Bring your curiosity and let your imagination grow this summer! Join the fun with East Baton Rouge Parish Library’s 2026 Summer Reading Challenge, Plant a Seed, Read! Beginning Monday, June 1 and running through Saturday, August 15, enjoy a full season of FREE programs, workshops, story times, concerts, and performances for all ages across the Library system. Watch your love of reading bloom and discover something new along the way! 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!

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

Summer Reading Kickoff Party Kick off Summer Reading at the Library! Join us for music, magic, community booths, and other fun activities for the whole family at the Main Library at Goodwood on Thursday, May 28, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Enjoy special performances by Lady Chops at 10 a.m. & 12 p.m. and Tim the Magician at 11 a.m.

Teen Summer Kickoff Party Summer's finally here! Join us in the teen programming room at the Main Library at Goodwood on Wednesday, May 27 at 2:30 p.m. to celebrate the start of the best time of the year with games, crafts, snacks, & more!

Meet and greet local authors at Authors Row! You’re invited to the Jones Creek Regional Branch Library on Saturday, May 23, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. to discover new literature and support local writers. Books of various genres will be available for purchase and signing. Plus, bring out your inner author by attending an interactive zoom workshop from 2:30-3:30, covering how to format, design, and produce professional quality book files! We will also have FREE ice cream this day, provided by Red River Bank. Don’t miss this exciting event!

Join us for our inaugural Fix-It Faire, a community repair café where you can bring broken or worn items and learn how to fix them with the help of skilled volunteer “fixers.” From jewelry and clothing repairs to small woodworking, bike tune-ups, and basic tech troubleshooting, our experts will guide you through each step so you can build hands-on skills and give your belongings a second life. The Fix-It Faire is all about learning, sharing knowledge, and reducing waste—so bring your curiosity (and that item you’ve been meaning to fix)! On Saturday, May 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Main Library at Goodwood.

You’re invited to the 9th Annual Baton Rouge Soul Food Festival at the Main Library at Goodwood on Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. each day. Enjoy fabulous southern cuisine, live music, a vendor’s village, a soul food cooking competition, and more! A pre-party will be held at Henry Turner, Jr.’s Listening Room on Thursday, May 21st, 7 p.m.-Midnight. For more information or to enter the soul food cooking competition, call (225) 802-9681 or visit www.brsoulfoodfest.com.

The Baton Rouge Concert Band invites the community to its annual Memorial Day Concert at the Main Library at Goodwood on Monday, May 25 at 7 p.m. as we honor the brave men and women of the armed forces who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. This free outdoor concert will feature a moving selection of music including patriotic songs, stirring marches and somber tributes that reflect the significance of the day. Come together with family and friends for an evening of remembrance and music. Lawn chairs welcome!

The Civic Orchestra of Baton Rouge concludes its 2025-2026 season with its annual pops concert at the Main Library at Goodwood on Saturday, May 30 at 3 p.m. The concert will feature Broadway favorites with selections from The Sound of Music, The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Hamilton and more!

All Aboard! EBRPL, Greater Baton Rouge Model Railroaders/Old Hickory Train Museum, and TCA

Louisiana Chapter invite your family to Train Day at the Library on Saturday, May 2, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Main Library at Goodwood. Celebrating a hobby well over a century old, Train Day will feature an array of operating model train layouts. Steam and diesel locomotives will pull freight and passenger trains

through miniature landscapes, filled with houses, town scenes, and more!

Teens and their families are invited to Saturday Science at the Main Library at Goodwood on May 2 at 1p.m. This month, Prof. Natalie Hinkel will present “Stardust: From Stars to Planets to Life”, connecting the community to science and technology.

Hey teens! Who needs a job for the summer? Come to our Teen Summer Job Fair at the Main Library at Goodwood on Tuesday, April 28 at 4 p.m. and talk with employers who are looking for seasonal employees. Use your free time this summer to earn some cash! For more information, call the EBRPL Career Center at 231-3733.

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.

 Thursday, May 7 at 6 p.m. – Join us for an exciting conversation with internationally acclaimed

author Marjan Kamali as we delve into the timeless wonder of her New York Times bestselling

novel, The Lion Women of Tehran. In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort

until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home

downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances, Ellie dreams for a

friend to alleviate her isolation. Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind girl

with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone

kitchen of Homa’s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share

their ambitions of becoming “lion women.” But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her

mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular

student at the best girls’ high school in Iran, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later,

however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their

lives. Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful

futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering

betrayal will have enormous consequences.

