Assessing the Gap Between Intention and Implementation in Seed Lending Libraries

A Review of: Cohn, S. B. (2024). Lending seeds, growing justice: Seed lending in public and academic libraries. The Library Quarterly, 94(2), 117–133. https://doi.org/10.1086/729231 Objective – To survey seed lending programs in libraries on their goals and marketing. The research questions focus on the theoretical underpinnings of creating a seed library, the promotion and marketing materials used, and the gaps and connective points between the marketing and the underpinned intent, especially surrounding activism. Design – Literature review and survey. Setting – Academic and public libraries in the Seed Lending Network in the United States and Canada. Subjects – Librarians responsible for seed lending programs identified on each library’s website. Methods – Online survey with a mix of open- and closed-ended questions covering reasons for starting seed lending and workshops and other programming around seeds. Main results – 58 completed surveys were returned, 42 from public libraries and 16 from academic libraries. Some academic libraries who curate seed libraries do so in support of their agricultural degree programs, while others noted campus community gardens. Public libraries responded that their primary purpose was to support community gardeners; some less neutral responses included food deserts and rural libraries concerned about the loss of heirloom and non-GMO seeds. The marketing and programming around these programs primarily focused on gardening and how-to classes, including making paper with food scraps, creating natural dyes, and others. There is a gap between the initial intentions that were less neutral and the programming language that is more neutral and less activist. Conclusion – Some surveyed seed libraries stated goals around food justice, but there is a gap between that intention and the more neutral marketing and programming for their seed libraries. This could be due to preservation in a precarious time for public libraries.