Beyond books: Crystal Lake Public Library launches seed library

With the donation of a library catalog cabinet, money from the Crystal Lake Library Foundation and a little help from volunteers, the Crystal Lake Public Library launched its own seed library this month.

The seed library is open to everybody, even people without a Crystal Lake Public Library card, adult services librarian Megan Smith said. She and Pat Tetzlaff oversaw the creation of the seed library, marketing manager Stephanie Price said.

“I think it’s great because with Crystal Lake, Lakewood and Lake in the Hills, people don’t always have Crystal Lake cards, so I love that we are opening it up for everyone in the community,” Smith said.

Anyone can grab up to 10 packets per visit, with a two-packet limit of the same variety. The library stocked the catalog, located in the adult services section, with more than 3,000 packets of heirloom seeds of vegetables and native plants.

The staff of the Crystal Lake Public Library, 126 W. Paddock St., has been wanting to start a seed library for years, especially since many libraries in McHenry County also provide the service, Price said. Although it may have launched after peak planting season July 1, the library has been seeing a positive response and already has emptied out some sections, such as black poppy seeds and other native plants.

“Next year, we are anticipating even more people will come and take advantage of it,” Smith said.

After securing a free catalog cabinet perfect for storing and organizing the seeds from another library, the Crystal Lake Library Foundation helped kick-start the seed library by donating $5,000 to fund the seeds and packaging, Smith said. Volunteers and staff then packaged the seeds into labeled packets with directions on how to plant them.

“It’s been a group effort for sure,” Smith said.

To keep the program sustainable, the library encourages people to harvest the seeds they took and bring them back. As of now, the library is only accepting heirloom seeds, Smith said. Heirloom seeds are defined as seeds that come from multiple generations, usually at least 50 years old, according to Foodprint.org.

The library will be hosting plant programs in the coming months on how to save and harvest seeds. Sarah Michehl from The Land Conservancy of McHenry County will provide tips and tricks on how to collect native plant seeds Aug. 14. Master Gardener Rich Tobiasz will talk about pollination, fertilization and the steps required to preserve seeds Sept. 5.

The library has room in the catalog to grow the seed library. Smith said she imagines that by springtime, there will be even more seeds and programs offered.

“It’s a really neat opportunity to grow something new and fun, and hopefully have some interesting stories,” Smith said.

For details and to register for programs, visit clpl.org.