Great Neck Library participates in community service initiative
The Great Neck Library is participating in The Great Give Back, a community service initiative. The Suffolk County Public Library Directors Association and the Suffolk Cooperative Library System created the program in conjunction with the Nassau Library System.
The goal of The Great Give Back is to provide a day of opportunities for public library patrons across New York State to participate in service-oriented projects.
“The Great Give Back itself is specifically Oct. 15. However, we have so many locations and departments that we are able to offer events throughout October,” said Adam Hinz, System Coordinator of Programming for the Great Neck Library.
Each year, the Nassau Library System helps the Great Neck Library and other Nassau County libraries organize the program. The Great Neck Library has been participating in The Great Give Back since 2017.
“We wanted to offer our patrons the opportunity to donate their time and work on a project that benefits Long Island,” said Hinz. “In addition, we know that many of our teen patrons have to earn community service hours for school, and this provides them with an opportunity to do so.”
For each of the four different events offered at the Great Neck Libraries for The Great Give Back, one hour of community service is earned.
2021 Great Give Back.
(Photos from The Great Give Back website)
Events offered this month
• Cardmaking (Oct. 10 to 22) Grab & Go at the Lakeville Branch. Make a card for the organization, Cards for Hospitalized Kids!
• Dog Toys (Oct. 14 from 4:30 p.m.-5:15 p.m.) At the Parkville Branch. Stop by the branch to receive supplies to create dog and cat toys for a local shelter.
• Animal Shelter Blankets (Oct. 15 at 11:00 a.m.) At the Main Library. Make a cute blanket to donate to a local animal shelter.
• Beautify Your Library (Oct. 17 at 7:00 p.m.) At the Main Library. Help beautify the library by making a Sailor’s Valentine, a piece of artwork made out of seashells in mosaic designs.
To attend any of The Great Give Back events, register online at www.greatnecklibrary.org, in-person, or via phone at 516-466-8055.
(Photo from The Great Neck Library Website)
“The Great Neck Library staff worked to organize each of our events,” said Hinz. “We still have room for patrons to register for any of the events.”
The products made from dog toy creation and the animal shelter blanket events will be donated to the North Shore Animal Shelter.
“Different events have been created for various age groups,” said Hinz. “The cardmaking event at Lakeville is open to children, teens and adults. The animal shelter blankets event is for children in grades K to 6. The dog toys event and the beautify your library event are for teens.”
The Great Give Back website states that “over 280 libraries have joined the 2022 season.”
More and more libraries throughout New York state participate each year, and the contributions to local communities are increasing. The Great Give Back website shared the numbers from the 2021 Great Give Back day on Oct. 16, 2021.
With 263 libraries participating in 2021, over 3,000 patrons got involved, 445 hours of community service were given out, 80 different local and national organizations partnered with libraries and over 20,000 items were collected and donated. Libraries ran drives for food, books, clothes, toiletries, coupons and pet supplies.
This year’s The Great Give Back numbers are bound to increase with about 20 more libraries participating and less restriction from the pandemic hindering how many people can enter libraries at a time.
“We are hoping for a good turnout for each event,” said Hinz.
Visit thegreatgiveback.org to learn more about the program and different community-based service opportunities libraries are offering this year.
