Almost a year ago, the City of Santa Monica cut the ribbon to its solar-panel-topped, low-VOC-paint-wearing Main Library. Now, the Santa Monica Public Library wants to encourage sustainability within its silver-LEED-certified walls -- by encouraging green literature.

Today, the Santa Monica Public Library announced the Green Prize for Sustainable Literature, created to "encourage and commend authors, illustrators, and publishers who produce quality books that make significant contributions to, support the ideas of, and broaden public awareness of sustainability." Four Green Prizes -- one each in Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Youth Fiction, and Youth Nonfiction categories -- will be awarded in September 2007.

The prize is sponsored by the library and the City of Santa Monica's Environmental Programs Division, whose Sustainable City Plan defines sustainability as "meeting current needs – environmental, economic and social – without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same."

To be eligible, books must have been published in the US in 2006 and submitted by April 30, 2007. If you have a favorite green book that might qualify (might WorldChanging's very own book be a contender?), let the author or publisher know! More information and instructions for submission are on the Green Prize for Sustainable Literature website.