Sowing the Seeds: HPU Libraries & Arboretum Open HPU Seed Library

Many of us have heard about community free libraries; you go to a little box in your neighborhood or maybe close to a school, and you take a book with the promise of leaving a book in return. Pretty great idea, right? Would you believe that there are also free libraries for seeds as well? Until this past summer, this librarian was unaware that such a thing even existed, until he visited one in his local community. It was just like a free book library, except people could take and leave seeds and even full-grown plants to share with others. It was then clear to this librarian that, with our beautiful garden and copious resources that it provides, it did not make sense for HPU to not have a seed library as well. After a couple of months of hard work, HPU Libraries is pleased to announce the opening of the HPU Seed Library!

The HPU Seed Library is a product of a collaboration between HPU Libraries and our friends Emma Martone and Rachel Diaz at the HPU Arboretum and Gardens. Seed Libraries across the country promote access to fresh food and flowers, biodiversity, and sustainability, and our seed library is no different. The mission of the HPU Seed Library is to make gardening accessible to everyone in the HPU community, to promote biodiversity and sustainable growing, and to share the bounty given to us by the HPU gardens with others.

HPU students, faculty and staff can come to the HPU Seed Library and freely take up to five packets of seeds per season, which will run from September 1^st-November 1^st in the fall, and from February 14^th-May 31^st in the spring and summer. Once their plants have grown and seeds can be harvested, patrons can then harvest the seeds and return them to the library to be re-packaged and placed back in the seed library to be re-planted by other patrons. Seed availability will change every season to highlight fruits, vegetables, and flowers that grow best during each season.

In addition to seeds, patrons can expect to find a variety of books that are available for checkout on related topics, such as gardening, sustainable agriculture, climate change, and even special topics, such as healing plants and gardening in small spaces.

Some of the books currently on display at the HPU Seed Library include:

• The Gardener’s Palette
• The North Carolina Gardener’s Guide
• The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Gardening
• Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist’s Guide to Global Warming
• Simon & Schuster’s Complete Guide to Plants & Flowers

The collection of books on display will change periodically, so keep an eye out for titles that may be of interest to you in the future.

We are so proud of this library; one of the best things about a library is its ability to give us free access to resources that can make our lives better. We sincerely hope that HPU students, faculty, and staff will come and enjoy the seed library and share the bounty that it provides for us. If you would like further information about the HPU Seed Library, you can contact HPU Libraries at [email protected] or the HPU Arboretum and Gardens.

-Blog post by Bryan Nicholls, Evening Librarian