Calling all comic fans! Mid City Micro-Con returns to the Main Library at Goodwood on Saturday,

February 21, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mid City Micro-Con is a celebration of diverse and inclusive comics,

creators, and fans. We strive to connect our EBR Community to local and regional creators and to amplify voices in comics and fandoms to highlight authentic, positive representation in storytelling. Discover local art and artists in the Artist’s Alley and participate in workshops with content creators throughout the day! Sign up for our Cosplay Show and Tell; come dressed in your favorite family-friendly cosplay or bring items that are still a work in progress and show off your craftsmanship!

For more information about Mid City Micro-Con 2026, visit ebrpl.co/MicroCon.

Join Dr. Charles Vincent at the Baker Branch Library on Saturday, February 28 at 3 p.m. for his annual series, Heroes in African American History. This year’s theme is “A Century of Black History

Commemorations.” He will give a presentation on the first black elected officials in Louisiana, then autograph copies of his book, Black Legislators in Louisiana During Reconstruction. School supplies will be provided for the first 5 students in attendance.

Receive FREE income tax preparation by certified VITA tax professionals at the Main Library at

Goodwood on Saturday, February 28, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Join the Capital Area United Way for their Annual Super Tax Day, presented by Entergy Louisiana. For more details, visit VITA’s website at

www.cauw.org/vita or call (225) 382-3380. This event is made possible through the partnership of

Entergy Louisiana, Capital Area United Way, East Baton Rouge Parish Library, and the IRS.

In anticipation of our spring 2026 One Book One Community initiative featuring You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World edited by Ada Limon, 24th Poet Laureate of the United States, join us for a poetry writing workshop at the Main Library at Goodwood! We will watch poetry writing tutorials, offer various prompts for inspiration, and share poems with each other. You can even submit a poem for our One Book One Community Poetry Anthology! See below for dates to attend.

• Monday, February 2 at 3 p.m.

• Wednesday, February 11 at noon (Guest instructor: Adam Clay)

• Friday, February 20 at 1 p.m.

• Wednesday, February 25 at noon (Guest instructor: Benjamin Morris)

Adults are invited to the Main Library at Goodwood on Sunday, February 22 at 4 p.m. to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975, PG) as part of our monthly series "Get Medieval with It." Bring your favorite movie snack and beverage and enjoy this satirical movie, full of silly antics and British humor, about King Arthur and the search for the Holy Grail. Although rated PG, this movie is rated PG, but does have some adult references, dated humor, and politically incorrect themes that may not be suitable for a younger audience.

Get organized in 2026! Join Certified Professional Organizer Alyssa Trosclair for “Overcoming

Procrastination” at the Main Library at Goodwood on Sunday, February 8 at 3 p.m. In this session,

discover how clutter and procrastination are connected. Alyssa will teach practical strategies to overcome procrastination and guide you in creating simple, effective systems that make it easier to manage essential tasks promptly and maintain an organized environment.

Utilizing the Pink Cloud Moments caregiver journal, author and podcaster Peggy Sweeney-McDonald and journal designer Jackie Begue will lead a hands-on workshop at the Main Library at Goodwood on Tuesday, February 10 at 6 p.m. to support caregivers with reflective journaling tools, guided prompts, and conversations about finding moments of grace amid the intensity of caregiving.

Make a joyful noise! Kids’ Orchestra returns to the Library to offer experiential learning for children ages 3-11. In February, Books & Music will highlight Louisiana native Trombone Shorty's second book, The 5 O’clock Band. When Trombone Shorty is late to meet his fellow musicians, he finds strength in his community: enjoying Lola's red beans and rice, receiving advice from a Mardi Gras Indian chief, and playing "O When the Saints" with Tuba Tremé. In addition to enjoying the book, children and families are invited to sing, dance, play instruments, and meet a professional Kids' Orchestra musician. See opportunities to attend below:

• Saturday, February 7 at 11 a.m. – Zachary Branch Library

• Saturday, February 21 at 11 a.m. – Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library

• Saturday, February 28 at 11 a.m. – Jones Creek Regional Branch Library

Many Louisianans today are descendants of immigrants who arrived in the United States from Italy. What occurred to make these families want to leave their homeland for a new start in a new country? In this class at the Main Library at Goodwood on Wednesday, February 11 at 3 p.m., we will discuss events occurring in Italy at that time, plus how to locate the birth, marriage, and death records of your ancestors.

