25 Ready-to-Use Sustainable Living Programs for Libraries

The wisdom and experience of 27 librarians from urban, rural, and suburban areas has been compiled in this wide-ranging programming book for creating a more sustainable lifestyle. It might seem difficult to implement—making a hobby farm in an apartment building is not quite tenable—but the contributors offer ready-to-use programming for doing hydroponics in a mason jar and inspiration to identify partners, such as local parks and recreation departments, master gardeners, community gardeners, herbalists, and urban homesteaders, so the library can offer programming “without coming up with all the materials and instructions yourself.” A bit of what’s here will showcase the appeal to all ages: detailed instructions on how to grow seedlings, such as how far away to keep a grow light from the plants, at what height they are ready to be transplanted, and a discussion of “amendments” to make to soil; growing oyster mushrooms safely and endlessly; safely fermenting cabbage to make sauerkraut; creating raised gardens from bales of straw (not hay!); composting; upcycling jewelry; making herbal infusions with clearly stated medicinal benefits; and homesteading programming around keeping chickens, bees, and livestock. Instructions on planning an intergenerational repair event, stress-reducing hand sewing and candle making sessions, and a list of books to shelf talk are also included.