The Great Give Back will return for 2021, on Saturday, October 16th! Check back starting early this summer to see information on participating libraries.

2020 has been a year like no other. We have faced many new challenges, but one of the things we’ve learned is how important an active and supportive community can be when the going is toughest, especially for those already struggling. That’s why this year, The Great Give Back is more important than ever. Your public libraries have been innovating on the fly, finding creative new ways to bring you services and resources even when buildings couldn’t be open. And they continue to bring their creativity to the table in planning what The Great Give Back will look like this fall. Check back soon as libraries are beginning to share their program plans, which will include opportunities to serve your communities in safe and socially distanced ways — virtually, from home, outdoors, and more. We are looking forward to sharing all of their exciting plans with you, and to coming together to continue to serve and rebuild our communities.

Thank you to everyone across New York State who made The Great Give Back a success in 2019! We are adding photos to the Photos tab above all the time, so check back often to look for your library. We’ll be sharing statistics about this year’s successes over the next few weeks as well. We look forward to bringing The Great Give Back to libraries once again in 2020!

We couldn’t be more delighted to share that over 160 libraries in New York State have signed on to The Great Give Back! As we move into fall, participating libraries have begun sending in their official GGB events. To see if a library near you is hosting an event, visit the List View page and click on your county, which will take you to a list of participating libraries in your library system. More and more events will be listed as the date draws closer. Share this website with your friends and family who might be looking for volunteer opportunities as well. If you have any questions about a library’s participation or scheduled event, please reach out to that library directly. Thank you for helping us get ready to Give Back!

In 2019 The Great Give Back is scheduled for Saturday, October 19th.

This year the program, whose mission is to provide a day of opportunities for library patrons to participate in meaningful service-oriented experiences, is growing! 2019 will be a pilot year that expands the initiative from Long Island to the rest of New York. Check back to see if your local library will be hosting a Great Give Back event.

Thanks to everyone who participated in The Great Give Back 2018! We had a total of 107 libraries participate across Suffolk and Nassau counties, with patrons of all ages volunteering in all kinds of fantastic ways, from community cleanups to pet adoption fairs and more! Check out the photos page above to see some of our volunteers in action, and stay tuned to this site for announcements about The Great Give Back 2019.

The Great Give Back is back in 2018! Check the “Find a Participating Library” page to see if your library is taking part in the day. Even better, this year The Great Give Back has gone Island wide and Nassau has joined the incredible day of service!

Spring may just be arriving, but The Great Give Back team is already looking ahead to next fall when the second Annual Great Give Back will be held on Saturday, October 13th! Mark your calendars and check back in the coming months for announcements about participating libraries, growing opportunities and how you can give back to your community!

The first annual Great Give Back is over, and by all accounts it was a great success! Congratulations to our participating patrons and libraries for all your hard work – Suffolk County thanks you! And we hear at The Great Give Back also want to thank you for your service and dedication. As we all know, a little kindness can go a long way, and you all poured out a ton of it!

We’ll be posting videos and pictures of your service events as they come in over at the photos and videos page.

You can also check out what local news outlets have been saying about The Great Give Back on our press coverage page. 

Some of our libraries’ charitable collections are ongoing, and we’ll announce details about the 2018 Great Give Back as soon as they’ve been settled, so don’t be a stranger!

The Great Give Back is finally here!! Tomorrow, Suffolk County residents will gather at 52 libraries to give back to their communities by donating goods, cleaning up the environment, random acts of kindness, creating gifts and cards for those who need it most, and more! We can’t wait to hear about all your wonderful service events! Don’t forget, you can find a list of participating libraries here and a map of participating libraries here – there’s something for everyone!

The Great Give Back has also been receiving some fantastic coverage in local press – check out what people have been saying below!

Greater Babylon – Libraries Across Suffolk Hosting Special Events for ‘The Great Give Back’ Saturday

Greater Patchogue – The Latest Lakeview Cemetery Cleanup is Saturday, Oct. 14, in Patchogue

Greater Port Jeff – Libraries Across Suffolk Hosting Special Events for ‘The Great Give Back’ Saturday 

Hamptons.com – When Libraries Lend More than Books: A Day of Donating

Newsday – Suffolk Libraries Host a Series of Service Projects on Ocyt. 14

Sag Harbor Express – Great Give Back Supports the Food Pantry