Seems like we could do a form of tree testing with patrons. The question will be, what tasks do we give them? And what categories do we propose for the tree topics?
* Metadata plugboards: Allow you to perform sophisticated transformations on the metadata of a book when exporting it from the calibre library. * User defined columns are now fully integrated into calibre
This menu lists the most commonly requested library instruction topics, along with an approximate time for each topic to be covered. We use active learning to engage students, which improves learning but also takes more time.
I've only managed to find one report – on the Kindle (by The Cleantech Group) – but it backs up suggestions that so long as e-readers are used as book replacements rather than supplements, they soon start to pay back in carbon terms. The report states that a book uses up "approximately 7.46 kilograms of CO2 over its lifetime" and that the Kindle produces "roughly 168 kg" during its lifecycle, making it "a clear winner against the potential savings: 1,074 kg of CO2 if replacing three books a month for four years; and up to 26,098 kg of CO2 when used to the fullest capacity of the Kindle."
But to give a rough idea, a 500-page paperback (such as Zadie Smith's White Teeth) will typically account for around 2.5 kg of carbon dioxide emissions per copy.
Over the course of a year there are 130,000 titles published in the UK, which generally means over 240 million books are printed. The sums speak for themselves.
So, how many volumes do you need to read on your e-reader to break even?
With respect to fossil fuels, water use and mineral consumption, the impact of one e-reader payback equals roughly 40 to 50 books. When it comes to global warming, though, it’s 100 books; with human health consequences, it’s somewhere in between.