Published: April 21, 2024 by Nicole Azof

Please join the SJSU iSchool in celebrating Earth Day 2024 as we honor the achievements of librarians who have joined the global movement to preserve our world.

The first celebrations of Earth Day go back to April 22nd, 1970 when Senator Gaylord Nelson started encouraging students and people to fight for environmental causes (Source: Library of Congress). Since then, billions have called attention to the importance of working together to protect the planet and create a more sustainable world. That same year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created to protect public health and the environment. This year, Earth Day’s theme is Planet Vs. Plastics calling to build a plastic-free planet.

Loida Garcia-Febo will deliver a keynote address, drawing on her experience as a library advocate at the United Nations and as Chair of the ALA United Nations Subcommittee. She will highlight how libraries and librarians around the world are contributing to preserving our planet. We will also have two panelists, Erin Hollingsworth and Laura London, who will share their experiences living, working, and contributing to preserving the planet in the Arctic and Antarctic. 

Erin Hollingsworth lives and works as a school librarian in the Arctic, traveling on a bush airplane to serve a vast area. Laura London is a branch manager in Colorado who took a sabbatical to serve at the McMurdo Station in Antarctica. 

Join us on Tuesday, April 23rd, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Time for our EDI symposium, “From Antarctica to Alaska: Librarians joining the global movement to preserve our world,” and hear incredible stories of librarian superheroes saving our planet! 

Click here to register for our FREE symposium (space is limited).