Presentation Title: Garden Focus Library Programming: A Green Team Project

Presenter(s): Beatriz Martinez, School of Information

Abstract: The presentation I am submitting is from a group project we completed this past fall semester. I submitted it on behalf of my team at the suggestion of my professor and it is approximately 9 minutes long. For my course INFO 282 Libraries Take the Lead on Sustainability, I worked on a library programming project in a group of 3. We called ourselves the Trees Amigos. As a team we developed a garden focused library program. Our garden focused library program comprises many different forms of activities and events because we felt strongly about promoting sustainable gardening to all patron demographics. The objective of our program is to raise awareness of the environmental and personal benefits of gardening and help the community learn how to create/maintain a garden of their own. Gardening has multiple environmental benefits such as reducing your carbon footprint by growing your own food, increasing access to fresh and better produce, eliminating food deserts, improving soil, water and air quality and reducing waste. Furthermore, there are a number of personal benefits as well. Studies have shown that gardening leads to increased self-esteem, improved memory, helps combat loneliness, builds strength, teaches responsibility, adds to an individuals sense of purpose, brings neighborhoods/communities together, improves dexterity, improves sleep, etc. Our presentation is a detailed outline of our plan to bring libraries into all communities.

Link to Recorded Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tNaAeJ9WhdY3IhbetUkBfebR4imGEG9D/view?usp=sharing