Union County Library System launches Summer Quest with family programs

Parents looking for no-cost summer options now have a built-in choice at the Union County Library System, where Summer Quest 2026 pairs a 1,000-minute Summer Reading Challenge with branch events in Lewisburg, Mifflinburg and Laurelton. The system’s homepage listed Storytime on June 3, Novel Thoughts on June 4 and Dinosaur Day on June 5, turning the county’s libraries into a practical stop for families trying to fill long summer days without adding to the budget.

Summer Quest is centered on reading and simple participation. The challenge asks children and families to log 1,000 minutes, with prizes tied to the program and the Beanstack app available for tracking reading. The library says many trail activities connected to the program are wheelchair- and stroller-accessible, a detail that broadens access for families with young children and residents with mobility needs. The mix of reading, outdoor activity and prize incentives gives the summer schedule an immediate, low-cost alternative to paid camps and admissions.

The system itself is built around three independent libraries: Herr Memorial Library at 500 Market Street in Mifflinburg, the Public Library for Union County at 255 Reitz Boulevard in Lewisburg, and West End Library at 45 Ball Park Road in Laurelton. Established in 1997 by the Union County Commissioners, the system coordinates free public library services while each branch keeps its own board of trustees, budget, building, collection, programs, staffing and fundraising. Shared services include software, interlibrary delivery, online databases, borrowing policies, technology troubleshooting and training, marketing, broadband access and compliance reporting.

The Lewisburg library serves as headquarters for the federated system and says it is open six days a week. Trustee information puts the building at 56 hours a week, with more than 74,000 visitors a year and over 242,500 items lent annually. Its annual budget is approximately $600,000, supported by a staff of nineteen. That scale helps explain why summer programming matters in Union County: the library is not only a place to borrow books, but one of the county’s busiest public-service institutions.

The current emphasis on family engagement also sits against a larger capital campaign. In fall 2019, the Public Library for Union County received a $750,000 Keystone Recreation, Park, and Conservation Fund grant and a $100,000 grant from the Donald B. and Dorothy Stabler Foundation, with the project requiring a dollar-for-dollar local match. The ReImagine, ReFresh, RePurpose campaign is aimed at a new children’s library, improved adult services areas and more efficient use of heat, light and space. For now, the summer lineup shows the system using its branches, online services and staff support, including one-on-one technology help appointments, to keep Union County families connected to free programs close to home.