SDSU University Library
Sarah Tribelhorn

Sarah Tribelhorn (she/her/hers)

Sciences and Sustainability Librarian

ORCID iD
Academic Rank: Associate Librarian; Tenured
(619) 594-2777
stribelhorn@sdsu.edu

Office: Library Addition 1101C
University Library,
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive,
San Diego, CA 92182-8050

Biography

Sarah Tribelhorn has been a library faculty member at San Diego State University since mid-summer 2022. Sarah is the Sciences and Sustainability Librarian, with a background in Ichthyology and Fisheries Science. Her areas of interest include sustainability in academic libraries, enhancing information literacy and scholarship, particularly in STEM, while ensuring information availability, accessibility, and dissemination. She has extensive experience in metadata and indexing, editing, and building scientific bibliographic research databases, and writing and editing scientific research. She has an MS from Rhodes University, South Africa, and an MMLIS from the University of Southern California.

Professional History
  • Sciences and Sustainability Librarian, 2022—Present
    San Diego State University
Education
  • Master of Management in Library and Information Science, University of Southern California, 2020—2022
Qualifications
  • Master of Science, Rhodes University, 1995
Service
  • Co-Editor-in-Chief, 2025—Present
    Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship
  • Coordinator, 2025—2026
    Sustainability Round Table, American Library Association
  • Publicity Officer, 2024—2026
    Science and Technology Committee, Association of College and Research Libraries
Memberships
  • 2022—Present
    Association of College and University Libraries
  • 2022—Present
    California Academic and Research Libraries
  • 2022—Present
    International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
  • 2021—Present
    Research and User Services, American Library Association
  • 2020—Present
    American Library Association

  • 2020—Present
    Sustainability Round Table, American Library Association
Grants
  • Showcasing SDSU Campus Sustainability Initiatives Through Linked Data on the Web, San Diego State University, 2024-2025, 6,750 USD

Scholarship

Academic Publications

Navigating Institutional Landscapes: Grassroots Sustainability in Library Contexts
Neyda V. Gilman; Dan Hackborn; Beth Filar Williams; Sarah Tribelhorn; Vivienne Byrd
Electronic Green Journal, 2026, journal article
PlumX Metrics
Academic libraries Environmentalism Libraries Organizational change Public libraries Sustainability
Practicing More of What We Profess: Turning Our Sustainability Impact Lens Inward
Laura Rees; Sara Soderstrom; Beth Filar Williams; Sarah Tribelhorn; Brandon Trelstad
Business & Society, 2026, journal article PlumX Metrics
Academic libraries Organizational behavior Professional ethics Responsibility--Social aspects Social responsibility of business Sustainability
Strategic Advancement: Intentionally Aligning University Library Practices with the UN SDGs
Sarah Tribelhorn
Introducing the UN SDGs in Higher Education Institutions, 2026, book chapter
Academic libraries Education, Higher Strategic planning Sustainability Sustainable development Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (United Nations. General Assembly) United Nations
Environmental sustainability and climate action plans in higher education institutions
Jade G. Winn; Sarah Tribelhorn; Dasmine Mcfarlin; Taylor Robinson
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 2026, journal article
PlumX Metrics
Climatic changes Education, Higher Environmental sustainability Strategic planning--Environmental aspects Universities and colleges
The San Diego Circuit: A partnership for social impact.
Margaret Henderson; Sarah Tribelhorn
Case exemplars of how academic libraries promote sustainable communities., 2026, book chapter
Community development Education Misinformation Sustainability Sustainable development

