The Great Neck Library offers a myriad of programs, but through its offerings also provides a channel to bring the greater community together through common interests.
“The library is one of the few places that everybody in the whole peninsula has an opportunity to participate in,” said Adam Hinz, the library’s system coordinator of programming. “The library is really an institution where everybody has access to these programs.”
Hinz manages all the programs held across the library’s branches. He said behind every program that is established is a myriad of factors, from community feedback to social needs.
The library’s programs are expansive in scope, catering to all the needs of the community. These include early literacy programs for children, hands-on exploration and learning in the STEM lab for all ages, arts and craft courses, wellness and fitness clases, and information sessions to address social needs.
“People in the community really do have a desire to pursue their creative and intellectual and academic needs, and [the library] is an opportunity to do that,” Hinz said.
For every day the library is open, a different program is scheduled and oftentimes multiple throughout the day.
In 2024, the Great Neck Library offered 789 adult programs, 1,035 children’s programs, 777 teen programs and 185 programs for all ages. Between all of these programs and another 1,298 appointments, more than 50,000 people attended.
Hinz said these numbers are even less than what they anticipate for 2025 due to the closure of the Parkville Library at the beginning of 2024.
Only a small number of classes come with a fee, making nearly all its programs free for the community. Fees are typically for courses where supplies may need to be purchased by the library, such as with its robotics programs.
The mission of the library and carried out through its programs is to engage the entirety of the community it serves, as well as foster inspiration, learning, curiosity and compassion.
Hinz pointed to the expansiveness of Great Neck and the area the libraries serve, all the way from Kings Point to North New Hyde Park. He said individuals don’t always have the means to connect with the entirety of the Great Neck community, with even the public school district divided between North and South, and yet the library is one that can unite them.
Engaging adults in their program is also key.
Cindy Wolfe, head of adult programming across the library branches, said programming goes beyond the typical library offerings of book discussions and author events.
Adult programming caters to a wide variety of needs and wants, from fitness classes like yoga and tai chi, to art lectures and information sessions on Medicare, Social Security and paying taxes.
Wolfe said adult programming can sometimes be neglected in favor of children and teen programs, but the Great Neck Library has always made sure adults are included as well.
“Adults are important, too,” Wolfe said. “The library is for everyone across all ages, wherever you are in your stage in life. Whether you’re working or you’re retired or if you’re a caregiver or parent.”
And adults are also active in the library’s programs, Wolfe said, with many competitive programs that consistently sell out quickly.
“They’ve always been receptive to learning new things, keeping their skills sharp and just getting involved with their community,” Wolfe said.
For further questions or suggestions regarding the library’s program, individuals can contact Hinz at ahinz@greatnecklibrary.org.
