All seed packets have been checked out and the Seed Library is closed for the 2025 season. Have a good growing season and plan to save seeds to donate to the Seed Library in September!
The practice of saving seeds has been around for more than 12,000 years. Through the Seed Library, Kent Free Library hopes to encourage the tradition of seed saving, nurture locally-adapted plant varieties, and foster a community culture of sharing.
Borrowing Seeds
You may check out up to twenty (20) seed packets per year, including no more than two (2) packets of any one variety. The seed packets are stored in a card catalog near the Information Desk, organized by common name and variety. There is a form at the Seed Library for you to complete each time you borrow seeds.
Donated seeds have been sorted, packaged, and labeled by library staff and volunteers. Packets will contain an appropriate quantity of seeds for a typical backyard garden.
To select seeds, browse the Growing Guide for available seed packets and information about the variety, the level of difficulty to grow, and level of difficulty to save seeds. Please note supplies of seeds are limited and first come-first served. Not all varieties may be available throughout the planting season. For more detailed information about a particular variety or for a photo, refer to library books, seed catalogs, or seed company websites.
Donating
The library accepts seed donations annually in September.
If you’re a beginner gardener, don’t worry about saving seeds at first. Focus first on having fun and learning how to garden--the seed saving part will come later.
Experienced gardeners are encouraged to return seeds. Seeds must be from open-pollinated, non-genetically modified, non-hybrid and/or heirloom plants that are not listed as invasive species by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Collect seeds from your healthiest plants. Seeds should be saved according to best practices. Seeds should be cleaned of all debris, completely dry, and in a sealed clear plastic bag. Complete a Donation Form and bring them to the Information Desk.
Seeds should not be returned to the library unless the grower knows how to properly save them.
Kent Free Library reserves the right to refuse or to dispose of donated seeds that do not have a completed Donation Form; are not identified by variety; are a hybrid or non-heirloom variety; are an invasive species or noxious weed; are not appropriate for growing in Northeast Ohio; show signs of moisture or mold; contain impurities such as stems, petals, pods, etc.; or are suspected of not being grown according to best practices for obtaining a true variety (eg. likely cross-pollinators were not grown in isolation).
Partners and Donors
Thank you to community members who donated seeds and to volunteers who helped package seeds.
Thank you to these businesses that donated seeds this year:
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Burpee Seeds
High Mowing Organic Seeds
Hudson Valley Seed Company
Peaceful Valley Seeds
Seed Savers Exchange
Mission Statement
The Seed Library of Kent Free Library will encourage the tradition of seed saving, nurture locally-adapted plant varieties, and foster a community culture of sharing. The Seed Library will focus on the following two activities:
Establishing, growing, and curating a depository of seeds available to all Portage Library Consortia card holders at no cost.
Providing information, instruction, and education about sustainable gardening.
Information About Seed Saving
Check the Library Catalog for books about seed saving.
Websites
Seed Savers Exchange
Organic Seed Alliance
Help With Growing
Have plant disease or pest diagnostic questions? Call the OSU Agricultural Extension Office at 330.235.7114.
Drop off plant and insect samples in person on Wednesdays, April through October at the Portage County Extension Office, 705 Oakwood Street, Suite 103, Ravenna, OH.