Examine green efforts on our planet at library
An exhibit that examines the successes, shortcomings and impact of the green movement on our global village will be on display through Dec. 30 at Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin.
Curated by the Northern Illinois University Museum Studies Program, “Green Scale: Weighing in on the Green Movement” asks if the benefits of being “green” outweigh the disadvantages and invites visitors to examine both sides of the scale through the evidence provided.
An opening reception for the exhibit will take place at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 12, in the library’s rotunda. Elgin Mayor Dave Kaptain will be the keynote speaker. Hear about the Cool City Award presented by the Sierra Club and the city’s sustainability efforts. Refreshments will be served and the city will give away compact fluorescent light bulbs, which use less energy and last longer than incandescent light bulbs.
“Elgin: A LEEDer in Green Initiatives,” a movie by local Einstein Academy students, also will debut. It will feature a number of buildings in the area that utilize sustainable infrastructures.
Other “green” events complementing the exhibit will include an electronic recycling event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 17 in the library parking lot. Elgin Recycling will accept discarded electronics such as cellphones, computers, laptops, VCRs and TVs in the north parking area of the library. For a complete list of eligible items, go to www.elginrecycling.com/electronics/.
Also on the “green” agenda is a bus tour of four of Elgin’s LEED buildings at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18. Participants will visit four sites in Elgin that have specific energy-efficient design elements: the Harm A. Weber Academic Center at Judson University, the Fox River Water Reclamation District Building, Sherman Hospital and Gail Borden Library’s Rakow Branch. Professor Keelan Kaiser, Chair of the Department of Architecture at Judson University, will host the tour. The tour is free but registration is required.
Other complementary components of the Green Scale exhibit will include a large demonstration model of a wind turbine on loan from Elgin resident Casey Panichi and an art exhibit created from found objects by 5ive Outside and other local artists.
Another sustainability practice that the library continually features (for over 100 years since 1874) is the loaning of items so that many individuals can read the same copy of a book and watch the same DVD of a movie. In 2011, the library circulated over 2 million items.