Imagine checking out seeds with your library card! Join gardeners, neighbors and friends and find out how as the Dusenberry-River Library Seed Library is introduced. Bring the whole family for hours of fun!

Seed Library Grand Opening
When: Saturday, Feb. 2,   11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Where: Dusenberry-River Library, 5605 E. River Road

Events include:

• Family Storytime at 11 a.m.
• Paint a Pot and Plant a Seed at 11:30 a.m.
• Ribbon Cutting & Orientation at noon
• ARBICO Organics Presentation, “Seed Starts for a Five Season Garden,” at 1 p.m.

About Pima County Public Library
The Pima County Public Library (PCPL), which is headquartered in Tucson, Ariz., enriches lives and builds community through opportunities to learn, know, interact and grow. With 27 public libraries serving Tucson and the surrounding communities of Arivaca, Green Valley, Sahuarita, South Tucson, Ajo, Marana, Oro Valley and Catalina, PCPL provides a wide range of free services that contribute to the economic development of the community. For more information, visit www.library.pima.gov.

The Seed Library is a collection of more than 5,000 edible, decorative and herb seeds that residents will be able to take home and grow – and contribute to by returning some of the seeds they harvest at the end of the season.  All the seeds are heirloom and open-pollinated.

It will start out at five locations: the Main Library downtown; the Salazar-Ajo branch in Ajo; the Quincie Douglas branch, 1585 E. 36th St.; Himmel Park branch, 1035 N. Treat Ave.; and Flowing Wells branch, 1730 W. Wetmore.  The seeds will become part of the Library’s online catalog, and eventually residents will be able to request that seeds be sent to their local branch as they do with books now.

The Library has partnered with Native Seeds/SEARCH, Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and many other local gardening and sustainability groups on the Seed Library; and representatives will offer gardening demonstrations, presentations and information at the Jan. 28 event.  The movie, “Forks Over Knives,” will be shown at 3 p.m.  For more details, visit www.library.pima.gov/about/news/?id=3823.

The library is seeking donations of seeds, and volunteers to help package them. (See the attached Seed Library donation slip.)

The Bookbike is a three-wheeled, non-motorized bookmobile.  The Bookbike, and Bookbike volunteers, will represent Pima County Public Library at events in Tucson.  Bookbike volunteers and Pima County Bike Ambassadors will ride the Bookbike to the events.  Bookbike volunteers will stock the shelves of the Bookbike and assist at events.  The books will be given away free of charge to readers.

The Library is seeking Bookbike volunteers.  Fill out the attached Bookbike volunteer form and bring it to the volunteer orientation in the Lower Level Meeting Room of the Main Library on Saturday, January 14, at 10 a.m.

For more information about the Jan. 28 event or Pima County Public Library, including branch locations, schedules, news and events, go to www.library.pima.gov/, call 791-4010 or email askalibrarian@pima.gov.