A Greenport librarian has been selected for a multi-state training program aimed at helping small and rural libraries prepare their communities for climate challenges and build local resilience.

Floyd Memorial Library’s Chris Bianchi was one of 40 librarians across four states chosen for Sustainable Library Initiative’s Community Resilience through Small and Rural Libraries Pilot Training, which will help participants develop locally relevant resilience projects with nearby partners.

Mr. Bianchi, the library’s reference and local history librarian, was announced as one of the 10 New Yorkers selected on June 16. Librarians were also chosen from California, Iowa and Massachusetts.

The pilot program was designed to support public library staff in smaller and rural communities serving populations of 25,000 or fewer. Each library also received $750 to support participation in the program, which runs through December.

“It’s been a goal of mine since I started as director to work toward having the Library declared ‘certified sustainable,’” library director Ellen Nasto said. “This is a fantastic first step toward that goal. We’re so pleased Chris was selected.”

The program will result in up to 40 library-led initiatives focused on mitigating or adapting to climate hazards, while strengthening relationships between libraries and local community organizations working on climate adaptation. The pilot process will inform the refinement of a scalable training model to help libraries find practical ways to apply community resilience strategies.

Mr. Bianchi said he hopes to collaborate with some local North Fork organizations, such as ReWild and the Group for the East End, which he included in his application.

With Floyd Memorial Library being an older building, surrounded by water, and with the North Fork’s unique environment, he said the opportunity felt especially important.

He said he hopes to “make our building more sustainable and bring awareness to the community, to the residents out here of what information we can provide to connect people with resources that are relevant to their community, and they can implement in their houses as well.”

The six-month training will include live virtual sessions, asynchronous project work and live virtual training and working groups by cohort. Cohorts are broken up by state.

Initiatives will integrate the National Climate Action Strategy for Libraries into daily operations. The strategy focuses on three aspects: climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation and community resilience, and climate justice work.

“What an honor to have Chris Bianchi and our Greenport library selected for this very distinct honor,” Mayor Kevin Stuessi said. “Floyd Memorial Library, led by Executive Director Ellen Nasto, continues to shine with community engagement, the arts, and now climate resiliency education.“

The post Greenport librarian chosen for sustainable initiatives pilot program appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

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