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West Chicago Seed Library

Whether you are a beginning or intermediate gardener, the West Chicago Public Library District’s Seed Library could help you grow an old favorite or get you started with something new and delicious! Our Seed Library service is free and available to all West Chicago residents. Seeds are available for checkout from the Adult Services Department whenever the library is open.  While not all seeds can be planted year-round, there will be seeds available each growing season, so visit the library and check this page seasonally to learn what is available! 

The West Chicago Seed Library began as a collaborative effort between Healthy West Chicago and the West Chicago Public Library in early 2024. Together, we want West Chicago residents to have the opportunity to start or expand their garden with nutritious options! Starting a garden could be a rewarding experience providing fun, learning, and most importantly, delicious home-grown fruits and vegetables! 

Whether you are just starting out, or you are already an expert gardener, the Seed Library collection at WCPLD has a variety for you. Together with Healthy West Chicago, we work to ensure that we have a variety of seeds ready for our community to use! We offer some options that are easy to grow along with others that are chosen to provide a fun and enriching challenge for established gardeners. A vintage card catalog was repurposed to house the seed packets which were assembled at the library with volunteers from the community. The seed library officially opened to residents on May 2, 2024 and currently lives in the Adult Services Department, with our Seed Library card catalog on the library’s second floor.  

How To Get Free Seeds from the West Chicago Seed Library 

  1. Visit the Seed Library in the Adult Services Department on the 2nd floor 
  2. Choose up to 4 packets of seeds per planting season 
  3. Bring your packets to an Adult Services staff member to check them out!
  4. Head home and get planting! 

Each seed you find in the library is non-GMO and can be saved to plant again next year. With food costs skyrocketing in Western DuPage County and everywhere else, planting your own produce and saving the seeds year after year could help you build local food-chain resiliency, ensuring that you are able to grow fun fruits and vital vegetables, all for free! If you do not know how to save your seeds, don’t worry, the library has resources to help you start the process. Once you have saved seeds from your first crop, you will then be able to “check out” different varieties of seeds from the library and HWC, diversifying your garden and dinner menu! 

Type of Produce Variety of Seed
Onion Evergreen Long White
Strawberry Mignonette
Pepper, Hot Poblano (Ancho)
Pepper, Hot Jalapeño
Pepper, Sweet Costa Rican Hybrid
Tomatillo Gigante Verde
Tomato, Cherry Sungold Hybrid
Tomato, Large Fourth of July Hybrid

Seed Library Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The seed library is located on the second floor of the library in the Adult Services Department. Enter WCPLD through the main entrance on Washington St. After walking through the doors, the stairs will be straight ahead and a bit to the right. The elevator is straight ahead. Once you are upstairs, head straight towards the back wall from the elevator or stairs and you will see the West Chicago Seed Library card catalog! If you get lost, do not hesitate to speak with a staff member. 

Bringing seeds back to the library will be a possibility in the future. For now, save seeds from your best plants to use for yourself next year! By saving your seeds from this year’s crop for next year’s planting means you could also check out a different variety of seeds next season, expanding what you are able to grow at home, for FREE! 

The seed library is open during regular library hours. You can see the library’s hours and closings here. If you are unsure about whether we are open or not, feel free to reach out to us by emailing ask@wcpld.info or giving us a call at 1-(630)-231-1552! 

Seeds are changed seasonally. We are currently changing seeds three times a year to accommodate late winter, early spring, and a secondary late summer planting. Make sure you check out this page a few times a year to see what new seeds we might have to start planning your garden expansion! Planning a garden extension? Check out some of the great tools we have available for patrons to borrow from our Library of Things! 

You do not need a library card to checkout seeds. As a joint initiative with Healthy West Chicago, we want the seed library to be a resource to increase community food resiliency and sustainability among all West Chicagoans and Western DuPage patrons, whether they use the library or not! 

If you don’t have a library card, check out our page on getting a library card to start the process today! While you don’t need a card to use the West Chicago Seed Library, having a library card could get you access to incredibly powerful tools and millions of books, movies, and games, already paid for by your taxes. 

Just bring your selections to an Adult Services desk so that staff can make a note for inventory! Otherwise, there are no requirements or conditions for checking out these seeds. 

Each packet has enough seeds for a small crop of plants. The amount varies depending on the variety of plant. Some seeds, like carrots and lettuce, are small and the packets contain around 50 seeds each. Others, like squash and beans, contain around 10 seeds. 

Many of the seeds can be grown in containers – check the label to see which seeds are container friendly. If you’re still unsure, please work with a West Chicago librarian to get guidance on what we have available, what you hope to harvest, the conditions in your yard, and much more! 

Some seeds can be started indoors while the weather is still cool outside and then be transplanted outdoors. However, other seeds must be sown directly into the ground or in a growing container. Check the seed variety sign at the seed library to see which ones should not be transplanted. We may have different varieties of seeds with different requirements available depending on the season, so check in with us if you have any questions. 

All of the seeds in the library are chosen for their hardiness and will grow well in our climate. For extra easy growing, check the labels to see which ones are especially beginner-friendly. 

Check the seed instructions on the seed packets for more information on how to sow, grow, maintain, and harvest your plants. Additional information can be found via the University of Illinois Extension serving DuPage, Kane, and Kendall Counties.

All seeds available at the library are appropriate for West Chicago’s Zone 5 planting area. 

So, you grew some great fruits and vegetables; now what? Don’t worry, the library has hundreds of resources available to help you explore what comes next! From cookbooks, recipe cards in the seed library, self-help books about nutrition science, and even Healthy West Chicago sponsored cooking classes. Looking for a recipe or some way to use what you’ve grown? Speak with one of our staff members today to get started!