This fall, the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) is hosting four MLS Member Webinars! MLS member library staff will share their knowledge and expertise about their selected topics for their fellow library colleagues.
This season, we’re spotlighting the presenters by sharing how their backgrounds connect to their chosen topics.
In today’s blog, learn more about growing your seed library with Tom Jorgenson, adult services librarian at the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield!
Be sure to also register for Tom’s webinar: Growing Your Seed Library
What is your name and position, the name of your library, and the community/communities your library serve(s)?
Tom Jorgenson: I’m Tom Jorgenson, adult services librarian at the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield, located on the ancestral lands of the Mohican people.
What is your webinar about?
Jorgenson: We’re going to talk about various ways to grow your seed library. That might look different for everyone; it could be about increasing inventory, bolstering patron participation, building associated programming, or making the whole program more community driven.
In my work, we’ve hosted highly successful season kickoff events and seed saving workshops. We’ve empowered the community to save seeds and return them back to the seed library, while also involving local businesses in donations. We’ve sustained momentum in the off-season by hosting education on native wildflowers, and we’re striving to deepen our connections to the traditional custodians of this land, the Mohican people.
What is your background to seed librarianship? Why are you passionate about it?
Jorgenson: I grew up gardening with my parents and I’m a passionate gardener in my own time. I’ve found that a thriving seed library really has the potential to embody the spirit of a public library — one that is sustainable, community-driven, and culturally relevant. It blends my personal interest in plants with my professional strength in community partnerships.
Why did you decide to host an MLS Member Webinar?
Jorgenson: There are a lot of resources and educational opportunities about how to start a seed library. I wanted to take that a step further and host a discussion about how to grow a seed library that is already established.
Do you have any advice to other library workers who may be interested in learning more about seed libraries? Do you recommend any resources for further learning?
Jorgenson: I’ve found that there is a great community of seed librarians willing to offer advice and ideas. The Seed Library Network has lots of resources and a great newsletter.
Seed Savers Exchange is one of many seed companies that focus on preserving heirloom seeds, but they publish an essential guide, “The Seed Garden,” that every library should have on their shelves. I could go on, but I’m planning to create some time for webinar attendees to share their favorite resources with the group.
