The green library planner : what every librarian needs to know before starting to build or renovate

Green buildings are better buildings. In fact, buildings use 36% of the energy in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, so green buildings that use less energy help to address the very real challenges of reliance on fossil fuel and climate change. More than only being environmentally responsible, green libraries are beautiful, cost-effective, high-performance buildings that enhance occupant health and comfort.



The Green Library Planner is designed for members of library building design teams who typically are not actively engaged in architecture, construction, or engineering, but who need an introduction to the rationale for green buildings, the elements of green building, and the language of the field. It will be equally useful for public officials, boards, or administrators who are considering a new green library building, a renovated library structure, or sustainable elements for a current library facility.

Mary M. Carr, a library director who is also a LEED-Accredited Professional with national certification, first introduces the basic tenets of green building. She then covers the gamut of green building from design, through all phases of construction or renovation, to operations and maintenance.



Chapter highlights include:

Fundamentals of Sustainable Building The Importance of Place Energy and Lighting Indoor Environmental Quality Water Conservation and Quality Sustainable Construction Management Techniques Commissioning Sustainable Operations and Maintenance

With this information the librarian, and related library staff and administrators, will be able to design, build or renovate, and operate the library in the best way possible, while considering the environmental and economic challenges faced, locally and globally, in the 21st century.

• Acknowledgments p. vii
• Introduction p. ix
• Imagining Sustainability p. ix
• Building vs. Renovation p. xi
• Your Sustainable Library p. xii
• Green Resources and Green Credentials p. xiii
• Notes p. xiv
• 1 The Fundamentals of Sustainable Building p. 1
• What Is Sustainability? p. 1
• The Importance of Buildings in Sustainability Efforts p. 2
• Why Build Green? p. 4
• Basic Principles of Sustainability p. 5
• Green Building Standards p. 7
• Conclusion p. 8
• Your Project Notes p. 9
• Notes p. 10
• Resources p. 11
• 2 The Importance of Place: From the Philosophical to the Practical p. 13
• A Sense of Place p. 13
• The Process of Site Assessment p. 15
• Project Goals p. 15
• Stakeholders and Planning Team Members p. 16
• The Planning Process p. 16
• The Eight Steps of Site Analysis p. 18
• Green Footstep: A Carbon Emissions Tool p. 25
• Examples p. 26
• Your Project Notes p. 27
• Notes p. 29
• Resources p. 29
• 3 Energy and Lighting p. 31
• What Is Energy and Where Does It Come From? p. 31
• Climate Change p. 31
• Three Types of Energy p. 32
• Building Envelope p. 33
• Heat Transfer, R-Value, and U-Value p. 34
• Designing Sustainable Building Energy Systems p. 34
• Energy System Design Elements p. 36
• Modeling and Design Tools p. 42
• Examples p. 45
• Your Project Notes p. 46
• Notes p. 46
• Resources p. 47
• 4 Green Materials p. 49
• Consumption and Resource Use p. 49
• Green Definitions p. 50
• Characteristics of Green Materials and Products p. 52
• The Chemical Composition of Materials p. 53
• Materials Analysis: Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) p. 54
• Product Standards and Guidelines p. 55
• A Brief List of Green Product Directories, Standards, and Certifications p. 56
• Cradle to Grave: Durability and Deconstruction p. 60
• Examples p. 61
• Green Products Checklist p. 63
• Your Project Notes p. 63
• Notes p. 66
• Resources p. 67
• 5 Indoor Environmental Quality p. 69
• What Is Indoor Environmental Quality? p. 70
• Sick Building Syndrome and Building-Related Illness p. 70
• Green Materials p. 72
• Temperature/Humidity Levels p. 72
• Pollutants p. 72
• Ventilation p. 75
• Pollutant Management during Demolition and Construction p. 76
• Green Cleaning p. 77
• Thermal, Ergonomic, Visual, and Acoustical Comfort p. 78
• Individual Comfort p. 81
• Commissioning p. 81
• Post-Occupancy Surveys p. 82
• Relevant Codes and Standards for IEQ p. 82
• Examples p. 83
• Your Project Notes p. 84
• Notes p. 85
• Resources p. 86
• 6 Water Conservation and Quality p. 89
• What Is Water? p. 89
• Water, Water Everywhere p. 90
• Water Challenges p. 91
• Water Use Definitions p. 92
• Overview of Sustainable Water Approaches p. 92
• Indoor Water Use p. 93
• Sustainability Pricing p. 95
• Outside Water Management and Use p. 96
• Cooling and Heating Systems p. 100
• Commissioning and Audits p. 100
• Examples p. 101
• Your Project Notes p. 102
• Notes p. 103
• Resources p. 104
• 7 Construction Management p. 107
• Managing a Sustainable Construction Process p. 107
• Construction Documents p. 108
• Selecting the Contractor p. 110
• Construction Debris Management p. 111
• Construction Waste Management Plan (CWMP) p. 112
• Soil and Water Management Plan p. 114
• Construction Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management Plan p. 115
• Examples p. 116
• Your Project Notes p. 117
• Notes p. 118
• Resources p. 118
• 8 Building Operations and Maintenance p. 119
• The Need for Commissioning and Building Operations and Maintenance p. 119
• Building Commissioning p. 120
• Who Can Commission? p. 121
• Sustainable Facility Management (SFM) p. 122
• Operations and Maintenance p. 122
• Examples p. 124
• Your Project Notes p. 125
• Notes p. 126
• Resources p. 126
• Conclusion p. 129
• If You Build It... p. 129
• The Library Building as a Teaching Tool p. 130
• Library Resources p. 130
• Everyday Green p. 130
• Notes p. 131
• Index p. 133