Since opening in 2019, Charles Library has led the way when it comes to sustainability efforts in higher education. Now, it’s been recognized by one of the most widely used and established green building rating systems in the world.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the world’s leading green building performance and project management system, and it conducts its point-based rating on a building’s design, construction, operations and performance in terms of sustainability.
Source: Temple University
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A major factor contributing to Charles Library’s Gold status is its green roof. “The library’s green space in an urban environment is important not only to the students and stakeholders of the university, but green space can also help manage the natural precipitation that falls onto the site,” said Julia Mullin, associate director of construction for Main Campus. “The roof above the fourth floor is planted with sedums—small drought-tolerant plants—that need very little maintenance and help contain and filter the precipitation that falls onto the roof. This limits and slows down the stormwater runoff that ends up in the city’s underground stormwater systems, which can be overtaxed during heavy rain events.”
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.
