About SustainRT
Strategic Plan
Download the SustainRT Strategic Plan here.
History
The ALA Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT) morphed out of ALA’s Social Responsibilities Round Table’s Task Force on the Environment (TFOE) during “Libraries for Sustainability,” a four-part series of free webinars offered in 2012. New leaders emerged from our virtual “grass roots” to form an interim steering committee. The next step was gathering 100 signatures for the petition to create SustainRT. More than 100 were gathered. At Midwinter 2013, SRRT leadership gave us their blessing as such, and approval of the Round Table at ALA Council was swift.
SustainRT had a well-attended first physical meeting at ALA Chicago on July 1, 2013. The first slate of SustainRT officers were elected in March 2014 and began to literally take the sustainability agenda to the next level within ALA and within the communities we serve. Members were soon polled to select a byline; the group's official name is Sustainability Round Table: Libraries Fostering Resilient Communities.
We are grateful for the mentorship shown by Fred Stoss and Terry Link who helped bridge the gap during the metamorphosis from TFOE, and for guidance from Michelle Harrell Washington of ALA.
SustainRT invites librarians, library workers and allies from all sectors, and employs a broad, holistic definition of sustainability. One founding member wrote in her institutional newsletter, “SustainRT will give us a place within ALA to share best practices, research and help galvanize our efforts.”
Committees
The ongoing work of the round table shall be carried out by its standing committees. The executive board may create or dissolve standing committees. Dissolution of a standing committee requires a two-thirds majority vote at two consecutive ALA Annual Conferences. Appointments to standing committee vacancies, including the chair, are made by the SustainRT Coordinator-Elect. Committee appointments are for two-year terms, renewable once for another two-year term, except for the initial appointments to a new committee which may be staggered. Committee chairs are appointed for one-year terms from among the membership of the committee. Committee chairs may be appointed for an additional year. (SustainRT Bylaws, VII. Committees)
We invite you to serve on a committee; see our volunteer form . Committee service requires current membership in SustainRT and the American Library Association.
