Elisabeth C. Miller Memorial Lecture Webinar Featuring Brian Thompson: “Thirty Years of Stories, Insights, and Wonders in the Miller Library”
Brian highlights some of his favorite books, authors, and illustrators that he has come to know and love from the shelves of the Miller Library. This includes passionate gardeners from hundreds of years ago, storytellers of the wonders of the natural world, and insights into the depth of knowledge and history that can be found about his favorite plants.
As a life-long Western Washington gardener, Brian found a career that combines his deep interest in horticulture with his love of books. He became a librarian at the Miller Library in early 1997, taking on the dual roles of manager and curator of horticultural literature and rare books in 2007.
Brian was a winner of the Charles Robert Long Award of Extraordinary Merit in 2026 for his many years of work in promoting new and outstanding literature in botany and horticulture. His special focus on lesser known but important authors and publishers have made the book reviews and monthly new book lists of the Miller Library a valuable resource for horticultural libraries and enthusiastic gardeners throughout North America.
The webinar is available now through December 31. Brian has also provided a list of the books he mentions, for listeners who want to learn more.
Bolinas Frank, Ann Spiers, Incho Lee: Art + Haiku + Translation: Flora of Korea & the Northwest , October 2-29
Everyone at the Miller Library is excited to welcome artist Bolinas Frank, poet Ann Spiers, and translator Incho Lee for our October exhibition.
Frank, Spiers, and Lee share a fascination with the flora of Korea and the Northwest. Their common interests unite in this collaborative exhibit of 21 paintings paired with haiku and its translation.
Born in Seattle, artist Bolinas Frank is now based in Seoul. Korean and Northwestern flora inform his use of color, rhythm, and mark-making, while encouraging his close look at familiar species and his discovery of new meanings. He explores the character of leaves, flowers, stems, and seed forms through expressive lines and layered color. He uses art to deepen attention to plants and to create connections between different landscapes, languages, and cultures.
Ann Spiers is the former Poet Laureate of Vashon Island. In previous collaborations, Bolinas created the cover art for Spiers’ poetry book Wild Cucumber (Empty Bowl Press, 2025) as well as the cover and weather icons for Rain Violent (Empty Bowl Press, 2021). She is a member of Haiku Northwest and Vashon’s haiku gathering, Mondays at Three. Her interest in haiku stems from exploring Northwest Issei haiku and history.
Translator Incho Lee is from Seoul, Korea. Her PhD is from the University of Washington. She taught applied linguistics at Penn State and the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Her work focuses on language education, in the context of globalization and the racialized attitudes towards language in both the United States and South Korea. Her research examines how language policies intersect with issues of race and identity, contributing to broader discussions on second-language education.
Art + Haiku + Translation: Flora of Korea and the Northwest will run from October 2-29. There will be a reception and poetry reading hosted by Ann Spiers at the library on October 12 from 4:30-7:30pm.
The Miller Library Now Offers E-Books!
Borrowers can now check out e-books from the Miller Library through the Libby app. If you borrow from The Seattle Public Library or the King County Library System, you’re probably already familiar with Libby. You can learn more about the app–and download it–here: overdrive.com/apps/libby.
On the Libby app, all you need to do is:
- Choose “Add Library.” Search for “Seattle Botanic” and it’ll bring up “Horticulture Library Consortium.” Select “Sign in with my card” and you’ll be asked to select a “Branch” — that’s where you’ll find Seattle Botanic Gardens.
- You’ll be asked to enter a User ID. This is the same as your username for our online library catalog. If you’ve forgotten it (or if your account expired), reach out to nwilliams@seattlebg.org for help.
Those who don’t use the Libby app or prefer accessing e-books in their browser can do so at hortlibrary.overdrive.com. Simply click “Sign in,” choose “Seattle Botanic Gardens” and enter your User ID as above.
You can use either the Libby app or the website to browse, check out, and read e-books. You will also be able to browse e-books in the Miller Library’s catalog soon.
This resource is available because the Miller Library is part of the Horticulture Library Consortium, a group of about a dozen horticultural libraries around the country working together to provide their communities greater access to helpful resources.
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Address: 3501 NE 41st St., Seattle, WA, 98105
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Your Library Account Email: library@seattlebotanicgardens.org
Plant Answer Line: 206-897-5268 General Questions: 206-543-0415
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November 2026: Read Priscilla Grundy’s review of TreeNotes by Nalini Nadkarni
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