For Immediate Release

November 18, 2025

Sustainable Libraries Initiative Partners with the Delaware Library Association
 The Sustainable Libraries Initiative partners with the Delaware Library Association to cultivate library leadership for community resilience.

           New York–November 18, 2025 - A new partnership between the Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI) and the Delaware Library Association (DLA) aims to equip DLA members with tools and resources to address the challenges and mitigate the impact of climate change in their communities.

“We are very excited to work more closely with the Delaware Library Association and enable all of their members to accelerate their adoption of practices that will help them live their values out loud while adapting in the face of climate change,” said Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Board President of the Sustainable Libraries Initiative, “Positioning the Delaware library community as leaders in this conversation will allow them to follow the lead of hundreds of other libraries in our program, a strong move to ensure libraries contribute to their community’s resilience and remain relevant and responsive institutions.”

Through this partnership, DLA members will join a nationwide community of practice who are using SLI-curated tools to uncover ways that their libraries and communities can understand, adapt to, and help lessen the effects of climate change. These tools include hundreds of best practices proven by peers, access to an archive of professional development focused on the core value of sustainability, program examples, a vetted vendor list, and a custom CO2 calculator to help members estimate their current institutional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and measure reductions, and custom publicity pieces to help libraries tell their sustainability story.

"The Delaware Library Association is excited to join a growing community of library workers that are collaborating and learning in a space dedicated to sustainability and the triple bottom line,” said Scott Businsky, President of the Delaware Library Association. “Our partnership with the Sustainable Libraries Initiative will help libraries in Delaware create thriving communities throughout our state."

The Sustainable Libraries Initiative’s Sustainable Library Certification Program (SLCP) — available to public libraries, academic libraries, library systems, and school librarians — provides libraries with a reliable course of action to enhance library leadership and demonstrate commitment to environmental stewardship, economic feasibility, and social equity. The certification program guides participants to evaluate their decision-making philosophies, build stronger connections within their community, and consider the lasting impacts of their action for their service area. 

Members of the Delaware Library Association who opt-in via the SLI website will receive one free year of annual membership to the Sustainable Libraries Initiative and a 20% discount on the award-winning Sustainable Library Certification Program. Cohorts of five or more libraries will receive a 25% discount on certification, supporting the principle that there is power in collective action.

Learn more with our DLA Partnership Dashboard or by reaching out to sliadmin@suffolknet.org. 

Sustainable Libraries Initiative
The Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI) is a member-driven organization that empowers library professionals to be leaders using triple-bottom-line sustainability (environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic feasibility) throughout their organizations and in their communities. The Sustainable Library Certification Program is now enrolling public and academic libraries, library systems, and school librarians nationwide.

Delaware Library Association
The Delaware Library Association was organized on January 18, 1934 with a goal to promote the profession of librarianship, advocate for library services, and provide library information to the people of Delaware by developing a unified library association.