Our houseplant collection is part of a larger system effort to create welcoming spaces for our customers. The plants help create a relaxing environment, perfect for study and collaboration, and we have created a monthly houseplant club where people can learn and connect with each other via a mutual love of plants. Our community garden was created by FarmUnity, a local nonprofit, in partnership with the library. One of the goals of the garden is to address low access to food in our local area as well as food deserts around the county. It also gives our community the chance to learn about growing their own food while building relationships and a sense of belonging.

• Library staff care for 100+ houseplants displayed throughout the public area
• Staff create identification labels for every plant, providing both botanical and common names, and a QR code customers can scan to get care information for the plant
• Seasonal educational/interactive plant displays
  Monthly houseplant club
• 4500 sq ft. community garden
• Twice-yearly harvest festival using produce from the garden
• Growing vegetables from seed inside the library where customers can observe their growth

• Multiple daily positive interactions with customers of all ages commenting on the plants and the way they improve the overall library experience
• Diverse membership and robust attendance for our houseplant club
• Partnership with FarmUnity
• Over 400 pounds of food donated to the community last year, expected to nearly double this year
• A true sense of community belonging has sprung up around our green initiatives. The interest in growing and caring for plants has had a unifying, positive effect and has brought people from diverse backgrounds together, working towards a common goal.