 Tuesday, May 12 at 1 p.m. – Join us for a thought-provoking virtual conversation on AI,

humanity, and the future with “mad scientist” Dr. Vivienne Ming, as she discusses her book

Robot-Proof: When Machines Have All the Answers, Build Better People. In Robot-Proof, Dr.

Ming explores what it means to be human in a world increasingly shaped by artificial

intelligence. Blending cutting-edge science with real world insight, she dives into how AI is

transforming the way we learn, work, and connect, while challenging us to rethink the skills and

values that truly matter. From surprising predictors of success to the power of tackling complex,

“ill-posed” problems, this engaging and accessible book offers a fresh perspective on how we can

thrive alongside intelligent machines. Don’t miss this inspiring discussion!

 Tuesday, May 19 at 1 p.m. – Come listen to an inspiring virtual conversation with bestselling

author Nir Eyal as he explores his latest book, Beyond Belief. In this powerful and practical read,

Eyal uncovers how the assumptions we carry shape our reality—and how shifting those beliefs

can unlock new levels of performance, resilience, and well-being. Drawing on neuroscience,

psychology, and compelling real-life examples, he introduces the “Three Powers of Belief”—

Attention, Anticipation, and Agency—and shows how they can transform the way we approach

challenges and opportunities. Whether you’re looking to break through personal barriers, build

confidence, or stay focused in uncertain times, Beyond Belief offers tools to help you move

forward with clarity and purpose. Join the conversation—come ready to rethink your limits and

discover what’s truly possible.

The Baton Rouge Botanic Garden Foundation will host a FREE Garden Discoveries event, “Daylilies at Independence Park,” led by Master Gardener Claire Fontenot, at the Main Library at Goodwood on Saturday, May 9 at 10 a.m. Discover how to incorporate vibrant daylilies into your home landscape and enjoy their wide range of colors and seasonal beauty. Learn practical tips on planting, dividing, fertilizing, spacing, and caring for these “beauties for the day,” along with expert insight from Claire Fontenot, who helped develop the Daylily American Society Display Garden at Independence Park. 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.

Step back in time with Star 80, the legendary retro ’80s dance night that lit up the early 2000s at Spanish Moon in Baton Rouge. Just What I Needed, a 2005 documentary from Crane Films, captures the energy, style, and passion of a Southern youth culture brought together by a shared love of 1980s pop music. Join filmmaker Kyle Crane at the Main Library at Goodwood on May 20 at 6 p.m. for a special presentation featuring clips from the film and a discussion of the newly released 20th anniversary cut, which includes a prologue with fresh interviews from the original subjects. This event offers a nostalgic look at a one-of-a-kind scene and the lasting impact it had on its community. Whether you were there or are discovering it for the first time, come experience the music, memories, and cultural spirit that made Star 80 unforgettable. To see the full documentary, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZzJ0ojbmWU

Do you have something to share but are not sure how to say it? Join us for EBRPL's monthly writing workshop, led by LSU MFA candidate Halley McArn, at the Main Library at Goodwood on Monday, May 18 at 6 p.m. Connect with a group of seasoned writers as they hone their craft across genres. Each month we’ll dive into a new form, write into it, and share our work with a supportive community. Registration is required. To register, visit ebrpl.co/events.

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

Join us for a fun and educational gardening session for kids on May 2 at 10 a.m. at the Main Library at Goodwood! Children will get hands-on experience in the Children’s Garden, where they’ll help weed, harvest, and water plants. Indoors, we’ll explore seed catalogs from a variety of seed companies and work together to choose what to plant in July—both for fall transplants and direct sowing. We’ll also highlight carrots as an easy and rewarding fall and winter crop for young gardeners, with a special reading and discussion focused on this versatile root vegetable. This engaging program is perfect for kids who love to dig in the dirt, learn about plants, and grow their own food! Registration is required. To register, call 763-2260.

Stop by the Baker Library's Farmer and Artisan Market to get homemade goodies, fresh vegetables, crochet items, jewelry, and much more. Bring your friends and family to shop local vendors selling homemade and homegrown items. Interested in being a vendor? It's completely FREE to register and participate. Go to ebrpl.co/BLFAAM to register or call (225)778-5960 for more information.

Be a Carver Cub where every tiger is a reader! Kids entering grades 1-6 can participate in FREE guided reading and writing enrichment with an LSU reading buddy! The program will take place at the Carver Branch from July 6 - 24, Monday – Friday, 3-4 p.m. Each Carver Cub will receive a reading certificate upon completion of the program. Space is limited. Registration is required. To register, call 389-7460.