NEW: Introducing the Providence Seed Library!

Providence Community Library is excited to be part of the new Providence Seed Library, a partnership between PCL, Providence Public Library and the City of Providence Office of Sustainability. The goal of the project is to provide beginning and experienced gardeners in our local communities with free access to quality seeds and to support BIPOC-led food justice and environmental justice efforts. Library users are encouraged to grow, harvest and return seeds to libraries at the end of each growing season, so that the Providence Seed Library is replenished and remains sustainable. 

Seeds available include cowpeas, hot peppers, eggplants, beans, culinary herbs, greens, flowers, fibers and medicinal plants and include many varieties that are are indigenous to the lands of the Rhode Island Narragansett, Wampanoag, and Pokonoket peoples. All seeds are listed in the searchable, online Rhode Island Ocean State Libraries library catalog under Providence Seed Library. The Providence Seed Library is currently available at PCL's Washington Park, Knight Memorial, and Mount Pleasant locations during scheduled hours.
 
An ongoing food justice, equity, and access educational program for youth interconnects with the Providence Seed Library. Members of Washington Park Library's Queer Umbrella group and the PVD Young Makers program are building raised garden beds under the guidance of PVD Office of Sustainability's artist-in-residence, Fatema Maswood. Participating high school interns gain class credits as they learn how to construct and install the beds and use them to grow plants from seed to full-blooming or harvestable produce. In due course, the students will teach other community members the same process through their own educational programs You can follow progress in the raised garden bed project on Washington Park's Facebook page .