For more information or to register for any of the programs listed, call the branch where the event is scheduled directly or visit www.ebrpl.com.

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

47th Annual Author-Illustrator Program featuring Jerry Pallotta 

 

Join us for the 47th Annual Author-Illustrator Program on September 26 & 27 featuring author Jerry Pallotta, author of the wildly popular Who Would Win? series! He has also written engaging, educational children's books such as Icky Bug Alphabet, Underwater Counting, Dory Story, and How Will I Get to School This Year? There will be three opportunities to hear Jerry speak about his amazing journey as an author and his tips for writing engaging books for kids. A selection of books will be available for purchase at each event.

School librarians, teachers, and administrators are invited to register for a Virtual School Visit with Jerry Pallotta on Thursday, September 26, 10-10:45 a.m. Kindergarten – 5th grade students will enjoy Jerry's stories about his research and writing of Who Would Win? The presentation is free of charge, but registration is required. Please register at ebrpl.com/events by Tuesday, September 24 to receive the virtual link.

All ages are welcome to our Meet Jerry Pallotta event at the Main Library at Goodwood on Thursday, September 26, 7-8 p.m. An autograph session and reception will follow this free, family-oriented presentation. No registration is required.

Teachers, librarians, writers, parents, and lovers of children's literature are encouraged to attend Behind the Writing on Friday, September 27, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Main Library at Goodwood. Registration is required, but unlike previous years, there is no charge for this event! To register, please call 231-3760 or email [email protected]. Snacks will be provided during breaks, and an autograph session will follow this professional presentation.

The Author-Illustrator Program affords an excellent opportunity to hear the "story behind the story" from prominent writers and illustrators of literature for children and young adults. The program is sponsored by the East Baton Rouge Parish Library and Patrons of the Public Library.

For more information about the Author-Illustrator program, call 231-3760.

Premiere of Press L. Robinson's Pressing Forward 

 

The East Baton Rouge Parish Library is proud to host the Middleburg Institute at the Main Library at Goodwood on Sunday, September 15 at 6 p.m. for the premiere of Press Robinson's new book, Pressing Forward. In this down-to-earth memoir, longtime educator and community leader, Press L. Robinson, Sr. recounts his hardscrabble childhood in South Carolina, his education at Morehouse College and Howard University, his career as a professor and administrator in the Southern University system, and his activities as a community leader in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The first elected Black member of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, Robinson consistently fought to level the playing field for Black Americans and to better the social and physical environment of his adopted city. Robinson will speak, read some excerpts, and stay for a brief Q & A with the audience members. Light refreshments will be provided.

Cherished: The Art of Clementine Hunter 

 

Cherished: The Art of Clementine Hunter is a new exhibit now on view at the LSU Museum of Art. It includes paintings and objects from their collections, as well as from other museums and private collections. Callie Smith, LSUMOA Educator, will give a presentation on Clementine Hunter, one of the most well-known artists from Louisiana. She was self-taught and began painting in her 50s. On display will be some of Ms. Hunter's works of art owned by the Library. Come join us to learn more about her life and art at the Main Library at Goodwood, Wednesday, September 18 at 6 p.m.

Baton Rouge Concert Band Fall Performance 

Join the Baton Rouge Concert Band at the Main Library at Goodwood on Sunday, September 29 at 5 p.m. for their fall concert, "Prancing, Dancing, & Reflecting." Enjoy playful tunes, including a visit to a Czech Opera, a drive through the Florida Everglades, and spirited marches that will take you "Over the Hills & Far Away." Tap your toe to the music of traditional dances like the polka, waltz, tango, and cake walk, then relax with beautiful reflective pieces including a hymn and a ballad capturing the calmness of dusk. There will be something for everyone!

Books and Music with Kids' Orchestra

 

Kids' Orchestra presents high-quality music education centered around books from the East Baton Rouge Parish Library children's collection. Created to spark children's joy, imagination, and love of music, Books & Music offers hour-long programs where children sing, dance, play an instrument, experience a library book, and meet a professional musician. Parents, guardians, and friends are invited to join in all of the activities. Laughter is guaranteed. September's book selections are Max Found Two Sticks by Brian Pinkney about a young boy who learns to communicate through drumming and The Aunts Go Marching by Maurie Manning, a delightful reworking of the classic song "The ants go marching one by one." Come sing, march, dance, play instruments, learn rhythms, and experience stories.

• Saturday, September 7 at 11 a.m. – Zachary Branch Library
• Saturday, September 7 at 1 p.m. – Central Branch Library
• Saturday, September 14 at 11 a.m. – Main Library at Goodwood
• Saturday, September 21 at 11 a.m. – Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library
• Saturday, September 21 at 1 p.m. – Fairwood Branch Library
• Saturday, September 28 at 11 a.m. – Jones Creek Regional Branch Library

Virtual Author Talk Series 

The Library continues its Author Talk Series with three new authors in September! 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 September 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.

