Poetry and nature rule at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library this spring! Join us for our One Book One Community series, featuring You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World edited by Ada Limón, 24th Poet Laureate of the U. S. Read some poetry, write some poetry, and enjoy poetry and nature-related programs throughout the Library system!


One Book One Community

Unleash your inner poet! Join us this spring for our One Book One Community series featuring You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, edited by Ada Limon, 24th Poet Laureate of the United States. Read some poetry with us, write some poetry of your own, and participate in poetry and nature programs throughout the Library system. You can even submit your original poem to be considered for a community anthology!

You Are Here features fifty previously unpublished poems from some of the nation’s most accomplished poets! Each poem engages with its author’s local landscape, offering an intimate model of how we relate to the world around us. You Are Here invites readers to experience nature and poetry as a source of inspiration and connection. Check it out in print at any Library location or as an eBook or audiobook on Libby, the Library app!

Be a part of our One Book One Community celebration, We Are Here: A Gathering of Poets, at the Main Library at Goodwood on Saturday, March 28, 4-8 p.m., and enjoy live music by Favorite Friend with Raudol Palacios; free food provided by Friends of the Library; spontaneous acts of poetry; appearances by Adam Clay and other local poets; poetry café; facepainting and balloons for the kids; karaoke; community organizations; and a peek at our poetry anthology filled with poems submitted by members of our community!

For more information and to submit a poem for the community anthology, visit ebrpl.co/onebook.

As part of our One Book One Community series focus on poetry and community connection, the Library proudly presents Tarriona "Tank" Ball, lyrical and spoken word artist, to the Main Library at Goodwood on Friday, March 13, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tank is part of the New Orleans-based musical group Tank and the Bangas, who have released studio albums, Thinktank, Green Balloon, and Red Balloon, as well as receiving a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2020 Grammy Awards and winning their first Grammy in 2024 in the Best Spoken Word Poetry Album category with their 2024 album, The Heart, the Mind, the Soul. This program is free to the public.

Madam Dulcimer (Amanda Roberts) and Lady Chops (Elizabeth Vidos) are bringing lively music to EBRPL in March! Enjoy this Celtic concert celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with music originating from the countries of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. See below for opportunities to attend:

Come celebrate our second round of talented Red Stick Rhythms musicians! The Library supports local artists all year by streaming their albums on our database, redstickrhythms.org. This is your chance to meet them in person at the Main Library at Goodwood on Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. Join us for live music on the plaza stage, food trucks, vendors, and activities for children. You will have the chance to meet curators, musicians, local radio station hosts, and music supporters of all stripes.

Join author Kim Jones for the premiere of her newly released book, Nouveaux Renaissance: Keeping Les Cenelles Alive, at the Zachary Branch Library on Saturday, March 1, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Meet Kim and learn more about Les Cenelles, the groundbreaking 1845 anthology featuring 17 African American poets. Have your book signed and fellowship with other researchers, history lovers, and educators.

Join us at the Main Library at Goodwood on March 7 at 2 p.m. as speaker Amy Shutt discusses a brief history of foxes, coyotes, and red wolves in Louisiana; coyote research on the special coastal canids; and ways to help lessen human-wildlife conflict. Amy is a science communicator, educator, and multidisciplinary artist focusing on wildlife and the director of the 501c3 non-profit, The Canid Project.

Join us at the Main Library on Goodwood on Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m. as we celebrate the coming of spring with a traditional Chinese tea celebration. Learn how to pick the perfect tea for any occasion and sample various tea flavors with local businesses. Throughout the event, Tai Chi instructor Jie Gu and Chinese Dance instructor Liqun Fang will hold various demonstrations in celebration of spring.

Join us at the Main Library at Goodwood on Sunday, March 22 at 2:30 p.m. to learn about and create illuminated manuscript artwork. Through watching an episode of The Medieval Legacy, a part of the The Great Courses series found on the Library's Kanopy database, we will experience the history and recent discoveries surrounding illuminated manuscripts. Afterward, local artist Tagan Mire will teach participants how to create a "modern illuminated manuscript page" through the art form of linocutting. Registration is required. To register, visit ebrpl.co/events.

