About twice a month, I visit my local library and stock up on children’s books to study. I always suspect that other library patrons wonder why a 64-year-old woman is reading children’s books instead of adult best-sellers. But this is something children’s authors must do to stay on top of publishing trends and learn tricks from other writers. It’s also helpful to see the checkout dates on the inside book covers, which reveal how many times children have checked out the books, thus possibly revealing where their interests lie. Children’s librarians are also very helpful. They know what children like to read and what’s popular and closely monitor new publications in the juvenile book world.
Last month, one of the books I read was Gwendolyn’s Pet Garden by Anne Renaud, which you can learn more about on this month’s Recommended Reads page. In it, Gwendolyn (the main character) obtained seeds from her local library’s card catalog, which puzzled me. A brief note in the book’s backmatter explained that some libraries repurpose their old card catalogs by using them to hold donated seeds for a gardeners’ seed-saver exchange. How brilliant, I thought. So, when I returned my books to the library, I looked around, and what do you know – I spotted their old card catalog, pulled out a few drawers, and, low and behold, the drawers were filled with seed packets. This little discovery led me down another rabbit hole where I’ve learned more about this wonderful program.
What exactly is a “Seed Library?”
A seed library is a place where people who want to grow flowers, herbs, or vegetables can obtain seeds for free (or a small fee). Seed libraries can be found in public libraries or community centers.
How did Seed Libraries Begin?
It turns out that seed libraries have been around for a while, but the seed library movement didn’t really take off until the last decade or two. The first seed library, established in 1999, was located at the Berkeley Ecology Center, Berkeley, CA. Their seed exchange program was known as BASIL (an acronym for Bay Area Seed Interchange Library.) Then, in 2004, a man named Ken Greene developed the first seed library hosted at a public library, the Gardiner Public Library in Gardiner, N.Y. After that, I guess you could say that seed libraries began to bloom all around the country and now the world. Today, hundreds of public libraries in the U.S. feature a seed library collection.
How Seed Libraries Work
Libraries, clubs, schools, or non-profit organizations obtain seeds from seed banks, such as SEED SAVERS, seed companies, or through donations from gardeners and agricultural organizations. They then organize and catalog the seeds, making them available to the public using old card catalog files or other display methods.
The goal of seed libraries is to:
- Expand public access to crops, encouraging people to grow their own food.
- Educate people about gardening in specific growing zone climates and conditions.
- Preserve agricultural biodiversity by focusing on rare, local, or heirloom seed varieties.
- Share abundance.
Each seed library operates differently. Some seed libraries simply give the seeds away, but most encourage patrons to take some seeds, grow them, save some seeds from their harvest, and then bring them back seeds for the seed bank to re-distribute for future gardeners.
Some seed libraries also host seed “swaps,” where gardeners can bring seeds to trade with one another and offer gardening programs.
Humans have been saving the seeds from their harvests for over 10,000 years. But today, we live in an age where people have become unaccustomed to the ritual and experience of growing their own food. Gardening helps people connect with the earth and seasons in meaningful ways. Seed Libraries are an innovative approach that encourages folks to get back in touch with the practice of gardening. Seed libraries also offer the public another way to engage with their local library.
Whether or not you have access to a nearby Seed Library, you can become a seed saver and enjoy the experience of growing something good to share with family and friends. Check out my Sowing Abundance activity under the Activities section of this blog to learn simple ways to harvest, store, and grow seeds at home.
Little Seeds Read 