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About Our Teaching Garden
Begun in 2021 as a partnership between the Library, the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, and the University of Illinois Extension Cook County North Master Gardeners, our Teaching Garden is an outdoor classroom for hands-on, multi-generational learning, as well as a quiet place to relax and read. Located in the southeast corner of the Library’s upper parking lot, the Garden is fully accessible, and offers comfortable seating in a beautiful setting.
Teaching Garden Workshops
Local gardeners provide hands-on instruction in seasonal gardening tasks. From 9:30-10 we’ll take care of basic garden maintenance. From 10-11, we’ll focus on a specific gardening topic. Meets weekly, weather permitting. Registration suggested.
Tuesday, October 6: Chop and Drop
2026 Seed Library Now Closed
Our Seed Library is now closed for the season. Please visit the links below to learn how to care for your new seeds. Questions, or want to make a seed request for 2027? Please email lkirchhoff@balibrary.org. Happy growing!
Want to suggest that we add a seed for next year? Use our handy form.
Details about this year's Seed Library
Seed Library FAQ
Q. What’s in the Seed Library?
A. We stock a variety of native and common garden seeds. Produce seeds are non-GMO and organic, and we try to offer both very common seeds (like basil and cosmos) as well as seeds you may not commonly see in stores.
Q. What do the seeds cost?
A. Seeds are free!
Q. Do I need to have a library card to use the Seed Library?
A. No. The only time a Barrington Area Library card is required for the Seed Library is on launch day, when our cardholders get priority admission.
Q. I have questions about seeds that you’re offering. Who can I ask?
A. The Illinois Master Gardener Help Desk is an excellent resource if you have questions about your garden or particular plants. If you have questions about our program or particular seeds we’re offering, you can contact librarian Liz Kirchhoff at lkirchhoff@balibrary.org.
Q. Do you take seed donations?
A. Yes! You can drop seeds off at the Customer Service desk at the front of the Library. Please include the name of the seed and a way for us to contact you in case we have questions.
Q. How long is the Seed Library available?
A. Our Seed Library is now closed. Our season generally runs from late January to April.
Seed Library Resources
Seed Sources:
Helpful Info:
ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants for Pets
Local Gardening News
BALibrary Garden & Environment Webinars
The Barrington Area Library is proud to announce that it has received a coveted four star ranking in the annual Star Libraries report, published by Library Journal. We are one of only 17 libraries in Illinois to receive a star ranking this year.
For the 2019 report, Library Journal surveyed 6,333 public libraries in the United States, and 261 received star rankings. This places the Barrington Area Library in the top 4% of libraries nationwide, based on six major service measures – physical material circulation, electronic circulation, number of visits, program attendance, public computer users, and wifi sessions, all per capita - from the 2016-2017 fiscal year. As in past years, BALibrary performed exceptionally well in overall circulation (top 2% nationwide) and e-circulation (top 1% nationwide), which comes as no surprise to our staff: we are proud to serve a community of engaged and curious readers of all ages.
The top 30 libraries in each of Library Journal's nine expenditure categories receive three, four, or five star rankings. See the full Star Libraries report online. The Barrington Area Library received three star rankings in 2010, 2017, and 2018.
We are pleased to share our latest annual report, covering the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
This year's report highlights the many ways in which the Library's programs and services support our mission statement and goals.
Explore how the Library stimulates imagination, creates (young) readers, develops information fluency, and fosters lifelong learning, all in comfortable physical and virtual settings.
Discover a group of young makers changing lives around the world, then discover how great stories and screen-free time change lives right here in the Barrington area.
Learn about Library technology, like the BALibrary app, Creativebug software, and genealogy services, and learn about improvements made to the Library building and campus this past year.
Take note of the many ways in which the Library collaborates with both nonprofit and business organizations, building relationships that inspire innovation and real world problem-solving.
We share this annual report with our thanks for your ongoing support and encouragement.
Read the report online below, or download a printable PDF.
Once again, our top-notch Youth Services librarians have compiled a list of their favorite books, published in 2019, for young readers. We hope you and your family find some new favorites here, too!
Our 2019 TEDxBarringtonAreaLibrary speakers: Leslie Ferris Yerger, Andy Milne, and *Star Cunningham.
We're thrilled to bring you our 2019 TEDxBarringtonAreaLibrary videos, from three great speakers with powerful ideas to share.
Listen to and learn from:
Star* Cunningham: One Dot At A Time
Leslie Ferris Yerger: Probably Benign
Andy Milne: This Is Not Your Parents' Health Class