News

By: Michelle Thompson

Looking for seeding ideas this long weekend? Then look no further than Dalhousie University’s Seed lending library.

Seeding Ideas, a seed lending library housed at Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Agriculture in the MacRae Library, is based on the premise of providing access to a collection of non-hybrid, non-GMO seeds that can be borrowed by members of the community.  Members grow the seeds and enjoy their harvest while letting a few plants return to seed.  These seeds will then be returned to the library for the next growing season’s collection.

“Libraries are all about providing access,” explained Jolene Reid, Seed Library Coordinator “With our seed lending library we are providing the community with a different kind of access – access to food security, access to fresh and healthy food, access to diverse varieties...it’s all about engaging the community in an innovative way through our Library.”

The library also provides resources on learning how to gather seed from plants. These include, a seed collection book resource station, a subject guide with YouTube videos, podcasts and web resources.

“We walk them through the process and we provide information sheets as well, they return the seeds to the seed library and that becomes our seed for the next year for people to check out,” added Jolene. “It’s similar to a book lending library except their not returning the exact same, physical item, they’re returning seeds from a subsequent generation.”

Every year, MacRae Library brings in a specialist to the region to teach a class in seed saving. The library also recently created a new seed lending database that has been linked to the Dalhousie Library web page.  (This site is currently being updated and is unavailable at this time.)

“What we’ve done is built an open source tool so libraries around the world, if they don’t have a way of dealing with their seeds, can go in and just search their seed online,” she explained. “Saves us lots and lots of work, so that’s kind of exciting that we’ve launched the link to the public to make their lives and ours easier.”

The collection, established in 2014, serves the community from early February until late June for borrowing and becomes active again during the autumn harvest for seed solicitation.  For more information please contact us at seed.library@dal.ca or like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/seeding.ideas