Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Somers Seed Lending Library News

Happy spring! Now that spring has officially arrived, now is the time to gather your seeds and get growing! The Somers Seed Lending Library is a good place to start!
For the last 4 years, the Somers Seed Lending Library has been a wonderful addition to our library and to this community. The Somers Seed Lending Library is a free community heirloom seed lending project, demonstrating that libraries check out more than books! The idea is simple. Growers get enough seeds to grow 5-6 plants from the seed catalog.  They record what seeds they are taking, and complete a basic contact info sheet. Then they grow their plants during the season, and at the end of the growing season, the grower saves some of the seed for next season, and returns a portion (usually 2-3 times the starting amount or more) to the seed library to continue the cycle.
Our hope is that you will enjoy gardening and picking the fruits of your hard labor. Along with saving seeds, consider checking out some great books on gardening and cooking to experience a true culinary treat!
Donations are gratefully accepted to help grow our seed library. On our wish list: new packets of heirloom and/or organic seeds.
Lastly, we have a free seminar coming up in April that offers a wonderful opportunity to educate patrons on seeds:
Seed Choices: The Relevance of Seeds and Our Local Food System: Saturday, April 15 @ 10:30 - This exploratory discussion offers a wonderful opportunity to explore the idea that we all—gardeners and eaters alike—play a role in stewarding one of our most valuable natural resources: seeds. Shanyn Siegel will lead this informative conversation about seeds and the seed industry, and how they both impact one of the things most essential to our everyday lives—our food. Shanyn will explain the different types of garden seeds available and share options for selecting the best seeds for organic gardens—and a resilient regional food system. Participants will leave with a better understanding of the significance of our seed choices and some unusual heirloom seeds to try. Information about Community Seeds and the Community Seed Resource program will be shared.  Whether you're a homesteader, a gardener, or simply a person who cares about sustainable food and agriculture systems, this class provide a wonderful opportunity to experience the source of it all: seeds.  
So, please come and visit the Somers Seed Lending Library the next time you are in the library.  This is your chance to get heirloom quality seeds to grow quality plants, to learn about the importance of seed as a vital natural resource, and to get into the spirit of the season of spring! Follow Somers Seed Lending Library on Facebook.

Thursday, March 2, 2017

New Travel and Cooking DVDs

We are pleased to offer two new series to our growing DVD collection. If you are interested in travel or cooking, then come on in and check out these new sets.

Planet Food 
Follow travelers as they take you on a culinary journey exploring planet earth's food cultures in some of the world's most delicious destinations.

Barcelona
Malaysia
Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Peru
Greece
India
Italy
Japan
Lebanon
Peru
Scandinavia
Southern China
Southern Spain

Destinations: The America

This travel series invites discovery of the most significant destinations in all of the America's. Each major travel destination reveals the most popular "must see" sites, events, and attractions. Many of the destinations also spotlight surrounding areas to further enrich the experience.

Florida: South & West
Florida: Key West and Everglades
San Francisco & North California
Vancouver
Philadelphia & Washington DC
Boston & New England
Calgary and Canadian Rockies
Montreal & Quebec
Dallas
New York City

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Lynda.com and Other Learning Resources


Lynda.com is leading online learning company that helps anyone learn software, technology, creative and business skills (and a lot more) to achieve personal and professional goals through a video library of engaging, top-quality courses taught by recognized industry experts. Their website is designed exceptionally well, and helps you keep track of what you want to learn and what you have already learned. Using their free online video tutorials lets you work at your own pace. Resources such as worksheets and templates are frequently included. You will need to create a user profile, and then you may access Lynda.com using your library card number and password.


Lynda.com and other learning resources may be accessed by clicking here.