Glasgow Seed Library: Seed Librarian

Glasgow Seed Library: Seed Librarian

Hours: 3 days per week / 21 hours per week / 0.6 FTE

Days of work: Flexible, but includes weekdays, Saturdays and occasional evenings.

Location of work: Flexible, but will include a regular in person office day with the GSL team at The Hidden Gardens, and on site working around Glasgow.

Contract: Fixed term, 3 months

Start date: January 2025

Salary: £14,622 (based on FTE £24,370)

Reports to: Rowan Lear & Hamshya Rajkumar, Seed Librarians

Background

Glasgow Seed Library is a collection of seeds and a community of growers. Since 2019, the library has stocked organic and open-pollinated vegetable, herb and flower seeds for everyone to borrow, grow and save. The project aims to develop seed saving skills, knowledge and resources, while connecting seed stewardship to indigenous and marginalised practices, cultures and histories of earth care.

Throughout the year, we run free workshops, talks and events around seed saving, community growing, urban biodiversity and food sovereignty. Glasgow Seed Library is delivered in collaboration with community gardens, partner organisations and growers throughout the city.

Please visit https://www.cca-glasgow.com/projects/glasgow-seed-library for more information about us. View https://www.cca-glasgow.com/whats-on/collection/glasgow-seed-library to get a sense of the kinds of events we organise.

Values

Glasgow Seed Library is committed to earth care, people care and fair share, principles of permaculture design which are found in most traditional societies. This unfurls in all aspects of the project, from working methods, procurement practices, accessible and equitable programming, respect for all participants (human and more-than-human), and recognition of systemic injustices tangled with the history, politics and cultures of seed saving.

Glasgow Seed Library aspires towards both rootedness (just as seeds root, we work with the land we are gifted, grounded in our urban locality and climatic conditions, building embodied skills and capacity, from soil to shoot) and fugitivity (as seeds have always travelled, we are learning, growing and adapting to a changing world, working against the global corporate enclosure of seed, in solidarity with worldwide movements for food, land and social justice).

Since 2023, Glasgow Seed Library has been led by an overarching theme of Seeding Worlds, involving more local and long-term collaborative work with our community partners and the development of new projects focussed on grassroots science, decolonial study and international solidarity.

Current Context

Glasgow Seed Library is on the move. Over the winter, our host organisation CCA will be closed to the public. The seed cabinet and much of GSL’s resources will be temporarily hosted by The Hidden Gardens, a long-term friend of the seed library. We are viewing this period positively, as a moment for unsettling habits and exploring new practices and ideas.

Over the next few months, we will continue our work of caring for the seeds, and the delivery of our events programme, which is always rooted in community, responsive to changing circumstances and happening in gardens and spaces around the city. We will also work with our new hosts, The Hidden Gardens to devise shared events and reciprocal collaborations.

In addition, we await the outcome of a Creative Scotland funding application to clarify the future of GSL beyond 31 March 2025. We are therefore recruiting on a fixed term / 3 month contract basis, but with the anticipation this may be extended following a positive outcome of funding (expected in early February).

This context explains why we are seeking someone with existing seed saving experience and expertise, who knows the lay of the land in terms of community growing in Scotland, and who is ready to get stuck in as our new Seed Librarian.

The position is advertised at 3 days / week but we will consider applications for 2 days / week. Please let us know in your covering letter which you prefer.

Team structure

Glasgow Seed Library has evolved from a largely volunteer-led initiative in 2019 into a project with three part-time Seed Librarians, who work collaboratively and share knowledge to organise, develop and deliver the seed library programme.

While duties can adapt over time to fit the interests, skills and development needs of the postholder, we anticipate the role being advertised to particularly support the aspects of the project which involve growing for seed production and sharing agricultural and horticultural skills. The job description and person specification reflects this focus.

We are seeking a collaborative, passionate and curious colleague, who has practical experience of growing for seed, a keen understanding of the global and local importance of seed sovereignty and a firm commitment to creative and community seed practices.