Case exemplars of how academic libraries promote sustainable communities.
Sarah Tribelhorn; Bharat Mehra
Advances in Librarianship, Emerald Publishing, 2026, book
Academic libraries Community development Environmental sustainability Libraries and community Sustainable development
Empowering Sustainability Through Web-Based Information Sharing: Showcasing Campus Sustainability Initiatives Through Linked Data on the Web
Sarah Tribelhorn; Greta Heng
College and Research Libraries News, 2025, journal article
PlumX Metrics
Linked data Sustainability Sustainable development
Editorial: Introduction to the Special Issue on Social Justice
Faheema Mahomed-Asmail; Isabel Altamirano; Ginny Boehme; Karina De Sousa; Jeffra D. Bussmann; Laura Coco; Sam Hansen; Nastasha E. Johnson; Sarah Tribelhorn
Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship, 2024, journal article
Cited by 2 PlumX Metrics
Editorials Scholarly publishing Social justice Special issues
Chapter 5. Non-native fishes and other aquatic species in Namibia
Sarah Tribelhorn; Glenn S. Merron; C.H. Hocutt
Inland fishes and fisheries of Namibia, 2023, book chapter
Aquatic biodiversity Fishes Introduced organisms Namibia
Chapter 4. Namibia’s native inland fishes.
C.H. Hocutt; C.J. Hay; F.J. Jacobs; Glenn S. Merron; B.C.W. van der Waal; Sarah Tribelhorn
Inland fishes and fisheries of Namibia, 2023, book chapter
Freshwater fishes Ichthyology Namibia
Preliminary Investigation of Sustainability Awareness and Activities among Academic Libraries in the United States
Sarah Tribelhorn
The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 2023, journal article Cited by 34 PlumX Metrics
Academic libraries American Library Association Sustainability
Planning for sustainability: Articulating efforts toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Sarah Tribelhorn
College & Research Libraries News, 2023, journal article Cited by 4 PlumX Metrics
Academic libraries Sustainability Sustainable development Sustainable Development Goals (Project)
The development of an ecological model to determine flood release options for the management of the Phongolo floodplain in KwaZulu/Natal (South Africa)
Sarah Tribelhorn
1996, dissertation thesis
Environmental management Fishery management Flood control Floodplain ecology Floodplain management Floodplains

Academic Conferences

Academic libraries as essential colleagues in campus sustainability efforts.
Morgan Barker; Beth Filar Williams; Sarah Tribelhorn
WOHESC 2026, March 2-4, 2026, Seattle, WA, 2026, conference presentation
Academic libraries Campus planning Environmental sustainability Sustainability
Assessing the environmental ethics of artificial intelligence: Applying the SDSU ethical AI assessment tool in academic contexts. [Virtual Presentation]
Michelle Mussuto; Sarah Tribelhorn
CSU Libraries Conference: Building Community, June 2, 2026, 2026, conference presentation
Artificial intelligence Educational technology Environmental ethics San Diego State University
Community-embedded artificial intelligence literacies: Critical frameworks of research, praxis, and authentic impact [Panel]
Bharat Mehra; Sarah Tribelhorn; Kuun Lu; Darra Hofman; Souvick Ghosh
iConference 2026, March 29–April 2, 2026, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, 2026, conference presentation
Academic libraries Artificial intelligence Critical theory Literacy
From catalyst to core: Lessons in sustaining community-driven research via the library [Virtual Presentation]
Sarah Tribelhorn
CAPS 2026, May 26–29, 2026, conference presentation
Academic libraries Community development Libraries Research Science--Citizen participation
Catalysts for sustainability partnerships: Building trust with sustainability stakeholders beyond the library
Theresa Burress; Beth Filar Williams; Christopher Sturgeon; Sarah Tribelhorn
ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition, Poster session, June 25–29, 2026, Chicago, IL, 2026, conference poster
Campus planning Libraries Sustainability Sustainable development Trust

