From Seed to Harvest: Growing the Macdonald Campus Seed Library

Ingalls, Dana

doi:10.1080/13614533.2019.1699838

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…This study adds to the limited research that exists about seed libraries (Dean & Mezick, 2020;Ingalls, 2019). The author's literature review highlighted that the current information on seed libraries is predominantly non-academic and limited to "brief, one-off accounts of various seed library projects" (p. 272).…”

Section: Commentarymentioning

confidence: 90%

Seed Libraries Can Be a Promising but Challenging Way to Support Community Engagement and Social Innovation in Public Libraries

Alty¹

2021

EBLIP

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A Review of: Peekhaus, W. (2018). Seed libraries: Sowing the seeds for community and public library resilience. Library Quarterly, 88(3), 271-285. https://doi.org/10.1086/697706 Abstract Objective – To describe and investigate the establishment, operation, function, purpose, and benefit of seed libraries within public libraries and local communities. Design – Exploratory study. Setting – Public seed libraries in Arizona, California, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Subjects – 10 librarians actively involved in creating or maintaining seed libraries. Methods – 60-75 minute interviews, primarily over the phone, with subjects selected by means of purposive sampling. Main Results – According to the participants interviewed, starting and operating a seed library requires front-end effort from the “host” library, active participation by a dedicated librarian and community members, as well as ongoing funding, usually on an annual basis (estimated by one participant to be $2,500/year, mostly for the purchase of seeds). Participant descriptions of their seed library operations differed, but most had a dedicated seed librarian. Participants noted that primary activities included deciding what seeds to put in the collection, arrangement of the seed collection, development of checkout and return procedures, and ongoing education. Several participants noted that such operational work was seasonal and not steady. None of the libraries included in this study had enough seeds donated to sustain their collections, but rather they relied on purchasing seeds in bulk or asking for donations from seed companies. Cataloging procedures varied in terms of complexity, and participants from one library system reported the use of a seed library cataloging template as being helpful. All participants noted they gave patrons containers to return seeds. While educating patrons in formal sessions is often difficult for reasons such as resource limitations, the interview informants agreed that seed libraries fit into the missions of public libraries by furthering information sharing, access to resources, and knowledge development. Conclusion – Seed libraries are an active service that assist public libraries in responding to social challenges and in engaging with their local communities as a type of knowledge commons. Seed libraries align with public libraries’ shift in priorities from increasing physical collections to enriching lives by providing knowledge and tools to support food autonomy, self-sufficiency, civic engagement, and community education. These libraries are a novel service that engage and attract patrons and support libraries’ positions as community hubs.

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Section: Commentarymentioning

confidence: 90%

Seed Libraries Can Be a Promising but Challenging Way to Support Community Engagement and Social Innovation in Public Libraries

Alty¹

2021

EBLIP

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“…In Canada there is less local variation to these laws. Ingalls (2021) states that the federal Seeds Act protects the right to exchange seeds on a small scale; while patented seeds can't be redistributed, the exchange of heirloom varieties should not face barriers in a Canadian context (pp. 100-101).…”

Section: What Is Seed Saving?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeds of Sustainability

Rupchan

2023

Pathfinder

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Seed libraries are becoming an increasingly common feature within public and academic libraries in North America, but the formal literature on this topic remains limited. This review explores the context of seed libraries, including the ecological and legal underpinnings of seed saving; community outreach in libraries through the 'library of things'; food security and sustainability initiatives; and the importance of community partnerships to the success of seed libraries. Common seed library practices within libraries are also illustrated.

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