Environmental Education is a “Natural” Fit for Libraries, Says Syracuse U Professor

Marilyn Arnone, a School of Information Studies (iSchool) Research Associate Professor and Associate Professor of Practice with Syracuse University, was recently awarded a Carnegie-Whitney Grant by the American Library Association. Arnone now resides in North Carolina and recently became a North Carolina Certified Environmental Educator.

Arnone received the grant for a project that helps librarians and educators pair fiction and nonfiction books on environmental topics. In addition to being a valuable tool for teachers and librarians, the searchable paired booklist will assist higher education faculty who teach future librarians and will serve as a resource for promoting interest in reading environmental content.

This isn’t the first time Arnone has embarked on a large project to educate future librarians about the value of collaborating with nonformal environmental education programs and providers. As part of completing the North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program, she produced the “Nature Librarians” website and video series that showcases what innovative community libraries and children's and youth services’ librarians are doing to provide their communities with nature-based activities and programs for children and families. “I loved doing this project and it gave North Carolina librarians some fresh ideas for nature programming,” Arnone said.

In addition to teaching her current courses, Arnone introduced a new course for the spring of 2016 on environmental programming for librarians.

When asked if obtaining her environmental education certification advanced her career, she said, “It helped prepare me to teach librarians in the Library and Information Science program at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies how to integrate environmental programming into their efforts to serve their communities.”

To read more about Arnone and her Carnegie-Whitney Grant, visit Syracuse University School of Information Studies website at https://ischool.syr.edu/articles/news/view/arnone-griffin-carnegie-whitney-grant-ala/