From global to local: How ALA’s UN engagement strengthens libraries and communities
Loida Garcia-Febo; Robin Kear; Sara Benson; Diana Price; Sarah Tribelhorn
ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition, June 25–29, 2026, Chicago, IL., 2026, conference presentation
American Library Association Globalization Libraries Sustainable development Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (United Nations. General Assembly) United Nations
The resilient library: Leveraging the "Triple Bottom Line" to navigate institutional change. [Virtual Presentation]
Sarah Tribelhorn; Amanda Goodset; Beth Filar Williams
LJ & SLJ Sustaining the Future of Academic Libraries, June 15–16, 2026, 2026, conference presentation
Library administration Organizational resilience Strategic planning Sustainability
AI guiding principles at SDSU Library. [Virtual Presentation]
Lucy Campbell; Connor Franklin Rey; Keven Jeffery; Rayyon Robinson; Sarah Tribelhorn
ECAUG 2025 Conference, 2025, conference presentation
Academic libraries Artificial intelligence Machine learning San Diego State University. Library
Creating sustainable libraries: A call to action [Keynote Presentation]
Sarah Tribelhorn
17th Transborder Library Forum, CETYS University, Mexicali, 2025, conference presentation
Libraries Sustainability Sustainable development
Representation and authenticity in AI generated, curated, and mediated Archives
Robert Riter; Zack Lischer-Katz; Bharat Mehra; Alexander Poole; Sarah Tribelhorn; Travis Wagner
88th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology, November 17, Washington DC, United States, 2025, conference poster
Archives Artificial intelligence Information literacy
Catalysts of change: Academic librarians leading campus sustainability initiatives [Panel]
Theresa Burress; Beth Filar Williams; Christopher Sturgeon; Sarah Tribelhorn
ACRL 2025: Democratizing knowledge and access and opportunities, April 2–5, 2025, Minneapolis, MN, United States, 2025, conference presentation
Academic librarians Environmental sustainability Libraries and education Science--Citizen participation Sustainability
Academic libraries as catalysts: Community-driven research.
Sarah Tribelhorn
CAPS 2025, May 27–30, Portland, OR, United States, 2025, conference poster
Academic libraries Education Libraries Research Science--Citizen participation
Cultivating sustainability: Libraries as catalysts for environmental justice and campus action
Morgan Barker; Sarah Tribelhorn
CSU Libraries Conference: Collaboration. Stronger Together, June 3, 2025., 2025, conference presentation
Education Environmental justice Libraries Sustainability Universities and colleges
Helping communities find good information: A public and academic libraries collaboration
Margaret Henderson; Amanda Kalish; Tricia Lantzy; Sarah Tribelhorn
CSU Libraries Conference: Collaboration. Stronger Together, June 3, 2025., 2025, conference presentation
Academic libraries Collaborationists Information literacy Public libraries
Library Advocacy: Leveraging the United Nations SDGs to benefit local libraries [Panel]
Loida Garcia-Febo; Robin Kear; Katherine Klosek; Sarah Tribelhorn
ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition, June 26–30, Philadelphia, PA, United States, 2025, conference presentation
International cooperation Libraries Sustainable development United Nations
Putting your emergency plan to the test: Lessons learned [Panel]
Sarah Tribelhorn; Eileen Caulfield; Laura Smith
ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition, June 26–30, Philadelphia, PA, United States., 2025, conference presentation
Community centers Crisis management Emergency management Libraries Sustainability
Embracing sustainability—Libraries leading the way [Panel]
Morgan Barker; Leo Lo; Sibyl Schaefer; Sarah Tribelhorn
2024 ARL President’s Institute, San Diego, California, 2024, conference presentation
Environmental responsibility Libraries Sustainability
Engaging students in STEM and sustainability through inspiring collections and hands-on programming
Sarah Tribelhorn
CARL Conference 2024, April 3–6, 2024, “The Insufficient Librarian”. San Jose, California, United States, 2024, conference presentation
Active learning Environmental education Science and education Sustainability
Empowering communities through citizen science in an academic library
Sarah Tribelhorn
AAAS Pacific Division Annual Conference, June 18–20, 2024, San Diego, California, 2024, conference presentation
Academic libraries Libraries Science--Citizen participation
Showcasing campus sustainability initiatives through linked data on the web
Sarah Tribelhorn; Greta Heng
ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition, June 27–July 2, Poster Session, San Diego, CA, United States, 2024, conference poster
Linked data Sustainable architecture Universities and colleges
Academic libraries and United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: Global challenges and opportunities
Sarah Tribelhorn; Bharat Mehra
ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition, June 27–July 2, Poster Session, San Diego, CA, United States, 2024, conference poster
Academic libraries Sustainability Sustainable development Sustainable Development Goals (Project) United Nations
Let’s get real: Climate impacts to library services [Panel/Workshop]
Tina Chan; Tejas Desai; Kacper Jarecki; Diana Price; Sarah Tribelhorn
ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition, June 27–July 2, San Diego, CA, United States, 2024, conference presentation
Climatic changes Libraries Public services (Libraries) Sustainable development
Libraries supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals [Panel]
Loida Garcia-Febo; Sara Benson; Robin Kear; Sarah Tribelhorn
ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition, June 27–July 2, San Diego, CA, United States, 2024, conference presentation
Libraries Sustainable development United Nations
Strategic advancement: Intentionally aligning university library practices with the UN SDG targets
Sarah Tribelhorn
2nd Transatlantic Symposium on Sustainable Development in Higher Education, 2024, conference paper
Academic libraries Libraries and education Strategic planning Sustainable Development Goals (Project)
Assessing fair AI use: Rubric development for assessing ethical and social equity concerns in AI
Sarah Tribelhorn
ACH2024: the virtual conference of Association for Computers and the Humanities, 2024, conference presentation
Artificial intelligence Ethics Fairness Social justice Universities and colleges
Collaborating for sustainability: San Diego State University Library building partnerships to promote the UN SDGs
Sarah Tribelhorn; Scott Walter
IFLA WLIC 88th General Conference and Assembly, August 21–25, Poster Session, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2023, conference poster
Academic libraries Library administration San Diego State University Sustainability
Mapping the UN SDGs in an academic library
Sarah Tribelhorn
ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition, June 22–27, Poster Session, Chicago, IL, United States, 2023, conference poster
Academic libraries Sustainable Development Goals (Project)
Bringing the SDGs alive in an academic library
Sarah Tribelhorn
IFLA WLIC Satellite Meeting 2023 – “Libraries as Actors of Climate Empowerment”, 2023, conference presentation
Academic libraries Sustainable development Sustainable Development Goals (Project)
Be your own library instruction DJ: Locating, remixing, and collaborating on instructional objects
Suzanne Maguire; Rebecca Nowicki; Sarah Tribelhorn
Spring 2023 Virtual Poster Session ACRL Distance and Online Learning Section, Chicago, IL, United States, 2023, conference abstract
Academic libraries Copyright licenses Creative Commons (Organization) Educational technology Information literacy Rubrics

