Thank you all for your patience while I wrapped up our school year and put
together this hit. Thanks also to everyone who responded. If this post
gives you any new ideas, please send them to me. I'm still looking for
ideas.
My favorite tip received is having mugs in the library for the coffee
drinkers. Our art teacher has tapped into a vendor that puts student
artwork on different items like mugs, mouse pads, magnets, etc. Next Fall I
plan to buy some mugs decorated with our students' artwork to have available
at meetings held in the library.
Other responses:
I collect greeting cards and we cut the covers and use them for bookmarks.
Also, I do not like book dust jackets. We cut those on Ellison and use them
for bookmarks./ It is especially fun when a kid recognizes the book.
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I've just asked our tech department to look into some control measures for
our printing/copying machine. There's a fingerprinting capability so we
can track usage. Not crazy about the fingerprint solution but I'm hoping
that this helps students be more conscious of when they hit that send
button.
Another alternative is to issue swipe cards that they get a certain number
of copies free and then pay for the rest. I'm just seeking an alternative
to waste and trying to raise awareness in our somewhat "privileged"
international student body.
We recycle the paper - used on both sides used on one side becomes 4 1/4 X 5
1/2 scratch pads, extra paper from the paper -ie the last sheet that is
blank goes into a bin for hand illustrations, maps etc.
We have a courtyard off the library and I have been thinking of asking the
staff to dump the tea bags and coffee grounds into a bin to integrate into
the soil.
A local school recycles the ink cartridges but I don't really know "where"
they go.
I talked to the kids about recycling batteries but we haven't got a bin for
those - I think Radio Shack will take them...
We have a need a book take a book shelf for the odd strays of free magazine
stuff.
We have looked into the light bulb thing but I got derailed in the layers of
the district. We have motion sensor lights so if people are gone or not
moving the lights go out. I have to get up and dance if I am by myself and
the lights go out.
We bought some Flip cameras recently and I am thinking we need to get some
re-chargable batteries and a charger for the kids so they one don't buy
batteries and two use dead batteries as an excuse for not doing a project.
I ask the ceramic teacher for unclaimed pots and such to put under the
plants and to hold the library pencils and paper clips.
We use the green type cleaner on the tables with cloth rags...
Left over water bottles go toward watering the plants
We've recently started turning off lights and, district-wide, a contest was
held for a student to design a sticker to put on the light switch plates to
remind people to turn the lights off when not in use.
I have a parent who recycles all of our bottles and cans
Students collect paper for recycling
I re-use paper as many times as possible by cutting it into strips and
writing on the back-side to use for reserve notices
I use the end scraps from the laminator in my book repair projects (to keep
pages from sticking together)
I glued old used-to-be-white boards together to make book press boards
(weighted down with a brick which is covered with brown craft paper)
Old magazines (that we no longer need to keep) are given to the classrooms
on a first-come, first-served basis for in-class use
Many items are taken for re-use by our art teachers including any old lunch
trays, coffee cans, etc.
We re-use the plastic tablecloths and rubber bands from the book fair
All of our computers at school are turned off automatically at 7 PM. (if
someone is still at school and using their computer, they can over-ride
this) This has saved a lot of power.
We recycle the cartidges, etc. with 'cartridgesforkids' and that actually
brings in a little money to the library. We also have a cart out of donated
books and sell them for a very small fee.
Recycle print and toner cartridges and cell phones at
http://www.freerecycling.com/ for cash. They even pay the postage for you to
send them in!
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I use Green school project to recycle my toner and inkjet cartridges.
We turn off our computers every night, speakers, monitors everything.
Using art room scraps for bookmarks! Also, we take used puzzles for our
puzzle table and we offer duplicate
books to classrooms for their collections.
I always save the paper from the printers that have not been picked up by
students, or even the pages that I print that have extra printing that I
don't need & I put them in the printer to print again on the other side.
I also save & cut up extra scrap paper (you can't run color printed paper
back through the b/w printer) to use as note paper/writing scrap paper (to
jot down call #'s, for example).
We house the faculty coffee pot in the library's workroom. We no longer
provide styrofoam cups. If we have a guest teacher, we encourage them to
borrow a mug and wash it when done. (I have about 10 extra mugs by the pot.)
Our entire District switched from regular fluorescent bulbs to high
efficiency ones.
I also shut down all of the computers each night. Since mine is new, I also
unplug it. That is less for the environment and more for lightning
protection. The other computers are all at least three years old and I'd
just as soon they take a lightning strike.
IF (and that's a big if) I can get some new computers next year they will
replace the three that still use the old monitors. That will cut the energy
use by quite a bit. (It will also cut the frustration, but that's another
story.)
As for temperature, I try to keep both rooms somewhere close to the same
temperature, so the units don't try to fight each other.
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I make sure all my computers are turned completely off in the evenings, and
this includes the monitors. I have 25 computers in my library, but I don't
turn all of them on everyday. I only turn one one or two pods unless I have
a class scheduled. I also have a recycling bin for paper. I love the idea
of a hit. It goes well with my "Hug A Tree" shirt I have on today!
We turn off the computers and monitors nightly. I only start a minimal of
computers each day and then turn on the others as needed throughout the day.
The library also received a grant from our local electric company ($2500) to
buy recycling bins for the school and purchase videos and books on
recycling, global warming, etc.
Don't forget canvas book bags. That's a huge trend around here instead of
using plastic bags to carry books in!
Cindy Rogers, MLS, Librarian
IDEA Academy & College Preparatory
crogers@ideapublicschools.org
401 South 1st Street
Donna, TX 78537
(956) 377-8083 PHONE
(956) 464-8532 FAX
www.ideapublicschools.org <http://www.ideaacademy.org/>
"IDEA Public Schools are dedicated to providing students with the academic,
social, and leadership skills needed to apply, matriculate, and succeed in a
four-year college or university."
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