All Together Now for the Summer Reading Challenge!

Summer Reading's theme All Together Now celebrates cooperation, unity, and community. We have two months of programs, events, and performances for all ages happening at library locations throughout DeKalb. Get registered today for Summer Reading using Beanstack. Find more information on our website. 

Check out these highlights:

- All Together Now Scavenger Hunt. June 1-10. Children ages 6-12 years can come to any branch, find the clues to solve a word puzzle, and receive a Summer Reading Starter Pack. Get more information here.

- Kindness Carnival. June 3 at Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library. Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, ages 0-5, will have fun at stations for stories, crafting, and more. Registered attendees will even get a handcrafted popsicle from the King of Pops while supplies last! Register now to secure your spot by clicking here.

- Summer Reading Bingo. As teens and adults complete Bingo cards by tracking reading progress and enjoying everything the library has to offer, they can enter drawings for some fabulous prizes. Both teens and adults can play using Beanstack. Adults also have the option to pick up paper bingo cards at any branch.  

Celebrate Juneteenth With Us on Saturday, June 17

We are excited to invite everyone to join us at Stonecrest Library on Saturday, June 17 at 5:30 p.m. as we celebrate this momentous day in American history. There will be music, the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, poetry, and a screening of the documentary Juneteenth Jamboree: How We're Celebrating Now. Find more information about the event here.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day when enslaved African Americans in Texas received word of the Emancipation Proclamation. The Proclamation was an executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War that declared that all enslaved persons in Confederate territory were to be set free.

Speak Out: Culture & Community - Let's Talk About Belonging Event

At this unique gathering, in collaboration with Inclusivv, participants will engage in structured conversations in small groups, and reflect on what it truly means to belong. We invite everyone to come and share their thoughts and ideas on rebuilding a sense of belonging and connection in workplaces, schools, and communities. Thursday, June 8 starting at 5:30 p.m. at Clarkston Community Center. Register by clicking here. 

Support for this event is provided by DeKalb Library Foundation and Clarkston Community Center. This project is also supported by Georgia Humanities, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, through appropriations made by the Georgia General Assembly.

Captivating LGBTQ+ Literature and History to Celebrate Pride Month

Join us as we honor diverse experiences, stories of determination, and courageous voices that have shaped LGBTQ+ literature and history. These books explore themes of love, identity, adversity, liberation, setbacks, and triumphs. Click the list names to see Reading Recommendations for June: Newer and Older Classic Lit and LGBTQ+ History. Happy reading and happy Pride!

Spend an Afternoon with Children's Book Author J. Dillard

Get inspired as you meet and greet J. Dillard, master barber, Barberprenuer, and author of the J.D. the Kid Barber series of books. On Thursday, June 22, he will be at Stonecrest Library at 1:00 p.m. and Gresham Library at 3:30 p.m. Attendees will receive a free book while supplies last. Click here for more information.  

Pawsitive Fun for the Whole Family at the Magical Poodles Show

Animal trainer Michelle Harrell and her amazing poodles will perform hoop tricks, fetch and retrieve, dancing, and more. Catch this amazing show from June 20-22 at Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams, Decatur, Redan-Trotti, Scott Candler, and Dunwoody Libraries. Find performance dates and times near you at this link.

Books+Bites featuring Carolyn and Bill Curry

DeKalb Library Foundation presents an evening with Carolyn and Bill Curry on Wednesday, June 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Petite Violette. Carolyn is an award-winning author, and Bill is a former pro football player and coach at Georgia Tech, Alabama, Kentucky, and Georgia State. These combined interests compelled Carolyn to write her first novel, Sudden Death. This event is free. Seats are limited so click here to register today.

Indulge Your Imagination at the Theater in Your Mind Series

Join Georgia Center for the Book for a series of unique, one-time-only performances for the Theatre in Your Mind in the intimate 4th Floor Gallery of Decatur Library. At our first event, two musicians will accompany Phillip DePoy as he reads The Rumpled Man, an Appalachian retelling of a Grimm's tale with a very surprising ending. Thursday, June 15 at 7:00 p.m. Find more information and registration information here.

June Explore More! Calendar

School is out, and fun is in with our Explore More! Calendar for June. Download it here.