In a recent issue of Library Journal I read about Jill Bourne who is the Deputy City Librarian at the San Francisco Public Library. She made news as a Mover and Shaker in the Library world because, through her initiatives, all SFPL branches now recycle and will begin composting this year. Composting? At the library? I wasn’t sure what this would look like at a library. I imagined possibly that the leaves or grass clippings around the library were thrown onto a compost pile somewhere in the corner of their property. I was wrong – their food scraps and other biodegradable materials are picked up by the city!

I emailed Jill who told me:

The simple answer is that composting includes all sorts of things, from paper to rubber bands to food scraps to food containers, etc. Everything that was once alive may be composted. San Francisco has passed numerous local laws that require restaurants to use biodegradable containers and plastics, so that helps. SFPL is even launching corn-plastic library cards next month – not that we want people to compost them, but at least they won’t end up in a landfill someday.

She also sent me a link to The Department of The Environment. If you click on their “Office Composting” link you can see Office Composting in action. Wow! That was all very inspiring to me. (And sad because I feel like NH is a little behind in this department.)

And this reminded me of my failed attempt at indoor composting, also known as Vermicomposting, using red wriggler earthworms. I read about indoor composting in favorite magazine (The Vegetarian Times). Their October 2008 article, Composting 101 was a great introduction to composting for all types of living situations. I don’t have the luxury of a back yard or a place to put an outdoor compost bin. "Composting 101" told me about red wigglers which can stay in a bin indoors and eat all your organic material. Unfortunately my good intentions ended when an infestation of awful black tiny bugs made me shelve my vermicomposting endeavor - at least for now - but I’m up for trying it again.

If you are interested in composting and want to know more, we can help with these books:

Secrets to great soil : a grower's guide to composting, mulching, and creating healthy, fertile soil for your garden and lawn by Elizabeth Stell

Backyard composting: your complete guide to recycling yard clippings by Harmonious Technologies

Compost by Clare Foster

All about compost : recycling household and garden waste by Pauline Pears