Thinking Green at the Pawling Library!

Casey Conlin, Pawling Library’s Director, reports:  “[The Library is now using] new receipt paper. Whereas most receipts are printed on paper that contains bisphenol A (BPA) or bisphenol S (BPS), the library has switched to an alternative paper that uses a vitamin C formulation from recycled orange peels in place of phenols in harmful BPA or BPS… The oranges give the paper a yellow tone, and a year’s worth of paper contains the equivalent of about 10,000 oranges. All in all, this is a safety win for our library patrons and staff, as well as a win for countless beautiful trees, the pulp of which will no longer be used for this particular paper product, consequently allowing their foliage to cleanse the air we breathe, provide cooling shade from the heat of the day, and offer protection for some of our feathered friends.

Green is also the color of money!  Pawling Library patrons save a lot of green by utilizing library services.  Just how much can a family save by taking advantage of the resources available at the Pawling library? We had families calculate their savings and record the figures. The savings ranged from $3,179.00 per family, all the way up to $14,152.40 of savings in one year! The more you use the resources available at the Pawling Library, the more money you can save!

As The Pawling Library continues to grow its services to meet our community’s needs, “we’ll be looking for economically feasible ways to limit our energy use and reduce our carbon footprint as we expand our services and facility to meet the needs of Pawling,” says Mr. Conlin, who serves as co-creator for the New York Library Association’s Sustainability Initiative.

So, remember… as we enjoy the season of rebirth with the greening of Pawling’s beautiful landscape, Pawling’s library staff will be making conservationist, sustainable, and economically sound choices that celebrate being green all year long!