Susan Elko
Digital Libraries (17:610:553) Fall 2015
Term Project Final Report
The Green Digital Library
The Green Digital Library is a virtual resource to educate and inspire eco-conscious individuals
to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Prototype: www.greendlibrary.net
About The Green Digital Library
Description: So many decisions we make in our daily lives have a major impact on our
environment. This digital library provides information for individuals to learn about the issues
that face our planet and inspire more environmentally-conscious living decisions. Our ecofriendly actions can have a lasting effect and reduce our environmental footprint. This website
will strive to collect information, videos, and website links for the purpose of eco-friendly living.
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The Green Digital Library - Susan Elko
Background: This idea of a digital library devoted to information on environmental awareness
came from my work at the reference desk at the public library. At least once a month, I have a
patron asking for information on recycling in our area. I find that our patrons are interested in
these issues and their impact on their environment, but the information is scattered in several
locations: local trash removal companies, township recycling efforts, and county-wide programs.
A digital library acting as a one-stop source of information would increase the environmental
awareness as well as share practical guidelines and resources that would affect the impact our
community has on the world around us.
Purpose
This digital library is connected to the Bucks County Library System (http://buckslib.org/). It was
created to help our patrons develop environmental awareness and provide information for
making small lifestyle adjustments that will lesson our ecological footprint. We strive to provide
information from authoritative sources as well as practical recommendations and guidelines
from local agencies. By informing the residents of Bucks County and beyond, we hope to
empower those with the interest to make ecologically-conscious choices. If you are excited
about the potential of developing sustainable living approaches and have more questions,
please contact the library for more information (http://buckslib.org/contact-us/)!
Objectives
So many decisions we make in our daily lives have a major impact on our environment. This
digital library provides information for individuals to learn about the issues that face our planet
and inspire more environmentally-conscious living decisions. Our eco-friendly actions can have
a lasting effect and reduce our environmental footprint. This website will strive to collect
information, videos, and website links for the purpose of eco-friendly living.
Since the 1970s, air and water quality has vastly improved through the efforts of the
environmental movement. Despite this progress we are still faced with challenges, some of
them now critical. The message of environmental sustainability has hit mainstream American.
We can become part of the solution by becoming educated on current environmental issues and
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taking responsibility for our own sustainability through our everyday behavior. There is a lot we
can do to encourage and support this exciting process.
User Information
The intended audience of this website is the public library patrons of the Bucks County Library
System. Currently, Bucks County is comprised of roughly 608 square miles of land. There are
approximately 620,000 people within 23 boroughs and 31 townships. The website is directed to
the citizens of this area who are interested in environmentally-conscious decisions for
themselves, their families, or their businesses. The intended user are the community citizens,
young students looking for eco-friendly activities, and educators looking for information and
activities about the environment. This information is for those users looking for specific
information needs: conservation tips, recycling drop-off locations, and craft activities for children.
In addition, this website is also for the purpose to inspire and engage the user in learning new
environmental projects, reading current ecological news stories and becoming an interactive
member in their community.
Methods
One of our main goals is to provide current and practical knowledge of environmental issues
from scientific and authoritative news sources. Only by informing the public about these
important issues can we understand the crucial need to protect our Earth’s resources. I chose to
only include sources from reputable news institutions, reliable science resources, and
government organizations. I chose not to include blogs, which I found interesting information,
but were written by nonprofessionals. In the future, I hope to include a section for community
involvement, comments and links to blogs on green living.
This website is making available resource materials on the internet in a more organized fashion,
in one place and easy to access. Content is presented in videos, text and links to information.
These collections will be both browseable and searchable with a search feature on every page.
The website was created using WordPress, which is used at our branch library. . It is a free
program that allows users to create a website without using html code. It is quite easy to use
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and gives many options for design. I intend to link the digital library to the Bucks County Library
System’s website for the patrons’ use. I also intend to continue to make revision to this website
beyond this class to provide ongoing information relevant to our patrons.
The top menu of the digital library navigation bar will assist users in finding a certain type of
resource. This would include conservation, recycling, information for kids, and resources. I
collected and evaluated a variety of websites, articles, and news feeds to find the best
resources to include in this digital library. Resources include articles, videos, website links,
books and magazines. Each page of the digital library has a simple search box enabling the
user to search for a resource with natural language.
The interface of the digital library was designed for usability, meaning it should support a
positive user interaction. Users should be able to easily use a site with easy accessibility, with
clear navigation and site structure. The interface was meant to be visually appealing and
consistent throughout the library. Searching options for specific information needs and browsing
features will enhance user experience.
Website Structure
1. Home
a. Mission Statement
b. Current articles of environmental interest
c. Sidebar –
i. Search box
ii. RSS feeds to EPA, Nature Conservancy, etc
2. Conservation
a. Energy conservation in the home
b. Water conservation
c. Local resources for conservation
3. Recycling
a. Recycling issues
b. Local resources for recycling
4. Kids
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a. Kid-friendly information/videos
b. Activities
5. Resources
a. Websites
b. Magazines/Periodicals
c. Books from BCFL and links to check out
6. About – Purpose and Objective
Subject Scope
The subject scope includes different elements of environmental issues including general
environmental news, energy conservation, water conservation, local Bucks County conservation
resources, recycling guidelines, local recycling resources, and environmental news and
activities for younger users. The content is in the form of text articles, videos, books, magazines
and links to reliable and reputable information on government and science institutional websites.
The content in the digital library was evaluated to be a good representation of the available
literature and information. It was organized in a way that is clear and easy to understand for the
user. Since all content is digital-born and from public accessible websites, there are no
copyright issues at this time. But care should be given to future content with the respective
copyright and access limitations.
Collection Content
The Green Digital Library will focus on collecting a variety of resources in one place for library
patrons to search, access and use. At this time, the digital library does not have any primary
source materials-no material written specifically for the site. The links give easy access to a
great many resources from all around the internet. The following is a list of sources:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (http://www2.epa.gov/learn-issues/learnabout-greener-living)