Registration is required. To register, call 231-3751 or visit ebrpl.co/events.

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

• Thursday, February 5 at 6 p.m. – Join us for an unforgettable experience as we chat online with

Vanessa Riley about her newest book, Fire Sword and Sea, based on the folk story of the female

pirate Jacquotte Delahaye. The Caribbean Sea, 1675. Jacquotte Delahaye is the mixed-race

daughter of a wealthy tavern owner on the island of Tortuga. Instead of marriage, Jacquotte

dreams of joining the seafarers and smugglers whose tall-masted ships cluster in the turquoise

waters around Tortuga. For twenty years, Jacquotte raids the Caribbean, making enemies and

amassing a fortune in stolen gold. When her fellow pirates decide to increase their profits by

entering the slave trade, Jacquotte turns away from piracy and the pursuit of riches. Risking her

life in one deadly skirmish after another, she instead begins to plot a war of liberation. Don’t miss

out on this exciting discussion!

• Thursday, February 12 at 1 p.m. – Feminist philosopher Dr. Lindsey Stewart’s book, The

Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic,

tells the stories of Negro Mammies of slavery; the Voodoo Queens and Blues Women of

Reconstruction; and the Granny Midwives and textile weavers of the Jim Crow era. These

women, in secrecy and subterfuge, courageously and devotedly continued their practices and

worship for centuries and passed down their traditions. From the moment enslaved Africans first

arrived on these shores, conjure was heavily regulated and even outlawed. Now, Stewart uncovers new contours of American history, sourcing letters from the enslaved, dispatches from the lore of Oshun and other African mystics. Join us to take part in the magic and celebrate the legacy of America’s founding Black women. Register for free today!

• Tuesday, February 24 at 1 p.m. – Tom D. Crouch, a Smithsonian veteran of almost 45 years,

paints a robust picture of a unique American establishment and its lasting legacies in his

book Smithson’s Gamble. Follow the fascinating growth and development of the world's largest

museum and research complex during its first 60 years. Told in rich detail, Smithson's

Gamble reveals how, as it defined a role rooted in curiosity and exploration, the Smithsonian

helped to shape the nation's developing identity. The Smithsonian evolved from a small, narrowly focused organization into an institution leading the way in fields from astrophysics to

zoology. Smithson's Gamble is filled with fascinating characters, twists and turns, and moments

of triumph and tragedy. Register now to take part in the conversation and learn about the trials,

errors, and incredible legacy of the Smithsonian’s foundation.

The Baton Rouge Botanic Garden Foundation will host a FREE Garden Discoveries event at the Main Library at Goodwood on Saturday, February 14 at 10 a.m. Art Scarbrough, certified Master Naturalist, Herb Society of America member, and practicing Druid, will present “Scents, Sense, and Nonsense.” He will show how herbs were used in folklore and will describe magical plant practices through the ages with an emphasis on the topic of the day, love! Weather permitting, a tour will follow of the Baton Rouge Botanic Gardens adjacent to the Library. Registration is available at ebrpl.co/events or call 231-3750 for registration assistance. Learn more at ebrpl.co/garden.

Teens can get creative at the Carver Branch Library on Monday, February 9 at 3 p.m. to learn about the art of quilling and make some Valentine’s Day crafts!

20-somethings are invited to the Delmont Gardens Branch Library on Thursday, February 19 at 5:30 p.m. as we watch an old favorite, The Princess Bride (1987, PG) and create our very own ‘rodents of unusual(ly small) size’ keychain!

Share stories and cooking tips with other adults at the Delmont Gardens Branch Library on Monday, February 23 at 10:30 a.m. Bring your favorite family recipe, a hidden gem from an old magazine, or the secret to a perfect cake!

Children ages 3-7 are welcome to the Greenwell Springs Road Regional Branch Library on Wednesday, February 11 at 5 p.m. to hear a reading of Hap-Pea Valen-tines Day by Keith Baker and make a valentine caterpillar craft to keep or to give to someone special.

Adults are invited to participate in a murder mystery party at the Pride-Chaneyville Branch Library on Saturday, February 7 at 3 p.m. New Orleans' most prominent neighborhood has been rocked by the murder of one of its elite members. Pierre DuPre, King of the Krewe, was found strangled by an expensive set of Mardi Gras beads. Party revelers must now put down their Hurricane drinks and feathered boas to determine who wanted dear Pierre dead. Solve this crime before Mardi Gras is tarnished forever!