Teens and their families are invited to Saturday Science at the Main Library at Goodwood on Saturday, March 7 at 1 p.m. for a presentation by LSU Professor Mark A. Mitchell entitled “Canary in the Coal Mine? How About Barred Owl in the Bayou! What Wildlife Can Teach Us About Our Health.” Join us 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.

The Library continues its Virtual Author Talk Series with three new authors in March! 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 March 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, March 4 at 1 p.m. – Join us in conversation with bestselling author and humorist

Michael Perry, whose collection of genre-spanning works encapsulates the experiences – and the

magic – of rural town communities and the everyday people who reside in them. In Michael

Perry’s memoir, Population: 485, the local vigilante is a farmer's wife armed with a pistol and a

Bible, the most senior member of the volunteer fire department is a cross-eyed butcher with one

kidney and two ex-wives, and the back roads are haunted by the ghosts of children and farmers.

It’s a frequently comic tale leavened with moments of heartbreaking delicacy and searing

tragedy. Register today to hear more about Perry’s expansive collection of stories!

• Thursday, March 12 at 6 p.m. – You’re invited to join us for a virtual conversation with

acclaimed author Kate Quinn about her latest fantastical work, The Astral Library, which poses

the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library,

where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures. Alexandria

“Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike

people, books will never let you down. Register now to hear more about The Astral Library,

crafted for all bookworms and lovers of literature.

• Tuesday, March 24 at 1 p.m. – Join us for a special conversation between award-winning

journalist Shoshana Walter and bestselling and award-winning author Barbara Kingsolver as they

chat about Walter’s book Rehab: An American Scandal. In this work, Walter, a Pulitzer finalist,

exposes the country’s failed response to the opioid crisis, and the malfeasance, corruption, and

snake oil which blight the drug rehabilitation industry. Today, more people have access to

treatment than ever before. So why isn’t it working? Be sure to register now to participate in this

urgent conversation and learn insight on how we might fix the system to save lives.

The Baton Rouge Botanic Garden Foundation will host a FREE Garden Discoveries event at the Main Library at Goodwood on Saturday, March 14 at 10 a.m. Join Abbie Judice Acosta, Lafayette’s Moncus Park Conservation Director, for an engaging talk highlighting the park’s native prairie restoration efforts and the broader conservation work shaping the park’s landscape. Registration is available at ebrpl.co/events or call 231-3750 for registration assistance. Learn more at ebrpl.co/garden.

Join the Career Center for Job Club, a 12-week job search and networking group for job seekers in professional careers. Job Club will meet this month on Friday, March 6 at 10 a.m. at the Main Library at Goodwood. Job searching can be a lonely and discouraging activity, and this group will provide you with a safe space and like-minded professionals. Share experiences, network, encourage, learn the latest job search techniques, and be accountable to each other. This workshop is free of charge. Registration is required at 231-3733 or [email protected].

Bring your unused or surplus arts and crafts supplies to exchange with others at the Central Branch Library on Wednesday, March 11 at 3 p.m. It's also a great opportunity to share ideas with other craft enthusiasts!

Discover how electricity works in your home with Master Electrician Scott Parker of Rhino Electric

Services at the Central Branch Library on Saturday, March 21, 9:30-11:30 a.m. In this free class, participants will gain hands-on experience replacing switches, outlets, and GFCIs – perfect for homeowners, DIYers, or anyone eager to build confidence with basic electrical skills. Registration is required. To register, please visit ebrpl.co/events.

Join us at the Eden Park Branch Library on Thursday, March 5 at 5:30 p.m. for the Eden Park Knitters Club! Whether you’re just starting out or an expert looking to meet other knitters, all are welcome to our group on the first Thursday of every month.

South Branch Library, 2210 Glasgow Ave., (225) 964-5414

The South Branch Library is starting a new writing club – The Write Path! Join us on Wednesday, March 4 at 10 a.m. as we meet with fellow writers to discuss our writing projects; share ideas and resources; and provide support and motivation. We'll meet on the first Wednesday of every month!