• Tuesday, September 10 at 1 p.m. - Don't forget to register for this incredibly moving virtual chat with New York Times bestselling author Garrett Graff! An expert at capturing the human drama, Graff will speak about his body of work with particular focus on his oral histories, The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 and When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day. In The Only Plane in the Sky, award-winning journalist Garrett Graff draws on never-before-published transcripts, recently declassified documents, and original interviews to paint the most comprehensive, minute-by-minute account of the September 11 attacks yet. In his most recent work, When the Sea Came Alive, Graff explores the full impact of a world changing event: D-Day, one of history's greatest and most unbelievable military and human triumphs. This book dives deep into strategic military complexities - from the secret creation of landing plans by top government and military officials and organization of troops to the moment the boat doors opened to reveal the beach where men fought for their lives and the future of the free world.
• Wednesday, September 18 at 1 p.m. – Join us as New York Times bestselling author and philosopher Nate Klemp helps us explore pathways back to open minded living when he talks to us about the core tenets in his new book Open: Living with an Expansive Mind in a Distracted World. With the avalanche of information we get every day, closing down our minds and hearts seems to be the only way to survive. We close off to ourselves by compulsively checking our devices. We close to each other by getting caught in echo chambers of outrage. But what if there's another way? In this climate of distraction and division, Nate Klemp's Open offers a path back to a way of living that is expansive, creative, and filled with wonder. Drawing on personal stories, scientific findings, and traditional wisdom, Klemp explores why we close down when faced with stressors or threats―then reveals why training ourselves to fully engage even with discomfort, pain, and sadness leads to greater well-being in the long run.
• Saturday, September 21 at 6 p.m. - If you knew your future, would you try to fight fate? If you were told you only had a certain amount of time left to live, would you do things differently? Would you try to dodge your destiny? Join us as we chat with mega-bestselling author Liane Moriarty about her newest novel Here One Moment, a brilliantly constructed tale that looks at free will and destiny, grief and love, and the endless struggle to maintain certainty and control in an uncertain world. In Here One Moment, aside from a delay, there will be no problems. The flight will be smooth; it will land safely. Everyone who gets on the plane will get off. But almost all of them will be forever changed. Because on this ordinary, short, domestic flight, something extraordinary happens. People learn how and when they are going to die from "The Death Lady." For some, their death is far in the future—age 103! But for six passengers, their predicted deaths are not far away at all. A modern-day Jane Austen who humorously skewers social mores while spinning a web of mystery, Moriarty asks profound questions in her newest I-can't-wait-to-find-out-what-happens novel.

Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd., (225) 231-3750

Saturday Science for Teens 

 

Saturday Science returns to the Main Library at Goodwood on September 7 at 1 p.m.! Associate Professor Emmanouil Chatzopoulos, LSU Department of Physics and Astronomy, will present "Going Out with a Bang: Supernova Explosions and the Aftermath of Stellar Death." The phrase "live fast, die young" perfectly describes the lives of massive stars. The celestial giants live a relatively short life and, upon death, produce some of the brightest explosions in the universe: supernovae! But the aftermath of this bright and energetic event leaves something else more sinister behind...black holes and neutron stars. Learn how astronomers discover and observe these incredible stellar explosions and how we use the strongest computers in the world to understand how they occur.

Teens and their families are invited to join us this fall on the first Saturday of each month for LSU's free public talk series designed to connect teens to science and technology through engaging presentations on a variety of current topics.

Get Organized: Conquering Paper Clutter 

Get Organized at the Library! Join Alyssa Trosclair, MBA, CPO at the Main Library at Goodwood as she teaches you how to apply the EMEND method to keep your clutter under control. Registration is available at ebrpl.co/events or call 231-3750 for assistance. September topics include:

• Conquering Paper Clutter, Part One – Sunday, September 8 at 3 p.m. Get tips for organizing reference papers, vital records, and current paperwork.
• Conquering Paper Clutter, Part Two – Sunday, September 15 at 3 p.m. Learn how to organize action items and memories.

Garden Discoveries 

The Baton Rouge Botanic Garden Foundation will host a FREE Garden Discoveries series event, "Deadheading and Pruning Your Rose Bushes: What, Why, How, When, Which and Even Who," led by Sheldon Johnson, consulting rosarian, master gardener, and grower of roses. Join us at the Main Library at Goodwood on Saturday, September 14 at 10 a.m. to discover the answer to 'Is it time to prune my roses?' and many other common questions about one of our most beloved and recognizable plants. Johnson will discuss the care of many types of roses with notes to take home, then lead a tour through the rose garden in the Baton Rouge Botanic Gardens adjacent to the Library. Don't forget your garden gloves and hand pruners to join the Baton Rouge Rose Society volunteers performing their annual fall pruning afterwards! Registration is available at ebrpl.co/calendar, or call 231-3750 for registration assistance. Learn more at ebrpl.co/garden.

Introduction to Ancestry.com Library Edition 

Ancestry® Library Edition is one of the most popular online genealogy research tools because it is comprehensive and easy to use. Join us at the Main Library at Goodwood on Tuesday, September 17 at 10 a.m. to learn how Ancestry® Library Edition offers billions of records in census date, vital records, directories, photos, and more. Seating is limited to 15 in-person and 5 virtual attendees. Registration is required. To register, please visit ebrpl.co/genclass or call 231-3751.

Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., (225) 763-2240

Letter Writing and Afternoon Tea

In observance of World Letter Writing Day, teens are invited to the River Center Branch Library on Sunday, September 1 at 2:30 p.m. for an afternoon tea at which participants will learn to write letters in an antique style. Patrons may dress dapper or down.

La Table Française á Zachary

Interested in speaking French? Adults are invited to the Zachary Branch Library for Zachary's French Table on the second and fourth Monday of each month, 6-7:30 p.m. Take advantage of this opportunity to practice listening and speaking in French. Adults at any level of French are invited.