The Sierra Club (http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/green-life)
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
Nature Conservancy (http://www.nature.org/greenliving/)

U.S.
Department
of Energy (http://www.energy.gov/science-innovation/energy-
efficiency)

Energy Star (https://www.energystar.gov/campaign/)

Renewable Energy World (http://renewableenergyworld.com)

Science News (https://www.sciencenews.org/)

ScienceDaily (http://www.sciencedaily.com/)

PopTech (http://poptech.org/)

The Why Files (http://whyfiles.org/)

LiveScience (http://www.livescience.com/)

Living on Earth (Public Radio International) (http://loe.org/index.html)

Planet Earth (http://www.nerc.ac.uk/latest/publications/planetearth/)

Encyclopedia of Earth (http://www.eoearth.org/)

Solutions Journal (http://www.thesolutionsjournal.com/)

National Science Digital Library (https://nsdl.oercommons.org/)

National Science Foundation (http://www.nsf.gov/)
To achieve the goal of more sustainable living, local agencies have provided information,
guidelines and

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (http://www.dsireusa.org/)

Bucks County Recycling Program
(http://www.buckscounty.org/government/communityservices/planningcommission/R
ecycling)

Local Hazardous Waste Removal
(http://www.buckscounty.org/government/communityservices/planningcommission/R
ecycling)

Bucks County Recycling Guide (http://buckscountyalive.com/green/recycle.cfm)

Bucks County Conservation District (http://www.bucksccd.org/) and facebook page
(https://www.facebook.com/Bucks-County-Conservation-District-309465952962/)

Volunteer opportunities for the Bucks County Conservation District
(http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/org297140.jsp)
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
The Nature Conservancy of Pennsylvania
(http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/pennsylvania/i
ndex.htm)
To offer support in this exciting effort, many resources can be used including articles in
magazines:

The Green Guide (http://www.thegreenguide.com/)

Prevention (http://www.prevention.com/)

