Connecticut College’s Lending Library Recognized by AASHE

Creating an equitable world can start with something as simple as lending a book.

That’s the premise behind Connecticut College’s Lending Library, which was recently highlighted in the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) 2018 Sustainable Campus Index for its effort to address the issue of textbook affordability.

The Lending Library allows students to rent a textbook at no cost for the duration of a semester or a period of time, free of charge. Created in 2013 by a collaboration between Conn’s Office of Sustainability and the Office of Residential Education & Living (REAL), the Lending Library initially contained books collected by students and faculty at the end of the year. In 2016, the Library added new high-cost textbooks for high enrollment courses to further increase free access. The Lending Library has approximately 2,000 books.

“The Lending Library is a truly innovative program run by students, for students, to help address the rising cost of textbooks,” said Margaret Bounds, assistant director of sustainability at Conn. “We are very excited that AASHE chose to highlight this program in the Sustainable Campus Index.”

The annual index highlights innovative and high-impact initiatives from colleges and universities. Connecticut College is an institutional member of AASHE and received a Silver rating for its sustainability initiatives in 2018.

Sustainability is a top priority at Conn, as the College is finalizing a new sustainability plan for the next ten years. Learn more about our current projects.