The Library’s Featured Events, www.ebrpl.com (225) 231-3750

 

Adventure is out there! In fact, look no further than your Library! Join in the fun with East Baton Rouge Parish Library’s 2024 Summer Reading Program, Adventure Begins at Your Library! Starting Saturday, June 1 and running through Thursday, August 15, enjoy an entire summer of FREE programs, workshops, storytimes, concerts, and performances for all ages, scheduled throughout the Library system.

Learn more about our summer events at www.ebrpl.com/summerreading.

Track your reading and earn rewards! It’s easy! First, sign up at your local Library location or online at ebrpl.beanstack.org, starting June 1. Then, read books and log them into your Beanstack account to earn virtual badges and completion rewards, as well as entries for weekly prize drawings! There are reading challenges and incentives for kids, teens, and even adults!

Adventure awaits! We’ll see you at the Library this summer for exciting events and reading rewards!

Let’s go!

 

Kick off Summer Reading on Thursday, May 30, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., at the Main Library at Goodwood! Kids, teens, and their families are invited to join us for demonstrations, presentations, and activities from organizations that use science and technology to make a difference! Interact with old electronics in our Technology Petting Zoo, learn how to sign-up for Summer Reading, and reign supreme in our grand finale egg drop challenge!

“Was Scenic Highway ever scenic?” “What is the difference between Cajun and Creole?” These are

some of the many questions answered in The Advocate’s weekly feature, “Curious Louisiana.” As part of the Library’s Special Collections Lecture Series, join Jan Risher, Features Editor at The Advocate, on Wednesday, May 15 at 6 p.m. at the Main Library at Goodwood for a discussion about the most interesting of these queries.

Join the Baton Rouge Concert Band at the Main Library at Goodwood on Monday, May 27 at 7 p.m. as they honor and mourn those members of the Armed Forces who lost their lives while serving our country. Our annual Memorial Day Concert will include marches and patriotic tunes but will also include music appropriate for somber remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that our country could remain “the land of the free.” Bring your chairs and cold beverages.

Children ages 4-11 are invited to Shakespeare in the Library at the Delmont Gardens Branch Library on Saturday, May 25 at 11 a.m. This interactive program will both entertain and teach children all about Shakespeare’s tale, Romeo and Juliet. Join the bard himself as the Louisiana Shakespeare Company brings one of his most enduring plays to life!

Collect new musical skills! Discover new library books! Learn new dance steps! Kids’ Orchestra invites children, ages 5-11, to an experiential program that combines library books with music education. Each month, children will explore a theme as they learn about an instrument, sing a song, explore a dance, and play a game – all inspired by a book in the East Baton Rouge Parish Library collection.

Clapping! Claves! Tapping! Tambourines! Snapping! Hand drums! Cymbals! Egg Shakers! Triangles!

This month we will practice rhythms and grooves using all kinds of percussion instruments and our own bodies while we listen to Pharrell Williams’ joyous song “Happy.” We will also enjoy Amanda Pratt’s whimsical photographs as we read Happy, the book based on the song. As always, children will meet professional musicians, dance, sing, and do a multitude of musical activities.

See below for opportunities to attend this fun program! All children under the age of 9 must be

accompanied by an adult. Registration is required.

• Saturday, May 11 at 11 a.m. – Main Library at Goodwood

To register, call 231-3760.

• Saturday, May 18 at 11 a.m. – Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library

To register, call 763-2260.

• Saturday, May 25 at 11 a.m. – Jones Creek Regional Branch Library

To register, call 756-1160.

This is no trivial matter! Suspense Games is joining the Library to host a game of trivia! 20-somethings, bring your friends, answer questions, and win prizes at the Main Library at Goodwood Saturday, May 25 at 1 p.m

The Library continues its Author Talk Series with three new authors in May! Each live, virtual event

features a different bestselling author, along with an interactive Q&A session where participants can ask questions directly to the author. See May selections and dates/times below. Visit libraryc.org/ebrpl to register for these virtual events, learn about other upcoming conversations with bestselling authors, and view previous author talk recordings. For more information about these and other virtual events, visit ebrpl.co/virtual.

 

• Wednesday, May 1 at 2 p.m. – Join us as we chat with New York Times bestselling author,

Douglas Brunt, about his debut non-fiction work, The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius,

Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I. This book reveals the hidden history of Rudolf

Diesel, one of the world’s greatest inventors, and his mysterious disappearance on the eve of

World War I. After rising from an impoverished European childhood, Diesel had become a multi-

millionaire with his powerful, internal combustion engine that did not require expensive

petroleum-based fuel. In doing so, he became not only an international celebrity but also the

enemy of two extremely powerful men -– Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and John D.

Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and the richest man in the world. Brunt reopens the case

and provides a compelling new conclusion about Diesel’s fate. Register now to see how the

mystery unfolds!

 

• Wednesday, May 8 at 6 p.m. – Nothing brings a family together like a murder next door.

You’re invited to join Nina Simon as she chats about her lighthearted whodunnit about a

grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths, Mother-Daughter Murder Night. Her

book follows high-powered business woman Lana Rubicon. When Lana’s granddaughter Jack

happens upon a dead body while kayaking, she quickly becomes a suspect in the homicide

investigation, and the Rubicon women are thrown into chaos. With her daughter and

granddaughter’s help, Lana uncovers a web of lies, family vendettas, and land disputes lurking

beneath the surface of a community populated by folksy conservationists and wealthy ranchers.

