISWire

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    November 11, 2009

    Media Contact:
    Larry Godwin
    972-340-2847
    godwin@amigos.org

    Amigos Hosts First Online Conference: “Going Green @ Your Library”

    Dallas, TX – Amigos Library Services held its first-ever online conference, “Going Green @ Your Library: Lean, Green, Clean Ideas,” Wednesday, October 7. The conference featured speakers from both academic and public libraries, who offered ideas on how to promote a clean environment while still providing superior customer service.

    The structure of the daylong event mirrored the face-to-face format of traditional conferences, complete with keynote speaker and breakout sessions, and closed with a question-and-answer session. Fifteen session presenters literally spanned the country, with over half coming from the Amigos southwestern U.S. operating region.

    Christine Peterson, Continuing Education Librarian at Amigos and a conference organizer, said that while the conference drew participants primarily from the Amigos region, 11 other states were represented. She said that Oklahoma accounted for 46 percent of participants.

    “The overall theme – the practical greening of libraries – offered us a wide range of topics,” said Peterson. “We covered programming ideas for libraries and practical ways to reduce their environmental footprint, greening IT, emphasizing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) in construction and renovation projects, and collaborating with communities and colleges to develop sustainability projects.”

    Peterson termed evaluations of the conference as “overwhelmingly positive.” Most participants rated the content as very helpful, offering many ideas for them to try, and Peterson said speakers cited and praised some participants for work they were already doing.

    Complete conference information, including session descriptions, is available at http://greenlibs.amigos.org/.

    Amigos has plans for future online conferences, and recently announced that its annual Member Conference in May 2010 will be conducted entirely online.

    About Amigos Library Services
    For more than 30 years, Amigos Library Services, www.amigos.org, has helped its members obtain affordable services and share library resources and knowledge. With over 700 members, Amigos is the largest consortium of libraries and cultural heritage institutions in the southwestern United States. Through membership in Amigos, libraries collectively gain access to the latest innovations and services in the library community; pursue opportunities for continuing professional education; leverage their buying power; and preserve the region’s rich cultural heritage. This collaboration strengthens each member’s ability to serve and lead its community in the creative and effective use of information resources. ###