Library patrons have been enjoying the resources and collections inside the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library for more than a century. Now, they'll also be able to enjoy what can be thought of as the library's outdoor collection -- its gardens.
In July, the library will unveil "Emma's Garden," an interactive garden experience in which patrons can take in the gardens surrounding the library and learn all about the plantings by using their smartphones or tablets to scan QR codes set up to identify each plant. Each QR code will link to information such as its origin, features and care, with gardening book recommendations and some "how-to" videos as well.
Library director Ted Gutmann said the garden project dates back to the library's most recent expansion. In 2000, when the library was expanded, Gutmann said an excellent landscape architect was hired for the gardens, which eventually were recognized with an award. Later, librarian Nancy McCaffrey and staff member Dianne Greco put together a binder full of photos and facts about the various plantings around the library, which was kept at the reference desk for people to browse.
"One of the things we thought we could do now with technology is we thought we could expand it and make it more accessible," Gutmann said. "... It seems like we have a lot of avid gardeners in the community so we thought they would appreciate this."
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