Southern Living (http://southernliving.com)
Books were selected from the Bucks County Library System on the subjects of sustainability,
conservation, recycling, environmental awareness, and ecology (http://buckslib.org/).
Representation
Content was classified in four different categories: conservation (energy and water), recycling,
kids (including activities) and resources. These groupings are consistent with the menu items in
the website. Care was taken to classify, label and describe each resource, of which includes
website links, videos, books and magazines. Descriptions are given to provide the library user
adequate information in resource selection.
Metadata, data describing the library’s information, is also required for the user to effectively find
information. Metadata descriptions can be added to the HTML code of the website. Dublin Core
metadata standard is a simple and effective 15 element set for describing a wide range of
networked resources. These fifteen elements are commonly understood semantics including
title, author, subject, publisher, date, format, and description.
Maintenance and Cost
It is essential, after the website is completed, to update it constantly because of the changing
nature of the content. The website content will be updated with the latest information about
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conservation and recycling. Utilizing library staff to update and maintain the website is
reasonable because they have the knowledge to do so properly. In order for our patrons to stay
inspired and engaged, new information, articles, and videos need to have fresh content. The
digital library team will continually check the site with monthly meetings to change, add, or
delete content on the website. The team is responsible for ensuring that the site is checked on a
monthly basis for broken code, out of date content, and other technical issues.
The digital library is integrated with social media outlets, with the ability to follow on Twitter or
Facebook. This is a great way to let the users know that we have new content and stay current
with evolving information. The main benefit to using social media in the digital library is to
connect with users and create an interactive community. User feedback and communication can
be very beneficial to a new website to help determine the needs of the public.
The cost of maintaining this digital library will initially be relatively low. Minimal staff would be
required to maintain, evaluate, and upload content. If information is to be kept current and
assessed on its reliability, then staff may need to increase and costs may rise.
Preservation
Preservation is necessary for the long-term survival of this and any digital library. It will include
site management and updates to be sure that the pages within the site remain relevant in terms
of both content and browser requirements.
Ideally, the site would be preserved through digital archiving of pertinent materials. This could
be done in conjunction with the digital preservation of the overall Bucks County Library website.
This is done physically, by backing up data in multiple places, such as on several different hard
drives. Preservation will also be accomplished by saving that data in multiple formats to ensure
that obsolescence does not occur. This will include all files that are often changing such as
images, blogs, videos, and RSS feeds..
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Potential improvements
Currently, the website offers a basic keyword search function. Advanced searching options
using subjects, dates, and formats would enhance the user’s experience and provide more
accurate search results.
It would be beneficial for both the library and the users if an active user community can be
developed. Presently, there is contact information and links to social media. In the future, a
Facebook page devoted to these environmental topics would be beneficial to spread information
on upcoming events. A blog or comment section devoted to user feedback would also be
beneficial in sharing information and evaluating the effectiveness of the digital library. This
component would require more effort for the digital library team in terms of frequent posts to
social media and assessing users’ comments.
It is the intention to provide this digital library as an additional service to the Bucks County
Library System digital presence. Cooperative effort between the two entities including guest
speakers and sponsored drop-off recycling events would broaden the audience of both libraries
and support the mission of servicing the overall community. The subject area of this digital
library can incorporate most library patrons, both adults and children. A children or teen focused
environmental sustainability website can branch off from this initial idea to service their specific
needs.
Further evaluation of The Green Digital Library would ensure the intended effectiveness. Use of
user surveys, focus groups and online statistical reports should be analyzed to confirm that the
website is functioning as an informative and beneficial resource. Evaluation should be focused
on the technology elements (do videos play effectively, does the website load quickly),
collection content (is the user community adequately serviced by the digital library, is the
content sufficient), and user perspective (access sufficient, user has positive experience).
Usability studies can help improve the digital library for more beneficial future use.
Hi Suzan,
Thanks for your final term project paper.
As in the past, I went on and tried to record audio comments. Unfortunately, something
happened to my computer and the use of the particular program – Adobi Soundbooth – that I
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use for recording; the recording simply does not work. I tried zillion things, but not successfully.
Bummer, bummer, bummer. On top – I had hours wasted in trying to fix this.
Therefore, instead of giving you detailed audio comments and evaluations as I did for your
proposal and progress report, I am retorting back to the age old method of writing.
You produced a fine paper. This is detailed and readily made for implementation at Bucks
County Library System. I looked at the library site but could not find the green library – probably
my fault, but check it anyhow.
This is a most is a most interesting project and the way it is designed, it invites one to look in
more detail. I was fascinated with some of You Tube videos.
You have comprehensive coverage of all main aspects for a green digital library and a very
good plan to follow.
Thus, I hope that you will continue with the project to fruition and develop the site as you
designed it.
As usual, costs will be a major issue and you will have to undertake an effort to elaborate on
them.
Make some presentations about the project all over the county. Promote it!
I will be glad to be of help in the future.
Congratulations! This is a great example of a double dip. Will be included as a sample of
projects for next semester.
Best,
Tefko
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