BERNE — Patrons at Berne’s library can now pick up seeds for gardening as well as borrow books.

The Friends of the Berne Public Library created a “seed library” this summer, said member Ann Hein. The idea behind this is that, because an entire seed packet is often not used when gardening, participants can take the seeds they want from a packet and leave the rest for others to use.

The inspiration for the seed library came from the Voorheesville Public Library’s program, said Hein.

Seed packets, which include herbs, flowers, fruit, and vegetables, were donated from local businesses, said Hein. Participants use a “seed book” to find the plants — organized alphabetically — they want to grow, which directs them to where the seeds are stored in a card catalog. Loose seeds can then be taken home in a manila envelope.

The library is also asking patrons to write down their name and the seeds taken in a log in order to determine what seeds are most commonly used.

Library Manager Kathy Stempel said that the seed library has been in place since July 2, with 21 people having used it in the first 16 days. The first patron took spinach seeds, she said, that will sprout in the fall. One woman was impressed that she could find a variety of a flower that she hadn’t been able to find anywhere else, said Stempel.

“They’re really glad that it’s here,” she said. “That they’ve been able to get seeds they can’t get anywhere else.”

The seed library will be open year-round, said Stempel.