Corporate Social Responsibility
Beyond business as usual...
The British Library occupies three main sites (in central London, Colindale and Boston Spa in Yorkshire). It wants to be a good local, national, and international neighbour by having a positive impact on our communities, and being of greater public benefit by doing that which is 'beyond business as usual'.
What are we doing now?
None of our waste goes to landfill – and most is incinerated to generate electricity
- We recycle glass, toner cartridges, batteries, wood, metal, food waste, paper, cans and plastics in our offices and public spaces. In 2008 we increased the proportion of recycled waste from 30% to 55% of the total (by weight)
- We are working with London Green500 on a carbon monitoring service to significantly reduce our carbon emissions
- We offer a tax-free cycle to work scheme which passes on tax and national insurance savings to staff
- 15 staff in Yorkshire and 13 in London have given up their own time to help schoolchildren with their reading: 750 hours in total
- In 2008/09 we participated in the National Year of Reading and The Times ‘Books for Schools’
The Big Read: at the British Library Conference Centre
What’s next?
- To reduce our environmental impact in office stationery, paper and IT supplies by a further 5% in 2009/10
- To support READ International as our corporate community initiative for 2009/10
- To provide further opportunities to SMEs by supporting a diverse supply base, in addition to greater competition and innovation in public sector procurement
World Book Day: St Michael's School, Camden Town
- We’re Going on a Bear Hunt [Windows Media video 1 min 12 secs]
St Michael’s reception student Isabel Edwards made her own eBook after a family holiday. Her teacher, Rowena Bernstein, was so amazed at the 5-year-old’s creation that she showed staff at the Library when they were visiting the school on World Book Day. Duly impressed, we wanted to showcase Isabel’s achievement!
We are proud to work with the following:
- READ International
- Employers Forum on Disability / Religion and Belief / Age
- Leeds Society for the Deaf
- Camden Education Business Partnership
- The Work Foundation
- London Green500
- Times Books for Schools
- Reading for Life
- Barnet / Camden / Leeds councils
Dame Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of the British Library, said:
“Although this year was the first of many along our journey to become a benchmark for organisational global citizenship and a library for the future, I am very honoured to report that within its first year the CSR Working Group has highlighted and pursued numerous projects and goals. I greatly look forward to how the Library evolves in the years to come.”
