diff --git a/configure_environment.sh b/configure_environment.sh
index 4ff33bb..67fe8bf 100755
--- a/configure_environment.sh
+++ b/configure_environment.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 export ACT_HOME=~/.act_install
 export PATH=$ACT_HOME/bin::$PATH
-export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$ACT_HOME/lib
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$ACT_HOME/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+
+# export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=~/zlib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
 
 echo ACT_HOME is set to $ACT_HOME
diff --git a/local_install_zlib.sh b/local_install_zlib.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..cf46f3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/local_install_zlib.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# locally install zlib
+
+here=$(pwd)
+
+zlib_dest=~/.zlib
+
+mkdir -p $zlib_dest
+cd $zlib_dest
+wget https://repo.almalinux.org/almalinux/9/BaseOS/x86_64/os/Packages/zlib-1.2.11-40.el9.x86_64.rpm
+rpm2cpio zlib-1.2.11-40.el9.x86_64.rpm | cpio -idmv
+mv usr/lib64/* .
+rm -rf usr zlib-1.2.11-40.el9.x86_64.rpm
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$zlib_dest:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+cd $here