TROY — The Troy-Miami County Public Library has announced the opening of its Seed Library, offering free flower and vegetable seeds for library card holders.

“Right now, we have lots of things that either have to be started indoors or can be planted in spring,” Adult Services Librarian Pam Ade said. “We save the more heat-tolerant stuff for a couple of months.”

“We have lettuces, spinach, peas, and a variety of flowers,” she said. “We have carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes and peppers; it’s a really wide variety.”

The Seed Library is located in a re-purposed card catalog near the front doors at the library’s main branch on West Main Street. Library cardholders can “checkout” seeds at the circulation desk. Seeds do not need to be returned, but the checkout process helps library staff keep track of their seed inventory.

A library card is required to use the Seed Library. “You must have a library card,” Ade said. “You can get that if you live anywhere in Ohio.”

This is the second year that the Seed Library has been available. “Last year was our first year,” Ade said. “It was very, very popular.”

“It’s been great,” she said. ““Lots of libraries are doing it.”

The library’s current batch of seeds was donated by Burpee, West Coast Seeds, Living Seed Co., Seed Savers Exchange, Snake River Seed Co-op, Hudson Valley Seed, High Mowing Organic Seeds, Sow Right Seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and Bentley Seeds.

“It’s a big process,” Ade said. “We seek donations from lots of different seed companies, then we have to divide the seeds up and make labels.”

“I have volunteers who help stuff the seeds into the envelopes,” she said. “We’re always looking for volunteers to help with that.”

“We have more this year than we had last year,” Ade said, “so we have plenty of seeds for everybody. We are putting out new seeds everyday, so if people don’t see what they want or need, just make sure to come back.”

More information can be found online at www.tmcpl.org.