Photo Credit: Sue Kent, 2011
The individuals behind the West Vancouver Memorial Library’s LEED certification (from left to right): Claire Brunings, Library staff; Jenny Benedict, Director of Library Services; Gabriele Raasch, Library staff; Nicole Brown, Chair, West Vancouver Memorial Library Foundation; District of West Vancouver Councillor Trish Panz; Chad Arsenault, Library Maintenance Supervisor; Marcia Bergen, Chair, West Vancouver Memorial Library; Paul Tutsch, West Vancouver Memorial Library Trustee; Tara Matsuzaki, Library staff; Lauren Henderson, Library Operations Manager; Dan Roberts, Kane Consulting.
The West Vancouver Memorial Library recently achieved an impressive certification—LEED Silver for Existing Building: Operations and Maintenance. And it's thanks to library staff members, who were inspired by David Suzuki's books to protect the Earth, beginning at their workplace.
Librarian Tara Matsuzaki recalls, "We looked to the David Suzuki Foundation for guidance, and with the David Suzuki's Nature Challenge @ Work guide, we honed some of our greening projects already underway. For example, the guide suggests 'plaster[ing] your workplace with reminder posters and small step stickers.' We created recycling signs for our Beyond the Blue Box recycling program and placed them on all the recycling bins in the building, and we have BC hydro Powersmart stickers above all the light switches in the building."
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At 61 years old, the library is the first building in B.C. to receive this particular LEED certification. Achieving it involved installing an energy-efficient roof, new windows, upgraded electrical systems, and software that tracks energy consumption, among other projects.
Staff members continue to do all they can to stay green. They recycle everything possible, use a worm composter and paint that doesn't emit toxic gases for interior walls, and have a Green Team to guide their actions. They also loan out energy metres so library visitors can measure the energy use of their appliances.
Congratulations to the West Vancouver Memorial Library! Your actions are an inspiration.
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1 Comment
1:38 AM
Great news ! nowadays LEED certification has become necessary. We all should accept the change and should go only for certified’s one. Taking an example from my personal life, http://bccomfort.com/ services are reliable and they are LEED certified too, that’s why I prefer them for construction
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