When they return for a new semester in the coming weeks, students at both OCAD and OISE will find that a brand new library has sprouted in their absence. Housed inside existing facilities, neither library takes up more than four feet. Though small in size. the collection at each library is actually quite substantial. Libraries just don’t need that much space when instead of lending out books, they're lending out tiny seeds.
The new libraries, or, more accurately, new library branches, are a project of a rapidly growing grassroots nonprofit called the Toronto Seed Library. Established in 2013, the Toronto Seed Library has set up branches across the city. Each branch allows users to “borrow” organic, native, heirloom and open pollinated seeds. Users can take whichever seeds they need and think they’ll use. Each plant they grow will have the capacity to produce more seeds, users are then encouraged to bring those seeds back to the library ensuring the seed collections growth.
The new OCAD and OSIE branches are part of an ongoing effort by the Seed Library to set up branches in public institutions across the city. The effort is going well: 15 have opened in just over a year. "We feel the idea has really caught on — in parallel with our own rapid growth, there are now over 20 Seed Libraries across Ontario compared to one in early 2012," says Brendan Behrmann, chief Librarian and co-ordinator with the Toronto Seed Library. "We've given free seeds to thousands of people in Toronto and have had an excellent response from the gardening, social justice, librarian and educator communities.”
The Seed Library’s success in building partnerships and in bringing institutions like UofT and OCAD onboard can also likely be attributed to the fact that the Seed Library asks for so few resources from its hosts.
"[Partners] only need to provide us with space, although ideally they will supply the physical branch as well (anything from a woven basket to a filing cabinet can be used)," says Behrmann. "We provide the branches with seeds, handouts, information about how the seed library is used, and a sign if they request it. At least once a year, we try to do some kind of event with each branch...We do a basic run through of how the seed library works with staff at the host organizations, and there is a contact person at each branch who knows all the nitty-gritty details."
It’s a lot of work. And not surprisingly, it’s hard to sustain for an all-volunteer organization.
That’s why, says Behrmann, the Seed Library is looking at possibly integrating with the Toronto Public Library and/or reaching out to the City of Toronto and Province of Ontario.
"This year we are holding a series of events with the Toronto Public Library to see if there's enough interest from both the public at large and from within the library system for the Public Libraries to host Seed Libraries. """The events have been successful beyond our imaginations. Initially only three events were planned, but we're now up to seven. All five held so far (two more are planned for September) have had overflowing attendance; and great enthusiasm for the project has been created among TPL staff and the public.
"We're looking forward to a 'radish' 2015."
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Brendan Behrmann, Chief Librarian and Co-ordinator, Toronto Seed Library