These libraries in Virginia are redefining the role they play in their community, by starting proven ideas from the ChangeX platform, such as community composting projects and coding programmes.

“People hear big numbers on climate change and sometimes have a hard time boiling it down to actions they can take. They want to act, but they are not sure how,” says Lena Gonzalez Berrios, a public librarian in Virginia.

Lena received $2,500 from the Loudoun County Community Challenge, supported by Microsoft, to start a community composting project at the Montclair Library in Prince William County, Virginia. “With projects like this one, we’re showing people how, saying ‘here’s some tools, here’s some information’,” she explains.

For Lena, who has composted for her whole adult life, the funding from the Loudoun County Community Challenge represented an opportunity to share her passion with others. “In this area, a lot of people are environmentally conscious but they live fast-paced busy lives, with lots of commuters. So a lot of people think they don’t have the time or space to compost.”

The ripple effect

Working alongside her colleagues at the library, she saw an opportunity for the library to play a role in educating people about composting. “We wanted to show them that composting is simple and can be adapted to your lifestyle, and we wanted to equip people to do what they can at home,” she explains.

Using the funding from the Challenge, Lena and her team purchased 65 composting bins, which they distributed to local households.

“It has an exponential effect. With that many people composting at home, there’s a significant reduction in the amount of organic matter going into landfill.”

By combining the composting project with other initiatives, such as upcycling craft programmes, Lena and her team were able to further reduce the quantity of material destined for landfill in their community.

They also put together about 300 DIY composting kits in compostable folded newspaper pockets, with resources such as ‘how to build a compost bin’ and badges made out of used seed and flower catalogues. These kits were available at the library, and formed part of a wider display on composting that Lena says acted as a “conversation starter” for many library patrons.

DIY packs

Badges made out of used seed and flower catalogues

“With an opportunity to have those conversations, that passion for the idea becomes contagious and you get other people excited about it too. Then it builds momentum and the impact spreads wider,” Lena says. For example, a local Girl Scout leader asked about the kits and ended up taking about 20 to use with her Girl Scout troop and their families during a summer camp.

Building new skills

Alongside Montclair Library, other library branches at Prince William Public Libraries (PWPL) in Virginia also started projects with funding from the Loudoun County Community Challenge, such as coding projects and pollinator gardens.

For example, $500 funding from the Challenge allowed Bull Run Library to start an Hour of Code project. “Our goal was to enhance our science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programmes and make STEM education available to children from low-income families in the area we serve,” says PWPL’s Michaela Hamiary Janotova.

“Public libraries play an important role in making STEM education available to all and giving children who do not have access to paid after-school programmes the opportunity to explore this area,” she says. “With the help of this grant, we offered a series of interactive coding programmes, where participants learned the basics of coding and had a chance to collaborate during an online session and then work independently at home on various coding projects.”

Coding projects from Bull Run Library

Coding projects from Bull Run Library

The funding from the Loudoun County Community Challenge was used to purchase Take-and-Make Coding Kits, which participants in the interactive coding sessions could pick up at the library and take home, allowing them to develop their skills independently. The library also continues to use these coding items during a variety of STEM programmes.

Lasting impact

Lena believes that the composting project has already had a significant impact in her local community.

“I’ve seen that people are making lifestyle changes. They are interested to learn more, and they are making changes day-to-day.”

As part of the project, the team at Montclair Library donated composting books and shared resources and lesson plans with local schools to encourage them to begin their own composting projects. Lena explains that they’ve also added new books to the public library collection to make it easier for people to learn more about composting.

The team at Montclair Library are planning a series of gardening talks in the coming months, and would like to add a pollinator garden outside the library building.

The coding project at Bull Run Library has also proved a success. About 20 children participated in the first coding session in March 2021. This was held virtually as a result of Covid-19. Overall more than 140 children from the local community participated in the coding sessions and benefited from the coding kits purchased.

“​​The Hour of Code programme was very well received, with survey responses from our participants showing that our patrons want more of this type of content,” says Gregory Fahey, PWPL librarian, who led the programme.

“This positive reception has allowed us to plan and begin adding more coding classes to our calendar,” he says. “We are looking forward to future programmes of this type, and the collaboration with educators these will encourage.”

Libraries as community hubs

“At first, projects like composting and pollinator gardens don’t look like they are what people consider to be ‘library’ initiatives, but they have been very successful in our communities,” said Deborah Wright, PWPL director.

“Libraries are no longer just buildings with books in them. They are hubs within communities and have the power to drive change. Community building and community-responsive enrichment are two of Prince William Public Libraries’ seven strategic goals, and support from Microsoft and ChangeX helped us progress toward these goals.”

For Lena, libraries have a unique role to play as a focal point within a community. “A library is definitely a community meeting place,” she says.

“Over the last couple of years, a lot of people have been very isolated. So it’s even more important for us to offer whatever we can to give people an opportunity to connect. Libraries are adaptable and continuously pivot to ensure what we do is super responsive to community needs.”

Inspired by this story? Start a community composting project or Hour of Code in your community today!