Kinnaman and Munshower examined the carbon footprint of University Libraries’ practices, particularly appraisal and preservation, and made a set of recommended adjustments and areas for further consideration.
Measuring a carbon footprint is complicated and difficult. The team investigated two specific areas, fixity and storage, and the energy consumption of both based on the University Libraries’ current digital infrastructure.
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The jury said Kinnaman and Munshower concluded their research with strong recommendations for Virginia Tech and for the wider library community that can foster a more “environmentally sustainable digital platform.”
“This paper helps start the internal conversation around the environmental impact of current digital storage and information management practices across the profession, and how University Libraries at Virginia Tech can adapt,” said Munshower.
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
