The Pilot Point Community Library is offering dino-tastic activities for all ages through its summer reading program, running from June to July.
Its theme this year is 'Unearth a Story,' a national theme that libraries can participate in through the Collaborative Summer Library Program.
“It's all about dinosaurs and paleontology,” librarian Jenna Glass said. “So, that's why we have decked out the library with dinosaurs and fossils, kind of like a jungle-safari-Jurassic Park look. Several of our events reflect that theme, too, like dinosaur education.”
For the 2026 program, the library is challenging people to read for 600 minutes, whether it's an audiobook, a physical book or having a book read by a parent or loved one.
There is a checkpoint: for every 300 minutes read, participants will receive an entry ticket for a chance to win the grand prize, which will be announced in early August.
For ages 5 and under, the goal is to read 20 books or have a parent or loved one read 20 books to them.
“If you read more than that, please keep logging your hours, because it's great,” Glass said.
It will also contribute to the second challenge, which is happening simultaneously, as part of a collaborative effort by the library to reach a community reading goal of 120,000 minutes this summer.
“Our hope, really, just for the whole summer is to get families more engaged with the library, especially if they've never been in here before,” Glass said.
The library has added a new digital feature this year called Beanstack, an app-and-website combo that tracks the hours read.
It offers an alternative to handwritten reading logs; however, the physical copies are still available at the library, Glass added.
“We're always trying to increase literacy in that way by finding different creative ways to make reading appealing to kids,” Glass said.
Some of those activities this summer include Thrilling Thursdays, which offer interactive, immersive shows including ones by The Creature Teacher and Dino Bo later this month.
“It really fulfills our mission as a public library,” Glass said. “We want to encourage people to come visit us because we're not just a book collection. We're also a gathering space for the community. We do educational programs and craft programs. … That's something we are really excited to provide, especially over the summer when the kids are out of school, and people may have more free time.”
The best way to find out what is happening at the library is to follow them on Facebook or visit the city of Pilot Point website.
“I am really proud of the program we built, our decorations, and the amount of time and energy staff [have] put into this program, so [we] really encourage people to visit while we're still in full summer mode,” Glass said.
