February 26, 2020
West Vancouver, B.C. — As a hub for information and community-building, the West Vancouver Memorial Library is a critical part of the response to the climate emergency declared by the District of West Vancouver in the summer of 2019. In response to this declaration and community interest, the Library introduces Climate Future.
Climate Future will launch with a series of Community Cafés held on March 9, 12 and 16 for community members to gather in small groups and discuss a variety of climate perspectives with the goal of coming up with achievable and local actions to reduce individual carbon footprints. These ideas can also be submitted online until March 27. These actions will make up a Climate Action Toolkit designed and distributed by the Library, complemented by a climate-themed reading challenge. The Climate Action Toolkit will be released on April 27 with a screening of Beyond Climate, a documentary narrated by David Suzuki.
Head of the Library’s Customer and Community Experience department Pat Cumming says, “We are hearing from community members who want to know more about climate change and, in particular, people are really looking for hopeful avenues and ways to take achievable actions.”
To facilitate this, the Library has partnered with the BC Libraries & SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue “Public Libraries as Democratic Conveners” small grant program, with support from the West Vancouver Memorial Library Foundation.
“We all know our responsibility to take care of the planet, but collectively we are struggling to objectively agree on the extent of human impact,” says WVML Foundation Chair Andreas Thompson. “This is where the Library can play a vital role—as a place where community members can come together, explore ideas and forge common ground in a democratic forum.”
Supplemented with lectures, film screenings and more, Climate Future seeks to inspire hope in the community and—collectively—change the world for the better by reducing local emissions.
To learn more and to register for a Community Café or to submit ideas online for the Climate Action Toolkit, visit westvanlibrary.ca/climate-future.
Background
The West Vancouver Memorial Library has a 14-year history of working on sustainability, beginning with a staff-led grassroots effort in 2006. In 2011, the Library became the first library in Canada to be awarded LEED Silver certification for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance. In 2016, the Library added a mason bee house for these important pollinators, further exemplifying the Library’s longstanding commitment to sustainability.
Media contact
For more information, please contact:
Sarah Barton-Bridges, Communications Coordinator
sbarton-bridges@westvanlibrary.ca, 604-925-7407