Responsibilities

Seeding Glasgow

• Set up, develop or maintain sites for seed production around Glasgow

• Growing from seed, nurturing plants and crops for the purpose of harvesting seeds

• Create crop plans, assess plant health and keep effective records

• Offer practical support to communities producing seed in Glasgow

• Lead on packing, labelling, organising and cleaning the seed collection

• Monitor and order supplies of envelopes, labels and other materials

• Test seed viability, monitor success and check for seed pests

• Source heirloom and unusual vegetables, herbs and flowers to diversify seed collection

• Facilitate access to the seed library, including using social media, email communications and community meetings to promote the seed library

• Organise and facilitate seedy socials, seed sorting and and other seed gatherings

• Conduct tours and library introductions for visiting groups

• Empower seed borrowers to play an active role in the seed library programme

  
  

Seeding Skills

• Co-devise a public programme of skills sharing, talks and workshops

• Coordinate and facilitate in-person, outdoor and online seminars and workshops

• Contact and book workshop leaders, speakers and venues

• Ensure appropriate risk assessments and safety protocols for public events

• Assess and address accessibility needs and support the provision of alternative formats for information, including translation into other languages

• Contribute to the marketing, promotion and evaluation of our programme

  
  

Seeding Community

• Nurture and strengthen existing relationships with community partners and gardens

• Co-devise tailored activities and events with a range of partners

• Develop online and offline resources for Glasgow seed savers

• Promote the seed library and support our online presence, including social media

• Represent Glasgow Seed Library in public events and stakeholder meetings

• Engage and connect online with seed libraries and grassroots networks globally

  
  

Seeding Culture

• Support seed library artists, writers, researchers and growers in residence

• Undertake research into seed histories, agricultural practices and food sovereignty

• Connect with related projects, artists, scientists, researchers and academics

Other Duties

• Attend weekly crossover Glasgow Seed Library team meetings to plan and review project activities, and coordinate staffing, resources and communications

• Communicate information clearly and effectively to community members, workshop participants, partners, CCA colleagues and the wider public

• Undertake administrative duties including logging events and evaluation, managing and recording expenses, contributing to fundraising activities and reporting

• Support our ongoing development of Sustainability, Environmental, Climate Action, Anti-Racist and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and other policies

Essential skills and experience

• Proven interest in seed sovereignty, radical botany, climate justice, decolonisation, permaculture and/or agroecological ideas and practices

• Experience in growing plants, gardening, horticulture and/or agroecology, for example, community garden, field scale or market garden experience

• Experience in seed production, ideally with success in a Scottish climate

• Skills and preparedness to work outdoors in varied conditions

• Experience in planning, delivering and facilitating public workshops and events

• Experience working successfully with people of different ages, backgrounds, experience and ability levels

• Good people skills and the ability to work closely and collaboratively with colleagues

• Skill in problem solving and flexibility and responsiveness to changing plans

• Excellent administrative and organisational skills

• Confidence in using and learning digital tools and software

• Experience using social media to effectively promote projects or events

• Experience making spreadsheets and using word processing software

• Ability to manage own time and complete tasks independently

• Good team work ethic with willingness to support and help others

• Commitment to accessibility, diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities

• Ability to work flexibly, across locations and in different community settings

• Commitment to some evening and weekend working

• Ability to handle difficult situations calmly and sensitively

• A positive and enthusiastic self-starter, with an empathetic and compassionate outlook, while able to maintain professional boundaries

  
  

  
  

Desirable or supporting skills and experience

• Completed training in seed growing and saving – for example, The Gaia Foundation's year long Intermediate seed saving course or similar

• A horticultural qualification (eg. HNC Horticulture / Plantsmanship)

• Experience of working within or with Glasgow’s community garden and food sector

• Experience of volunteering or working in or with a library or collection

• Experience of stocktaking or cataloguing items or products

• Enthusiasm to develop own skills and undertake relevant training

• Interest in exploring seeds through arts and cultural events

• Experience in documenting events with film, photography and audio

• An understanding of monitoring and evaluation methods and techniques

• Excellent communication skills in speaking and writing, with the ability to communicate with a wide and diverse range of people, including the general public, press, organisations, and other stakeholders

Application process

• CV

• A one page (500-1000 words) covering letter. Please address the following:

1. Your experience and skills with growing and seed production

2. You experience and interests in working with and in community

3. What particular aspect(s) of Glasgow Seed Library’s existing or past programme you are drawn to and why

   
   

Please email these to glasgowseedlibrary@cca-glasgow.com by 12noon, Sunday 8 December 2024.

Alternative forms of application are possible, please email the address above to discuss what would work best for you.

Interviews

Interviews will take place in person in Glasgow on Friday 13 December. The interview panel will include Hamshya Rajkumar, Louise King and Rowan Lear, current Seed Librarians at Glasgow Seed Library.

Downloads

• Seed Librarian Job Pack November 2024 →