The 2026 Douglas County Loves Literacy Summer Reading Challenge wrapped up with the community topping its goal. Over the course of the challenge, Douglas County students, families, and residents logged 3,472,877 minutes of reading, exceeding the original 3 million-minute target by nearly 473,000 minutes.

The challenge ran from May 16 through July 31 as a partnership between the Douglas County School System, the City of Douglasville, Douglas County government and the West Georgia Regional Library System. Readers tracked their progress through the Beanstack platform, with reading thermometers on display at the Dog River Library, the Lithia Springs Library and the DCSS Central Office.

"Our community didn't just meet the goal, we exceeded it in a big way," said Patti Sullivan, DCSS Family Engagement Coordinator. "Every logged minute represented a family that chose to read together, and that's what made this summer special."

Superintendent Dr. Trent North said the final total reflects a community fully invested in its students.

"More than 3.4 million minutes tells you everything about who we are as a community," North said. "Douglas County shows up for its readers, and this summer proved it again."

The challenge closed with a Summer Reading Pop-Up event at Legacy Arena, where Dr. North served as guest reader and read "Interrupting Chicken" by David Ezra Stein. DCSS Reading Ambassadors, students selected from each K-8 school to serve as literacy leaders throughout the challenge, also attended. Earlier Pop-Up events featured the West Georgia Regional Library Book Mobile and guest readers, including Mayor Rochelle Robinson, Douglas County Commission Chairwoman Dr. Romona Jackson Jones, and DCSS Teacher of the Year Dr. Latoya Thomas.

Douglas Loves Literacy launched with the goal of building a community-wide culture of reading across Douglas County. Next summer, the Initiative plans to bring even more readers together, united by a shared love of literacy.