Free Seed Library Coming to Orland Park

The Orland Park Public Library has something new for patrons to check out: seeds. The library will begin offering seeds for patrons to check out this summer.

Library Director Mary Adamowski said the program is a project of the library’s Green Committee.
“When people think of libraries, they think of books, but we offer so much more” said Adamowski. “We are going to be offering several types of seeds to start and then expanding from there.”

This is not the first time the library has had seeds. In the summer of 2020, the library offered wildflower seed packets to finishers of the summer reading challenge.

“At that time, bees and butterflies were the concern,” said Adamowski. “We wanted to work with the community to help bolster our bee and butterfly population. Pollinators are important for the environment, and the response to the library offering seeds at that time was overwhelmingly positive.”

This time the library will be offering vegetable and wild flower seeds. When the library held a hobby fair in 2023, the strong connection to gardening in the community became apparent to the delight of Master Gardener and library staffer Maurya Orr who heads up the library’s Green Committee.

“Over the past few years, there's been a noticeable resurgence in gardening. Whether it's the desire to cultivate our own food, enhance the beauty of our homes, or contribute to supporting insects and wildlife, gardening has become an easy and accessible connection to nature,” said Orr.

The seed library will be available in the library lobby starting June 1.

For more information, visit orlandparklibrary.org or call (708) 428-5100. The Orland Park Public Library is located at 14921 Ravinia Avenue in Orland Park, Illinois. Hours are Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.