The “Less Paper” Library and Its Effects on Environment, Economy and Efficiency

Abstract

Abstract
During the last 40 years, people began talking about the option of a “paperless library”. The concept of electronic format has been emerging out, i.e., everything is available on the internet; everything is now in electronic form so there is no need of paper. It coincided with the advent of the personal computer, and the hope was that all documents could be processed electronically and that paper would become inappropriate. Actually, paper utilization is still increasing, elevated to extremely high levels. Paper continues to predominate in most of the activities that involve information work, knowledge work, reading and collaboration. New ways of using paper are being devised daily. Vast use of paper causes a wide range of ecological damages. So by using less of it, we can push many environmental buttons at once like we can reduce our force on forests, cut energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, limit water, air and other pollutions and produce less waste. The paper also continues to store carbon throughout its lifetime. Recycling plays an important role in the sustainability of the environment. So unlike other materials, we should try to use renewable substance for paper making. The best contribution that society can make towards responsible paper consumption is by contributing to recycling, by separating used paper from other residues and putting them in the appropriate containers. This paper explores how to use paper more responsibly, reduce the amount of paper that library uses and effectively make service improvement from a cost, communication, and environmental standpoint.
Keywords: Less paper, Ecological damage, Library, Carbon Footprint

Cite this Article
Nida Khan, Dolly Kumari. The ―Less Paper‖ Library and Its Effects on Environment, Economy and Efficiency. Journal of Advancements in Library Sciences. 2016; 3(1): 13–17p.