Stimulating the Economy - How?

[Evi Klett]

A few questions keep surfacing in my mind:

1) Given the reality of global climate disruption and peak fossil fuels what does a good economic stimulus package look like?

2) How do we get Congress to use a 5, 10, 20, 30 year vision in their current planning?

3) And how about looking to the local level for pulling ourselves out of economic distress? Mickki Langston of Mile High Business Alliance reminded me that a) there are still resources and folks with skills in our communities, b) there are still needs for those resources and skills in our communities, and c) it's the medium between these that is having problems. How do we circumvent the problems of the "dollar" especially in the face of rent/mortgage payments, utility bills, etc.

4) What can libraries do to foster a local, healthy economy?

Just throwing these questions out there. Anyone want to bite?

[Jonathan Betz-Zall]

4. ALA/SRRT's Task Force on the Environment had a discussion of question 4 yesterday at our program "Yes, Kermit, It's Easy Being Green". The one word version of my conclusion: relationships! We can become the community centers that facilitate transition by establishing working relationships not only with the quasi-governmental economic development agencies with whom we've always cooperated but also with community organizations concerned with energy descent and positive alternatives. I heard at least three environmental librarian blogs mentioned, in addition to my own ecolibrarian.org site, as ways of sharing resources. We could proactively reach out to our partners, sharing resources with them and encouraging them to use our spaces for meetings and events as well as developing our collections to support their activities.

[Evi Klett]

What you write definitely resonates with me! Can you let me know which environmental librarian blogs were mentioned. I need to go out into the Internet ocean and connect :) ~ Evi

[Jonathan Betz-Zall]

Evi Klett said:

What you write definitely resonates with me! Can you let me know which environmental librarian blogs were mentioned. I need to go out into the Internet ocean and connect :) ~ Evi

These will soon be posted on the SRRT TFoE webpage http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/srrt/tfoe/taskforceenvironment.cfm

[Beth Filar Williams]

Relationships and networking - yes! Staying abreast of community happenings to not only show the library is aware and involved but to find key players in your area. Several of us librarians have been attending our local greendrinks.org monthly events. We also went to recent city council open meeting for all citizens wanting to figure out how greensboro can be more green. And yes, offering resources (in house and on your website) as well as workshops, forums, post sustainable film discussion, etc. by bringing in those "expert" members of the community. Highlighting how patrons can SAVE money will resonate in this economy. Promote patrons doing green things - "green star of the month" or green games competition ... people tend to relate and want to get involved if they see others like themselves modeling behavior. Just some thoughts....