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| Message from Sally Mason, Learning & Workforce Services Manager
Get ready to dig into an unforgettable summer of reading, discovery, and adventure! The 2026 Summer Reading Program invites the whole community to “Unearth a Story” by exploring the worlds of dinosaurs, archaeology, paleontology, hidden histories, and more.
Whether you’re uncovering fascinating facts from the past or revisiting a favorite classic, every minute you read helps us reach our community goal of 200,000 shared reading minutes. Join the Summer Reading Challenge on Beanstack to track your reading, complete activities, and earn chances to win exciting prizes sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Every minute counts, and readers of all ages are invited to participate.
Along your reading journey, visit the library and explore exciting programs throughout June and July: Kids can stomp into a summer full of prehistoric fun with dinosaur scavenger hunts, fossil discoveries, glow parties, and hands-on adventures that bring the ancient world to life. Teen paleontologists can dig deeper with rock and gem identification, dinosaur trivia challenges, and creative activities like making dinosaur-themed buttons. Adults can explore the prehistoric world through hands-on programs like dinosaur cross-stitch and terrarium workshops, along with fascinating talks on prehistoric art, bird evolution, and bringing fossils to life through illustration.
I invite you to open a new book, discover something unexpected, and “Unearth a Story” with us this summer! |
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The Summer BreakSpot program is back with free, nutritious meals for children and teens 18 and under. In partnership with Second Harvest of the Big Bend and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, this initiative helps ensure local youth have access to nutritious meals throughout the summer. Meals will be available from June 1 through July 31 at select Leon County Public Library locations.
Enjoy a meal on site:
Take a meal and enjoy it anywhere: |
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| Celebrate 25 years of community at the Dr. B.L. Perry, Jr. Branch Library during this free anniversary celebration on Saturday, July 25, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Enjoy games, music, refreshments and activities for the whole family, including a bounce house obstacle course, scavenger hunt, outdoor games from the Library of Things collection, community partners, story time and more while rediscovering your library and everything it has to offer. |
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Summer is here, and so is our Summer Reading Challenge on Beanstack! Readers of all ages can log their reading, earn badges, and explore new stories all season long. Participants aged 17 and younger who complete the challenge will receive a free book, and readers of all ages will have the chance to win exciting prizes sponsored by the Friends of the Library. |
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| Save the date for the Fall Seed Library Kickoff on Saturday, August 1, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Leon County Main Library! Pick up free seasonal seed varieties, explore gardening tips and sustainable growing practices, and get inspired for the fall planting season. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just getting started, this event is a great way to prepare your garden for the months ahead.
Starting Saturday, August 1, visit any library location and check out up to five seed packets per month using your library card, or three packets per month without a library card, while supplies last. No need to return them, they are yours to keep. |
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| Take part in our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge on Beanstack and help the child in your life build essential early literacy skills. Log books, celebrate milestones, and earn fun prizes along the way. Every book counts—even favorites read again and again.
Congratulations to the young readers who have already reached this incredible goal: Aiden, Arjun, Asher, Carson P., Carson W., Elias, Lucas, Nora, Nori, and Poppy. Help your child join them by signing up today! |
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All Leon County Public Library locations will be closed on Saturday, July 4, for Independence Day. The library may be closed, but our digital library is always open. Start exploring today! |
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Enjoy engaging Virtual Author Talks with bestselling authors from a wide range of fiction and nonfiction genres. Tune in for these live events with interactive Q&As, or watch the recording afterward.
Upcoming Virtual Author Talks include: Wednesday, June 3, at 2 p.m.: Author Talk with Mary Savig, Fleur and Charles Bresler Curator-in-Charge at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Thursday, June 11, at 7 p.m.: Author Talk with Matt Dinniman, New York Times bestselling author of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Thursday, June 18, at 2 p.m.: Author Talk with Ted Page, creative entrepreneur and author of Good Grandpa. Tuesday, June 23, at 2 p.m.: Author Talk with Sana Javeri Kadri & Asha Loupy, authors of The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook. Thursday, July 9, at 2 p.m.: Author Talk with Rachael DeVaux, New York Times bestselling author, dietitian, and founder of Rachael’s Good Eats. Tuesday, July 14, at 7 p.m.: Author Talk with Karin Slaughter, international and New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter. Thursday, July 16, at 2 p.m.: Author Talk with Reyna Grande, award-winning and bestselling author of The Distance Between Us and A Dream Called Home.
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