The Stetson-Sawyer Project is seeking LEED certification from the US Green Building Council for the project's principal buildings, including New Sawyer Library. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Enviromental Design) is a national standard for buildings that make efficient use of energy and which support efforts to create markets for innovative products whose carbon footprint is as modest as possible.

Information on the level of the LEED certification of the two new academic buildings is expected to be made public in Fall 2008. Planning for New Sawyer Library is still underway, but the College expects to seek the highest LEED certification level that is consistent with the project budget and the preservation requirements of Stetson Hall, the historic building that anchors the library phase of the project.

For additional information on sustainability efforts at Williams, see the Sustainability at Williams website, maintained by the Zilkha Center.

Sustainability-related announcements:

• Commonwealth of Massachusetts announces grant (PDF) for installation of 27 KW photovoltaic system on roof of Library Shelving Facility, 25 April 2008.
  
  

INTRODUCING THE LIBRARY SHELVING FACILITY
Strategies for using built space efficiently have included the construction of the Library Shelving Facility (LSF) , about 1.5 miles from campus on Rt. 2, where thousands of government documents and serials will be housed in an industrial structure.
This photo provides a sense of the scale of the LSF. Access to shelving will be available only by a mechanized lift. Collections include material from Sawyer Library, the Chapin Rare Books Library, and the Williams College Archives and Special Collections. More photos of the LSF construction project are available here.