TRUSTEES OF THE WELLESLEY FREE LIBRARY
Two seats (three year terms)
The mission of the Wellesley Free Library is to serve as a community gathering place, a cultural destination and a gateway to ideas for residents of all ages and interests. Through comprehensive collections and innovative spaces, technologies and programs, the Wellesley Free Library provides free and convenient access to information both within and beyond our walls.
Question 1. As you know, Town Meeting passed the Select Board’s Resolution to Address the Impact of Climate Change in 2020. How do you envision this resolution being carried out by the Library Board of Trustees in the months ahead?
Ann Rappaport
As a Trustee, I am very pleased to support use of the Library as a climate resiliency hub in a partnership with the MLP. This project includes adding solar panels to the Library’s new solar panel-ready roof and hopefully the installation of a battery storage device in our garage to enable the building to become a microgrid, possibly the first library microgrid in the state. The Trustees were also enthusiastic supporters of replacing our gas-powered van with a new electric vehicle which was just delivered; a charging station for the van is expected in the near future. As a member of the Strategic Planning Committee tasked with developing the Library’s next five year strategic plan, I am very interested in hearing from residents about ways in which the Library can help mitigate climate change; our planning group has encouraged sustainably-minded residents to participate in this planning process.
Linshi Li-
The library Board of Trustees, in close collaboration with the library director and staff, have been proactively considering actions to reduce green house gas emissions associated with Town supported projects and programs. WFL is continuing to work with WMLP to install solar panel on the Library roof to contribute to Wellesley’s energy goals. When considering facility reconnovation and maintenance, we focus on preserving existing structure and materials and only bringing in necessary updates after cautious evaluations. In addition, I am very excited to share that our new library van - used to transport books between branches - is an electrical vehicle. Moving forward, we will continue to support collaborations with many town departments and organizations on such efforts, as well as promotion of educational programs on sustainable topics. From a personal level, we try to model positive actions from everyday life – e.g. I walk, bike or ride a scooter to the library with my family whenever possible, we use biodegradable bags for food waste, and teach kids how to recycle. In the library trustee meetings, we always bring our computer whenever possible to reduce printing on paper.
Question 2.The library is considered by many to be a great place to get information about a changing world. How do you see the library’s role in providing information about climate change and the ways residents can address it?
Ann Rappaport-
The Library purchases materials – books, databases, reference items – which focus on climate change and environmental matters. The Library also offers programs which discuss the changing natural world, including upcoming lectures on owls in February, hiking in Massachusetts in March, and a lecture about the 86th Village (a village drowned by a dam in India) in April. The Library continues to expand its Library of Things, which helps decrease the need for residents to purchase single-use items, and has partnerships with Sustainable Wellesley, the Conservation Land Trust, the Climate Action Committee and the NRC. Currently on display in the Children’s Room and promoted in the Library is “CatchConnect”, a new curb-to-curb micro-transit system from the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority as well as a Climate Action Committee display created by Wellesley High School students.
Linshi Li-
The Wellesley Free library plays and will continue to play an important role in providing information about climate change and the ways residents can address it. First off, WFL WFL offers a rich collection of materials that residents can learn about climate change and practical actions that they can take to protect our environment. For example, before purchasing a car, residents can refer to online resources such as Green Vehicles EPA that is directly accessible from the WFL website > Consumer Resources section to learn about everything related to electrical cars. Secondly, the library is always conscious about environmental protection and climate change, and strive to set great examples for its patrons. One example is when designing the recently opened Fells Branch Library Heros Garden, WFL worked with Wellesley’s DPW and NRC to incorporate the Heroes Garden into the Town’s pollinator corridor and partnered to build understanding and respect for sustainable practices. In terms of library facility, there are dedicated recycle cans in the library, and there are solar charging stations on the outdoor bench. The WFL practices sustainable thinking and actions in many aspects. Not only does the Library of Things brings the residents a lot of convenience, it also saves them from additional spendings and storage room on things that are used only once or occasionally, such like tools or toys. When planning for WFL events, the WFL “swags” or are usually "sustainable" gifts, e.g. pencils with herb seeds sealed at the top, garden seeds packets. In addition, retired books and furniture are always sold or donated to smaller libraries or other charity channels. In short, I believe the Wellesley Free Library has played and will continue to play an important role in both spreading the knowledge and taking actions in the area of climate change impact and environmental protection.
