Seed Libraries
  • Home
  • Start A Library
    • Seed Library Network
    • Getting Started
    • Check Out Procedures
    • Envelopes
    • Orientation Resources
    • Return Policy
    • Recommended Books
    • School Seed Libraries
    • Featured Libraries
    • Sister Libraries
    • Sources of Seeds
  • Maintain a Library
    • How to Organize Your Seeds
    • Tips Videos
    • Education
    • Guidelines for Maintaining Collection
    • Grow a Row Program
    • COVID-19 Resources
  • Resources
    • Seed Saving Videos
    • Seed Swaps
    • Special Projects >
      • One Seed, One Community Project
      • Community Seed Gardens
      • Seed Stories
      • Crops Swaps
      • Dye Plants
      • Native Seeds
      • Tomato Festival
    • Translated Materials >
      • En espanol
  • Contact
    • About

Featured Seed Libraries
A Sampling of Our Diversity

Bay Area Seed Interchange Library (BASIL)

Location: Ecology Center, Berkeley, Calif.
Started: 1999
Organizers: Community volunteers
Special Notes:
First seed library to open in the US. Have a very cool, downloadable planting guide for the SF Bay Area. Have a Curate-a-Crop program to get community members to grow out special varieties. 
 Original organizers and inspiration include Christopher Shein and Sascha Scatter with Terri Compost maintaining it for over a decade...until the soil was fertile for the idea to go fungal. Thank you, BASIL!
Cost: Free
Website: basilseedlibrary.com

Community Seed Exchange

Location: St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Sebastopol, CA
Started: 2009
Organizers: Transition Town initiative;  10 core members run it
Special Notes: Have a community seed garden on the church grounds and have weekly work parties. Seed collection is almost 100% locally grown. Seed library is open once a month and classes are offered.
Cost: Free
Website:  CommunitySeedExchange.org
Picture
West County Community Seed Exchange, Sebastopol, Calif.

Fairfield Woods Seed-to-Seed Library

Location: Public Library, Fairfield, CT
Started: 2010
Organizers: Public Librarians
Partners:
Special Notes: Have a garden on site connected to children's learning and connected to the Square Foot Gardening Idea. Go into the local schools and teach about gardening, including an after school program. Have a CSA pick-up at the library and a raingarden demonstration program.
Cost: Free
Courses Offered: Lacto-Fermentation,
Website
Picture
Fairfield Woods Seed-to-Seed Library, Fairfield, CT

Seed Library of Pima County Public Library

Location: Public Libraries, Pima County, AZ - includes Tucson
Started: 2012
Organizers: Librarians - initiated by Justine Hernandez
Partners: Native Seeds/SEARCH, Community Food Bank of So. AZ & Pima County Master Gardeners, community volunteers
Special Notes: Has 8 seed library branches throughout the county with inter-library loans of seeds throughout all county branch libraries. Seeds are searchable on the library database. Circulation data shows that about 60% of seeds are from locally saved and shared seeds.
Website: library.pima.gov/seed-library
Picture
Pima County Public Library Seed Lending Library, Tucson, AZ

Mountain View Public Library Seed Library

Location: Mountain View Public Library, Mountain View, California 
Started: April 2013
Organizers: Emily Weak, Librarian 
Partners: No official partners, but all seeds have been donated, either by the community or Seed Saver’s exchange.   Local gardeners Patricia Larenas and Hillie Salo have taught classes.  Community members also help repack seeds to keep the library stocked.
Special Notes:  We try to support gardening at all levels.
Events: Plant exchange in the spring, crop swap in the fall. Presentations and field trips as we can arrange them. Participating in the 2014 inaugural year of Silicon Valley Grows (one community, one seed).

Cost: Free 
Website


Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.