Library Love: Five Borough Scavenger Hunt

Share your love of libraries in some friendly competition with other passionate New Yorkers!

Join Open House New York on Saturday, August 6 for a citywide scavenger hunt to deepen your knowledge of our city’s libraries, from the past to the future. Race to decipher clues, explore new corners of the city with friends, and find a new appreciation for these vital community anchors.

The story of our city’s libraries tells the story of New York’s past, present, and future. Over the last 100 years, libraries have evolved to keep up with the changing needs of our diverse population to serve neighborhoods in all five boroughs. More than just places for books, libraries are vital community spaces where kids can play and learn, teens can geek out on computers and comic books, and people from all backgrounds can apply for jobs or learn new skills, languages, and hobbies. In every community across the city, libraries physically anchor the collective commitment to discovery, self-improvement, and innovation.

Key Dates

Registration deadline: Wednesday, August 3

Clues released: Saturday, August 6, 10:00am

Clue submission deadline: Saturday, August 6, 11:59pm

How to Register:

Compete as an individual or as a team—note team size is limited to 10 people. Only ONE person per team should register. This person will be designated as the team captain.

To encourage broad and equitable participation in the hunt, all registration fees will be waived for anyone with a library card. Branch staff can sign up an entire team OR individuals with a library card can sign up and be matched with other library patrons. The benefit of signing up as an individual is to not only compete for free, but you will discover the city with new friends and fellow library enthusiasts.

How to register for free:

• If you participating as an individual, select Join-A-Team: Local Library Branch at registration, and indicate your local library branch. OHNY will create teams of 1-10 based on other patrons who register .
• If you are part of a library, select Build-Your-Team: Library Staff at registration and rally a team of up to 10 staff members or library patrons. There is no limit to the number of teams each branch can form, however each team is limited to 10 people. If you are a library staff member, identify the name of your branch and your job title when you register.

How to register if you are not part of a local library branch:

• Teams must register in advance by the Registration Deadline of August 3. Play solo or in teams of up to 10.
• You will need to provide your team members' names prior to the event. Please have your names collected by August 3. We will include how to register your team members' names in the follow-up instructions.
• Each team must designate a team captain who is responsible for confirming team details prior to the event.
• Before August 6, designate a team mascot—make your own or pick an object that will be pictured in all the photos you submit for points.

Registration Fees

Registration fees are according to team size as follows:

• Local Library Patrons (1-10 individuals): FREE
• 1-3 individuals: $45
• 4-6 individuals: $75
• 6-10 individuals: $150

How to Play:

• On August 6 at 10:00am, more than 60 clues will be emailed to team captains that hint at key sites across all five boroughs. Each clue will include a clue number, the borough where it is located, and the number of points if answered correctly. Clues are worth different points depending on their difficulty and distance from each other.
• On August 6, decipher clues and race across the city, posing for photos of you, your team, and your team mascot in front of the building or library hinted at in the clue. (You won't need to go in; just a photo in front of the building will be enough to earn points!)
• You can start at any time during the 14-hour period from 10:00am to midnight on August 6— start early to beat the heat or begin late to catch the Festival of New York dance parties happening at libraries across the city– bonus points if you take a photo at a dance party!
• Teams can walk, run, take public transportation, or use bikes, ferries, or cars to get around during the hunt. As part of Summer Streets, Citi Bike will be offering free day passes on August 6: use the code SUMMER22 in the Citi Bike app to receive unlimited 30-minute rides on a classic Citi Bike for 24 hours! To level the playing field, teams who do not use cars get a green energy points bonus.
• Submit your photos by 11:59pm on August 6 for scoring by Airtable. Points will be tallied and the top three winning teams will be announced on Sunday, August 7. Instructions on how to submit for scoring will be provided with the clues on August 6 at 10:00am.

Questions? Please email rowan@ohny.org.

This program is offered as part of Festival of New York, a citywide collaborative movement featuring 300+ diverse organizations across all sectors spanning from Memorial Day to Labor Day 2022. Open House New York is proud to be a launch partner of the Festival.

On Saturday, Aug. 6, as part of Festival of New York, the New York Public Library, in partnership with the Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library, will host dozens of outdoor dance parties across the city— bonus points if you take a photo at a dance party!

About Radical Knowledge: Libraries as Community Catalysts

The Library Love: Five Borough Scavenger Hunt is part of OHNY’s ongoing Urban Systems series, Radical Knowledge: Libraries as Community Catalysts, a multi-year program examining how libraries serve as both vibrant learning institutions and centers for their communities, providing physical and virtual spaces to enrich civic life.

This series is being developed with learning institutions, community activists, and leaders across New York City’s diverse communities. Virtual, experiential, and participatory experiences for Radical Knowledge include conversations, workshops, site visits, self-guided tours, and a scavenger hunt. These activities are being designed to reach OHNY’s core audience of city explorers while also engaging underrepresented communities that are often not included in the power structures of New York City.

Radical Knowledge is the sixth installment of OHNY’s Urban Systems infrastructure series. We are grateful to our program partners: The New York Public Library, Queens Public Library, and Brooklyn Public Library.