Birmingham Public Library Archives Department Opens Seed Library for Patrons Through Gardening Club, Heirloom Society

By Madison Newport | Birmingham Public Library The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) Archives Department opened their Seed Exchange at the Central Library last month. The purpose of the Seed Exchange is to provide library patrons with a means to help grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers at home for free. It is self-serve and open for use anytime during library hours. You can find the exchange on the third floor of the East Building in a repurposed card catalog near the Fiction Department. Follow the steps below for an easy seed exchange: Fill out a one-time registration form and give it to a library worker at the Fiction Desk to the left of the exchange. Put your name on a blank seed log and place it in the binder labeled “Records.” Use the Inventory List to locate the type of seed and drawer number containing those seeds. Use the binder labeled “Plant Information” to fill out any information you need on the provided seed envelope. Find the tube of seeds in the drawer, and push in on both sides of the bottle at the same time to open it. Take a few seeds and place them in a provided envelope. Log...