Summer Tour Invites Visitors To Explore All 58 Nassau Libraries

WANTAGH, NY — Children of all ages are encouraged to take advantage of all that the library has to offer. But to make the exploration even more enticing, all 58 branches of the Nassau Library System are holding a summer tour.

Running until August 12, the tour has a scavenger hunt feel to it, as each person will get a map listing the library locations throughout the county for them to visit.

It's a resumption of a tour that started in 2019, but paused thereafter due to COVID.

More than finding books, "it introduces you to the towns as well," Alexandria Viola, Wantagh Public Library Information Specialist, told Patch.

Upon arriving at each library, they should let it known they are tour participants. That library will mark off the location on the map.

"They'll put a sticker on the current location," Viola said. "That's how they know how many libraries you've gone to."

With students away from school, and many looking for activities, Viola said, this was a natural way to highlight the Nassau libraries in a fun way.

"There are a lot of libraries that are clustered together, geographically, so they do bounce around and hit a few in a days," she said.

Aside from the enjoyment of checking out each library, there is another perk to participate —prizes.

The libraries will hand out prizes for visiting five, 15, 30 and 50 different libraries.

For the 30th and 50th, contributors should attend one of the following libraries for their prize:

• Elmont Public Library, 700 Hempstead Turnpike
• Farmingdale Public Library, 116 Merritts Rd.
• Freeport Memorial Library, 144 West Merrick Rd.
• Levittown Public Library, 1 Bluegrass Lane
• Manhasset Public Library, 30 Onderdonk Ave.
• Syosset Public Library, 225 South Oyster Bay Rd.

"If you've visited all 58 locations, you get entered into a raffle to win a grand prize," Viola said. "Which always adds to the fun."