Summer at Jax Library
Whether you're digging into a good book, uncovering hidden histories, or exploring the past, every person and every community have stories waiting to be found and shared. Unearth a Story™ underscores the joy of discovery that reading brings.
The Cool Place to Be
Visit your favorite Jacksonville Public Library location June 1 through August 1, 2026, and spark your family's curiosity, imagination, and learning. It's all 100% FREE, all summer long!
Featuring:
- TriceraTOP-NOTCH storytimes,
- DINO-mite guest performers,
- Hands-on art and science labs,
- Volunteer opportunities for teens,
- Reading challenges, games, and more!
We kick-off this year's Summer Reading Challenge June 1-6 with parties at all 21 library locations. Kids and teens in attendance get a free book for their home library (while supplies last), a Summer Reading Prize Tracker, and a starter set of Reading Dragons & Friends playing cards.
BONUS: The Jacksonville Waves are offering a complimentary ticket to each student participating in the Library's Summer Reading Challenge. Get your ticket at a Kick-Off Party and watch the women’s professional basketball team this season at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena!
Earn Free Books
Play Reading Dragons
Attend Live Shows
Unearth Even More Fun
Click the buttons below to explore all the fossil-bilities!
Birth - Age 5
Ages 5-12
Ages 12 - 18
Adult Readers
Don't miss out. Be the first to know about programs and events!
Build Your Home Library
Don't forget to pick up your free summer prize books at a Summer Reading Kick-Off Party near you. Kids and teens can earn additional books and prizes by completing a Summer Reading Prize Tracker.
If you read every day this summer, you can complete up to three trackers, meaning you can:
- Earn up to three more books for your home library
- Earn eight additional Reading Dragons card sets (32 cards)
Many locations will also host Scavenger Hunts or give out Bingo Cards. Prizes and incentives may vary by location. Please ask your neighborhood librarian for more details.
Note: Prize books were made possible by donations to Tenikka's Books for Kids (annual book drive) and the Library Foundation of Jacksonville. Since it launched in 2018, Tenikka's Books for Kids has put nearly 40,000 books in the hands of local children.
Community Partners
Do you like basketball? The Jacksonville Waves are offering a complimentary ticket to each student participating in the Jacksonville Public Library Summer Reading Challenge. Pick yours up at a Summer Reading Kick-Off Party June 1-6 at your local library.
Who are the Jacksonville Waves?
Jacksonville Waves: "A team that channels that same fearless spirit on the court. Fluid in motion. Relentless in force. Boundless in energy." They are one of four founding teams in the Upshot League, a premier women’s professional basketball league built on elite competition, player opportunity, and community connection. Their season tips off on May 15, 2026 and runs through September. They'll face off against Savannah Steel, Charlotte Crown, and Greensboro Groove.
Home games are played at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, 300 A. Philip Randolph Blvd., Jacksonville. For accessible seating, please contact the Waves Front Office at (904) 602-7825.
20 Minutes a Day Paves the Way
Research shows that summer library programs can help prevent summer learning loss and set kids up for future reading and academic success. Summer reading keeps kids connected to books, creativity, and discovery while they are away from the classroom. That is why Jacksonville Public Library is a proud member of Read Jax, a community effort to improve third-grade reading outcomes.
We’ve also adopted the slogan "Twenty Minutes a Day Paves the Way" because research has shown that reading (and being read to) just 20 minutes a day can:
- Provide time for parents and caregivers to bond with children
- Prepare pre-kindergartners for school
- Expose children to as many 1.8 million words per year
- Help students reach the 90th percentile on standardized tests
- Improve their earning potential later in life
- Lead to healthier lives
All Aboard, River City Readers!
As Mayor Donna Deegan’s River City Readers citywide, all-ages literacy challenge continues its third year, Mayor Deegan, Kids Hope Alliance, Jacksonville Public Library and literacy advocates from across the Duval County are driving its message of literacy and a love of reading into every neighborhood in Duval County.
A Library On Wheels
Stepping into the Bookmobile is a lot like walking into a branch of the Jacksonville Public Library. The difference is, instead of you traveling to us, we show up where you are! While your family is on board at one of our "Bookmobile Library" stops, you can:
- Sign up for a free Jacksonville Public Library card
- Ask the librarians to help you choose the perfect book for your child to borrow
At some "Special Event" stops, you'll even be able to pick out a book to keep (and add to your home library). Look for the new River City Readers Bookmobile at Library and community events near you.
“Reading opens doors to new worlds, sparks our creativity, and empowers us with the knowledge to shape the future. The River City Readers challenge is just the beginning of a journey toward lifelong learning, and these students aren’t just winners today – they’re the future leaders, thinkers, and innovators of our city.” - Mayor Donna Deegan
The River City Readers Bookmobile is operated and staffed by Jacksonville Public Library and was purchased with generous grants to the Library Foundation of Jacksonville from the Lucy Gooding Foundation and PNC Bank Foundation.
If you're visiting us in person this summer, you're sure to come across posters, bookmarks, and other marketing materials featuring the beautiful artwork by illustrator Tom Bonson whose work you may recognize from from Where Did the Dinosaurs Go?. Dinosaurs, paleontology, and archeology are consistently cited as high-interest areas for children and families, offering rich opportunities to spark curiosity, imagination and learning across all age groups. The slogan UNEARTH A STORY™ was chosen to align with this theme and is a Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) trademark which may only be used with prior written permission.
