WELCOME!
HBPL Seed Library provides seeds to HBPL cardholders. Patrons can check out up to 10 seed packets per month to grow in their home gardens. At the end of the season, we encourage you to let a few plants go to seed and donate the seeds back to the seed library for others to use. This creates a sustainable and diverse stock of seeds for our community to use.
Most seeds provided are purchased through our library's program funding. Seeds of Change has generously donated a variety of lettuces, roots, herbs, etc. Any packet marked "Seeds of Change" on the packing label is USDA Certified Organic. Most Native California seeds are donated by Shipley Nature Center. In addition, some local native nurseries donate to our Native California collection.
Although we do accept patron seed donations with gratitude, there is no guarantee that the seeds will be offered or appropriate for HBPL seed library. Please make sure that seeds are completely dry and sealed in an envelope or reclosable plastic bag and labeled clearly with the exact name of the plant. For example: "Lettuce" is not labeled correctly. A correct label would show what kind of lettuce is being donated such as "Buttercrunch Lettuce". Our volunteer seed librarians evaluate all donations in order to decide which seeds will be added to the seed library.
Seed libraries are at all HBPL locations and are seasonally stocked. For more detailed information, "Local Links" and "Informational Resources" menus are located on the right side of this page.
We also provide classes on gardening and seed saving. All of these services are free.
Let's grow things!
TEEN VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY:
Middle School and High School aged teens can earn up to 3 hours per month year round by helping our seed library grow. For more information, please visit our Teen Space page located at the following link:
https://hbpl.libguides.com/teens/volunteer
~Fall, winter, spring and year round seeds are now in our stock. Keep an eye out for seasonal flowers, herbs, roots and vegetables and, of course, the seed librarian's pick drawer filled with limited stock offerings. We have also added some USDA Organic Seeds generously donated by Seeds of Change (packs are labeled "Seeds of Change" on the bottom left-hand corner of the label card).
Visit any HBPL location to see what's come in.
Iwigara : American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science by 
Bountiful by 
The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds by 
The Manual of Seed Saving by 
Saving Seeds by 
Gathering by Search our Catalog to discover great collections of gardening titles.
"This is the second year of the peas from the seed library. We grew them last year and they reseeded themselves."
"Thanks, the library gave us something to do as a family with teens - that’s a feat!"
"Just wanted to say thank you for making the seed library possible. Here a couple photos of some Marigold I got from the library a couple months back. Biggest marigold I've ever seen and can't believe they're from seed!"
"My tiny harvest! Serrano peppers (great spice) and heirloom tomatoes (so delicious).
Thank you seed library!"
“Thank you so much for having this program at the library. It has been so fruitful for us. Growing from seed gives us endless pleasure and edification (not to mention sustenance and beauty)….We’ve even started our own seed library at home, where we try to store and organize seeds in a similar way as to the HBPL. We’ve also, taught ourselves how to collect some of the seeds, and have happily spread the seeds, and the word, to family and friends. The depths of the utility of urban farming, curtesy of your seeds never seems to end, as we have even started drying our chamomile to make tea and plan on using our pumpkin for pie. Thank you again! What a brilliant idea and stellar execution. Thank you and Sincerely, Erik”
"...another picture of the developing lettuce grown from the seedlings checked out from the Seed Library".
I am a few days from being able to harvest some serrano peppers, which are from the Seed Library program! It was about a year or so wait but it has been so fun seeing it grow
