The Fulton County Library System's "Unearth a Story" Summer Reading program wrapped up Wednesday, July 29, and the Sandy Springs branch at 395 Mount Vernon Hwy. sent it off with a free Dinosaur Balloon Making event that afternoon. Across the system's 34 branches, the two-month program invited readers of all ages to log books starting June 1.

One standout result came from the nearby Northeast/Spruill Oaks branch on Spruill Road in Johns Creek, which serves many Sandy Springs-area families. Children there read more than 2,000 books over the program's run, according to a wrap-up post on the library's blog.

The branch hit its goal.

Each book logged added a bone to a dinosaur skeleton display in the children's area, a character the branch named Rita Rex. By July 29, every bone was filled in and the reading wall beside it was packed with the names of young participants who completed the challenge.

As we reported July 15, Executive Director Gayle H. Holloman had promoted the program as part of the library system's broader "Year of the Book" initiative for 2026. Readers tracked their progress through the Beanstack app or online at fultoncounty.beanstack.com/reader365.

The Sandy Springs branch's final-day balloon event ran from 2:30–3:30 p.m. on July 29, open to all ages with no registration required, capping a summer of dinosaur-themed programming across the county.

What's next at local branches

Fall programming is already taking shape at both branches.

At the Sandy Springs branch, the Brick Masters LEGO building program meets the first and third Tuesday of each month from 4–5 p.m. (an adult must stay with each child). The branch's Best Buy Teen Tech Center also launches a monthly Homeschool S.T.E.A.M. Day series starting Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 11 a.m.

The Northeast/Spruill Oaks branch has a Fingerprints Workshop scheduled for Friday, Sept. 18, from 4:45–5:45 p.m., along with recurring programs including yoga, Puzzle Club, line dancing, Ukulele Story Jam, and Mahjong Mondays.

For more information, contact the Sandy Springs branch at 404-612-7000 or the Northeast/Spruill Oaks branch at 404-613-7300.