Dissemination

Assessing AI: How libraries can lessen artificial intelligence’s energy impact.
Sarah Tribelhorn
American Libraries Magazine: On my Mind Column, 2025, magazine article
Leveraging technology for greener library services [Panel]
O. Gittemeier; S.M. Echols; Sarah Tribelhorn
SJSU Earth Day 2025 Symposium: Digital sustainability and the role of technology for greener library services, 2025, public speech
ACRL Member of the week: Sarah Tribelhorn
Brian Lim; Sarah Tribelhorn
ACRL Insider, 2025, blog post
Librarian luminaries: Sarah Tribelhorn
Caroline Goldsmith; Sarah Tribelhorn
Charleston Hub - Against the Grain, 2025, blog post
Libraries for sustainability [Presentation]
Sarah Tribelhorn
Jove Webinar, 2024, public speech

Sustainability strategies
Sarah Tribelhorn
Call Number with American Libraries, 2024, public speech
Bridging citizen science and SDGs: Enhancing public education and action on the climate crisis. [Presentation]
Vivienne Byrd; Priscilla Pun; Sarah Tribelhorn
Gigabit Libraries Network: Libraries in Response Webinar Series, 2024, public speech
Making a difference: Citizen science programming in an academic library
Sarah Tribelhorn
SciStarter Blog, 2024, blog post
Sustainable swag self-evaluation rubric for vendors and library workers
Sarah Tribelhorn; Erika Jenns; Lauren Bissonnette; Amanda M. Goodsett
OCLC Webjunction, 2023, blog post
Sustainability in academic libraries
Sarah Tribelhorn
USC Libraries Lightning Talks, Los Angeles, United States, 2021, public speech

Creative Works

Advancing climate resilience, sustainability, and environmental justice: A public and academic libraries partnership in San Diego County [Presentation]
Oscar Gittemeier; Cecilia Delgado; Sarah Tribelhorn
NNLM Social Determinants of Environmental Health Webinar Series, 2024, online resource
Sustainable libraries - Insights from San Diego Circuit [Panel]
Tricia Lantzy; Susan Moore; Lalitha Nataraj; Sarah Tribelhorn; Amy Work
San Diego Circuit Information Issues for Social Impact Committee, 2024, online resource

Data and Process

Think Globally – Act Locally: The UN Sustainable Development Goals at SDSU: A poster exhibit
Sarah Tribelhorn
SDSU Library, 2023, physical object

Teaching and Supervision

AI and the environment: Takeaways for libraries [Virtual Presentation]
Sarah Tribelhorn
Sustainable Libraries Initiative, 2026, lecture speech
Digital decluttering [Virtual Presentation]
Sarah Tribelhorn
Sustainable Libraries Initiative, 2026, lecture speech

Other

From global to local: How ALA's UN engagement strengthens community services [Virtual Presentation]
Loida Garcia-Febo; Corinthia Price; Anthony Chow; Sarah Tribelhorn
ALA IRC UN Subcommittee Webinar, 2026, other
Adapting to change: How libraries, museums, and archives are approaching the climate crisis and artificial intelligence [Virtual Panel]
Itza Carbajal; Amelia Dogan; Andrea Baer; Sarah Tribelhorn
CALMA Round Table, University of Washington Information School, 2026, other
The vital role of sustainability in academic libraries [Blog]
Sarah Tribelhorn
ARL Views, 2025, other