By: Jennifer A.C., Dayton's Bluff
Seed Library Open House
On Saturday, April 18, the East Side Seed Library hosted their annual Open House, which is the official kickoff to the seed library growing season! The East Side Seed Library is a joint venture between Saint Paul Public Library’s Dayton’s Bluff branch, the Metro State University Library, and Urban Roots, opens a new window. The seed library itself is hosted inside Dayton’s Bluff Library, with gardening books and other resources available throughout both libraries. The Open House invited patrons to visit the seed library to check out seeds, ask Ramsey County Garden Education volunteers for advice, speak with Urban Roots, and participate in a sunflower planting activity hosted by Metro State University Library. During the two-hour event, 132 seed packets were checked out!
What is a seed library?
Seed libraries are places where people can check out free seed packets to plant in their gardens, windowsill pots, or community gardens. Seeds are donated by organizations and individuals, and patrons "check out" packets with no expectation to return them.
The East Side Seed Library
The East Side Seed Library is located inside Dayton's Bluff branch of Saint Paul Public Library, which is housed in the Metro State University Library building. Patrons can check out up to five seed packets per visit — no library card, residency, or personal information required. The selection is stocked year-round and organized into categories like lettuces, tomatoes, annual flowers, native Minnesota plants, and gourds, with the largest variety arriving each spring. Seeds are primarily donated by Urban Roots and MN SEED Project, with MN SEED Project also providing expert advice on native plants and additional supplies. The library also receives one-off donations from community members and supporters near and far.
Events
The East Side Seed Library runs a mix of monthly and seasonal programming, all located on or near the Metro State campus — many in their GROW-IT Center. The Community Seed Circle meets monthly in spring and autumn, where participants help sort and organize seeds with no experience required. Seasonally, events follow the gardening calendar: a Seed Library Open House in spring, Intro to Crop Art in summer, a Seed Collecting outing in autumn led by Urban Roots, and a Seed Sowing workshop in winter to prep for the next season.
Award and recognition
The East Side Seed Library won the 2026 Community Collaboration Award from the Seed Coalition (Strengthening Education for an Engaged Democracy), a coalition of colleges and universities across Minnesota and Iowa. Metro State University nominated the collaboration, and representatives from all three partner organizations attended the April 9th ceremony at St. Olaf College. In 2025, the seed library also presented at the Minnesota Library Association Conference on how other libraries can start their own seed libraries.
Part of a growing system
The East Side Seed Library joins two other Saint Paul Public Library seed libraries. The West Side Seed Library at Riverview Library — the inspiration for the East Side model — is maintained entirely by community volunteers and operates with no checkout process or packet limits. The seed library at Sun Ray Library is run by library staff, with a five-packet-per-visit limit. Each location reflects its community's needs while sharing the same mission: getting seeds into gardeners' hands.
Whether you're a seasoned grower or just seed-curious, consider visiting one of Saint Paul's seed libraries this season — or stop by an upcoming East Side Seed Library event to dig in.
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