But as their amateur snooping advances into ever-more dangerous territory, the headstrong

Rubicon women must learn to do the one thing they’ve always resisted: depend on each other.

 

• Tuesday, May 21 at 6 p.m. – Register for a thrilling conversation with Rebecca F. Kuang

(R.F. Kuang) as she chats with us about her New York Times bestselling novel Yellowface.

Kuang’s book grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as

the terrifying alienation of social media. In Yellowface, authors June Hayward and Athena Liu are

supposed to be twin rising stars, but Athena’s a literary darling while June Hayward is literally

nobody. So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse; she

steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions

of Chinese laborers during World War I. White lies, dark humor, and deadly consequences await

within the pages of Yellowface. With its totally immersive first-person voice, Kuang’s novel is

timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable.

Learn all about State and City/Parish job openings at the Main Library at Goodwood on Wednesday, May 8 at 11:30 a.m. A representative from the Louisiana Department of Civil Service will discuss available positions with the State, career paths the different state agencies offer, and how to apply for them. In addition, a representative from The Recruitment and Examination Division, City of Baton Rouge/Parish of EBR will discuss different career options City/Parish government offers, openings they are seeking to fill, and application procedures. Registration is required. To register, please call 231-3733 or visit www.careercenterbr.com/events.

The Baton Rouge Botanic Garden Foundation will host a FREE Garden Discoveries series event,

“Daylilies,” at the Main Library at Goodwood on Saturday, May 11 at 10 a.m., led by Claire Fontenot, Louisiana Master Gardener and volunteer at the Baton Rouge Botanic Gardens located in BREC Independence Park. At this presentation, you will learn about daylily plants, flowering, and sun and water requirements needed to get beautiful blooms. Weather permitting, a tour will follow of the American Daylily Society Display Garden in the Baton Rouge Botanic Gardens located in BREC Independence Park adjacent to the Library. Registration is available at ebrpl.co/calendar, or call 231-3750 for

registration assistance. Learn more at ebrpl.co/garden.

EBRPL Small Business presents a beginner-friendly class for Gale Business: Plan Builder, one of our

most popular digital resources for new businesses. Come to the Main Library at Goodwood on Saturday, May 25 at 2 p.m. to see how you can build a professional, cohesive business plan for free! For more information, call 231-3750.

Join us on Tuesday, May 28 at 6 p.m. at the Main Library at Goodwood for Write Time!, a FREE poetry and general creative writing session for adults ages 18-33. Beginners and seasoned writers will enjoy creating poems and spoken word pieces while connecting with other creatives. This event is hosted by media personality Boo Milton with a live DJ and refreshments. And mark your calendar for next month’s Write Time! session on Monday, June 24 at 6 p.m.! Register for any or all of these monthly sessions at ebrpl.com/calendar or by emailing [email protected].

An EBRPL Career Center coach will be in attendance at the Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library on

Wednesday, May 15, 1-4 p.m., to answer your questions. Bring your resume to be reviewed by an expert, or ask any job search or career-related questions.

It’s time for summer plantings! Share and trade heirloom seeds and trimmings with fellow gardeners at the Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library on Saturday, May 25 at 10 a.m. Be sure to label your seeds and plant cuttings before arrival, and please leave any invasive or noxious seeds at home.

May 4 is International Firefighters’ Day! To learn more about what these amazing heroes do, kids and their families can join us at Greenwell Springs Road Regional Branch Library on Saturday, May 4 at 2 p.m. under the outside pavilion, as a firefighter from Central Fire Department teaches fire safety tips. Children will also learn about cooking safety and review the importance of working smoke alarms and having an escape plan.

Hey teens! Celebrate Star Wars Day at the Pride-Chaneyville Branch on Saturday, May 4 at 2 p.m.!

Learn to transform pre-made cookies into Wookie Cookies and plain lemonade into Yoda-ade.

Afterwards, enjoy your Wookie Cookies and Yoda-ade while watching Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope. Come as you are or as your favorite Star Wars character!

Adults are invited to the Pride-Chaneyville Branch on Wednesday, May 22 at 5 p.m. to make lip gloss and perfume for Mother’s Day gifts. You can also create a card to make it extra special!

Get creative with River Center Branch Library’s Makerspace! Adults and teens are invited to attend a badging class to learn the basics of safely operating our Makerspace equipment. Once you have

completed a badging class, you may reserve the equipment for personal use! Registration is required. To register, call (225) 389-4960 or visit ebrpl.co/calendar.

Monday, May 6 at 3 p.m. – Learn to Sew Scrunchies

Tuesday, May 14 at 4 p.m. – Beginner Laser Cutter Class

Wednesday, May 22 at 3:30 p.m. – Beginner Cricut Class

Tuesday, May 28 at 4 p.m. – Beginner 3D Printing Class

Calling all future architects and engineers! Teens, take a break from your studies and spend some time creating something cool out of cardboard with our Makedo cardboard construction tools at the Zachary Branch on Thursday, May 16 at 4 p.m.

For more information or to see a complete listing of events, call (225) 231-3750 or visit us online at www.ebrpl.com.

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The East Baton Rouge Parish Library is a community service organization that connects our citizens with information,

resources, materials, technology and experiences in order to make a positive difference in their lives. The Main Library at

Goodwood is joined by 13 branches open seven days a week (hours vary), and Library services are available 24 / 7 at

www.ebrpl.com. Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.