By Gloria Stravelli
RED BANK – Decorative packets filled with flower, herb and vegetable seeds were tucked into baskets ready for swapping last weekend, as the Red Bank Public Library launched a seed exchange from its front porch.
Despite the light drizzle May 8, members of the community arrived with seeds to swap in support of the library’s latest sustainability initiative, which aims to provide a diverse supply of seeds to encourage gardening.
“The purpose is to share with the community the love of gardening,” explained Linda Hewitt, adult programming outreach coordinator for the library. “The truth is, the library used to be about books, but that is changing. COVID has shown us it’s about community. Whatever the community needs, we should try to provide.”
Hewitt stressed that people do not have to bring seeds to swap or be a library patron in order to take part in the library’s latest sustainability initiative.
“If you have some seeds that you’d like to drop off, please do and we’ll share them with the community,” she said. “You don’t have to give any. Anybody is welcome to a seed packet.
As an added draw, she noted, “most are organic.”
She also pointed out that, unlike when checking out books, visitors don’t need a library card to grab some seeds. “You can just come to Red Bank for the day, happen by and if you come in you can take some seeds with you,” she said.
Terry Madden, of Red Bank, arrived at the library, located at 84 West Front St., with seed packets to donate in hand last Saturday.
“I have kale, radishes and lettuce,” she said, as she browsed a basket filled with packets of flower seeds, including marigolds, morning glories and forget-me-nots.
Volunteers Lori Senkeleski, Georgie Fields and Ella McCourt were on hand to help, as was Natalya Andrex, library assistant, who created the whimsical design on the seed packets.
“I used the Eisner Memorial Library building as the central design element,” she explained.
Andrex also painted the colorful motif that transformed a vintage wooden card catalogue into the library’s new seed catalogue, where donated seeds will be kept inside the library and available for patrons to take during business hours.
“I leapt into the seed catalog project with a plan,” Andrex said. “I wanted something very nature- and plant-like on the outside. I did some flowers and vegetables that I am familiar with in my own garden.”
Hewitt, who also is circulation supervisor for the library, said the seed exchange and seed catalogue are the latest of the library’s sustainability initiatives, which have garnered recognition by the American Library Association (ALA).
“They’re part of the library’s Sustainable Red Bank initiative,” she said, adding library technical assistant Matthew Hershberger leads a monthly sustainability program for the library.
“Out of that program came the idea to do a seed catalogue and that’s how it started,” she said, adding the ALA’s Resilient Communities program recently designated the Red Bank Public Library as a Climate Resilience Hub.
Hewitt said she next discussed the seed exchange with Lisa Bagwell, of Kula Urban Farm in Asbury Park, who participates in the weekly Red Bank Farmers Market. The farm is a project of Interfaith Neighbors and provides on-site job training, educational programs, farm-to-table dinners and free fresh produce to those in need.
“Lisa donated a lot of seeds, she got us started with how to do it… and then board members donated seeds, Natalya did, I did, we got them from different people,” she added.
“We may not be bringing people together inside anymore, but we can still bring people together” in other ways, Hewitt said.
The Red Bank Public Library is open limited hours every day but Sunday. For more information, visit redbanklibrary.org.
This article originally appeared in the May 13 – 19, 2021, print edition of The Two River Times.
