BARRABA Library has started offering something that is not your garden variety service – and yet, it is.
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It is lending out packets of seeds to borrowers, who can plant them, enjoy the fruits – or veggies – of their labours, then save seeds from those to return to the library.
Nundle was the first in Australia to establish a public seed library, in 2013, and several more of the region’s branches want to join in.
Tamworth Regional Council cultural and library services manager, Kay Delahunt, said that, like books, the seeds were “issued” by scanning a barcode.
“Unlike books ... they are not asked to be returned. Rather, borrowers are asked to save some of the seeds from the plants that they have grown and donate them back to the library,” Ms Delahunt said.
And will you get a fine if you have “overdue” library seeds, or – possibly the worst borrower sin – you lose them?
“We don’t keep track,” Ms Delahunt laughed.
Seed libraries have many benefits, she said.
They complement a library’s gardening and agriculture resources, they promote gentle exercise and relaxation through gardening, and people could save money on food and eat healthier.
They are also just one more reason for people to step into their local libraries and check out the smorgasbord of what’s on offer.
Ms Delahunt said residents, garden clubs and schools were encouraged to donate seeds to keep the collection stocked until the first borrowings bear fruit.
“The Nundle community has certainly been able to sustain its seed library over the past 18 months, with the collection continuing to grow,” she said.
The region’s next seed library will be at Werris Creek.