Two seats (three year terms)
The mission of the Wellesley Free Library is to serve as a community gathering place, a cultural destination and a gateway to ideas for residents of all ages and interests. Through comprehensive collections and innovative spaces, technologies and programs, the Wellesley Free Library provides free and convenient access to information both within and beyond our walls.
Question 1. As you know, Town Meeting passed the Select Board’s Resolution to Address the Impact of Climate Change in 2020. How do you envision this resolution being carried out by the Library Board of Trustees in the months ahead?
Ann Rappaport
As a Trustee, I am very pleased to support use of the Library as a climate resiliency hub in a partnership with the MLP. This project includes adding solar panels to the Library’s new solar panel-ready roof and hopefully the installation of a battery storage device in our garage to enable the building to become a microgrid, possibly the first library microgrid in the state. The Trustees were also enthusiastic supporters of replacing our gas-powered van with a new electric vehicle which was just delivered; a charging station for the van is expected in the near future. As a member of the Strategic Planning Committee tasked with developing the Library’s next five year strategic plan, I am very interested in hearing from residents about ways in which the Library can help mitigate climate change; our planning group has encouraged sustainably-minded residents to participate in this planning process.
Linshi Li-
The library Board of Trustees, in close collaboration with the library director and staff, have been proactively considering actions to reduce green house gas emissions associated with Town supported projects and programs. WFL is continuing to work with WMLP to install solar panel on the Library roof to contribute to Wellesley’s energy goals. When considering facility reconnovation and maintenance, we focus on preserving existing structure and materials and only bringing in necessary updates after cautious evaluations. In addition, I am very excited to share that our new library van - used to transport books between branches - is an electrical vehicle. Moving forward, we will continue to support collaborations with many town departments and organizations on such efforts, as well as promotion of educational programs on sustainable topics. From a personal level, we try to model positive actions from everyday life – e.g. I walk, bike or ride a scooter to the library with my family whenever possible, we use biodegradable bags for food waste, and teach kids how to recycle. In the library trustee meetings, we always bring our computer whenever possible to reduce printing on paper.
Question 2.The library is considered by many to be a great place to get information about a changing world. How do you see the library’s role in providing information about climate change and the ways residents can address it?
Ann Rappaport-
The Library purchases materials – books, databases, reference items – which focus on climate change and environmental matters. The Library also offers programs which discuss the changing natural world, including upcoming lectures on owls in February, hiking in Massachusetts in March, and a lecture about the 86th Village (a village drowned by a dam in India) in April. The Library continues to expand its Library of Things, which helps decrease the need for residents to purchase single-use items, and has partnerships with Sustainable Wellesley, the Conservation Land Trust, the Climate Action Committee and the NRC. Currently on display in the Children’s Room and promoted in the Library is “CatchConnect”, a new curb-to-curb micro-transit system from the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority as well as a Climate Action Committee display created by Wellesley High School students.
Linshi Li-
The Wellesley Free library plays and will continue to play an important role in providing information about climate change and the ways residents can address it. First off, WFL WFL offers a rich collection of materials that residents can learn about climate change and practical actions that they can take to protect our environment. For example, before purchasing a car, residents can refer to online resources such as Green Vehicles EPA that is directly accessible from the WFL website > Consumer Resources section to learn about everything related to electrical cars. Secondly, the library is always conscious about environmental protection and climate change, and strive to set great examples for its patrons. One example is when designing the recently opened Fells Branch Library Heros Garden, WFL worked with Wellesley’s DPW and NRC to incorporate the Heroes Garden into the Town’s pollinator corridor and partnered to build understanding and respect for sustainable practices. In terms of library facility, there are dedicated recycle cans in the library, and there are solar charging stations on the outdoor bench. The WFL practices sustainable thinking and actions in many aspects. Not only does the Library of Things brings the residents a lot of convenience, it also saves them from additional spendings and storage room on things that are used only once or occasionally, such like tools or toys. When planning for WFL events, the WFL “swags” or are usually "sustainable" gifts, e.g. pencils with herb seeds sealed at the top, garden seeds packets. In addition, retired books and furniture are always sold or donated to smaller libraries or other charity channels. In short, I believe the Wellesley Free Library has played and will continue to play an important role in both spreading the knowledge and taking actions in the area of climate change impact and environmental protection.