January is International Creativity Month! Join us in celebration!
We’re holding a little contest. Since the library has so many craft-based programs and a 3D printer of our very own, we really want to highlight our patrons’ creativity by picking the best library-made thing of the month!
just straight-up email us at socialmedia@ebrpl.com!
Isn’t it great to have options?
Halloween potion bottles craft at the Fairwood BranchA selection of the reference department director’s 3D printed nerdery.
Anything that you make at a library program or get us to 3D print for you (for a $1.00 submission fee, plus $0.10/gram of material) is fair game. We’ll gather the ten best creations into a Facebook album, and you’ll all get to vote. You could win a gift certificate to a local business! (More on that as it develops.)
If you’ve never used a 3D printer before, no biggy! Sketchup Make (formerly Google Sketchup) is a free 3D modeling program with lots of tutorials to teach you everything you need to know. Sites like Thingiverse also have free model files that you can customize as much as you want!
Do you love mermaids as much as we do? We know you’ll want to join other children ages 0-11 at the Library in January and February for a special presentation by our beautiful aquatic friend, Venessa the Louisiana Mermaid! Kids can enjoy special mermaid-themed storytimes and presentations on ocean conservancy at eight Library locations this month. Dates, times and locations are listed below. Registration is required for all. For more information and to register, call the Library location directly.
10 a.m. Thursday, January 14, Main Library at Goodwood, ages 0-6
10:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 19, Fairwood Branch, ages 0-6
10:30 a.m. Thursday, January 21, Carver Branch, ages 0-6
10 a.m. Tuesday, January 26, Delmont Gardens Branch, ages 0-6
2 p.m. Thursday, January 28, Eden Park Branch, ages 7-11
10:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 2, Zachary Branch, ages 0-6
If you’re hoping for some shiny new electronics this Crimbo and you need some other uses for them besides “Paperweight: Fancy Executive Style,” may I suggest free stuff from the library?
GET EXCITED
Books!
OverDrive – One-stop shop for all your ebook and audiobook needs! Can you call something a “shop” if it’s free? You get the idea.
One Click Digital – EVEN MORE ebooks and audiobooks! If it’s not in OverDrive, it might be here. There is no overlap in the two collections, providing you with even more content.
Magazines!
Zinio – Digital copies of all your favorite periodicals! Beyoncé is in here, y’all. This is not a drill.
Beyoncé was on the cover of Vogue and Vogue is in here.
It still counts.
Make sure you get the “Zinio for Libraries” app instead of the just-plain-Zinio one!
Flipster – Kind of like Overdrive and One Click Digital, this is a supplementary digital magazine collection – this one is easier to use, and doesn’t require you to download the magazine!
This could be us, but you playing.
Movies! (Some of these are not apps, but you can still get to them from the library’s home page and watch them on your…whatever you have.)
IndieFlix – Short and full-length indie films you can access with your library card!
OverDrive – EVEN MORE THINGS (what can’t it do?) (Wash dishes, that’s what.) (But it can suggest some resources on how to keep your house clean.)
Languages! The linked infoguide has information about most of our language learning provided software, like Mango, Muzzy (a great resource for kids!), ESL, and Signing Savvy! We’ve also got Pronunciator.
We love you dearly, but we have to go home to see our families every now and then or things get weird around the dinner table.
All of the library branches will be closed this Thursday, December 24th, and Friday, December 25th, for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The library’s electronic resources will be available as always through our website – you just need your library card number to log in.
We’ll be open again on the 26th to help you get all your shiny new devices set up to use Overdrive, Oneclickdigital, and all those other great library services.
The holidays are almost upon us. Relatives are flocking in from all over the place, and some of them have a lot of stuff to say, maybe with less tact than they think they have. But don’t worry – when in doubt, you can always come to the library.
Like Hermione.
Adult coloring is a great way to destress, and the last one of the year is this Saturday, December 19th, from 1-3 PM at Jones Creek Regional. Maybe you can make something pretty to give the next person who asks you what you’re planning to do after graduation! It’s a great way to keep the peace.
For more inner peace, come to the Jones Creek Branch on Sunday, the 20th, for a meditation class from 3-4:30. Nitin Gupta will teach you ways to improve focus and clarity and keep a sense of balance.
Breathe in: they’re your family and you love them. Breathe out: soon they will go home.
If you’re suddenly realizing you completely forgot to buy presents, or that the 25th of December was only a few short days away, or (as we sometimes do) that the December that is this month is the same December that Christmas happens in, stop by the Central Branch from 3-4 on the 19th to make marbled polymer clay pendants for the person in your life who likes jewelry. You can also stop by the Fairwood Branch at 6:30 on December 22nd to make a Harry Potter-style wand for your friend group’s biggest Potter fan.
If you’re a teenager, there are lots more crafts scheduled – everything from duct tape wallets to LED-enhanced holiday cards. Check the library events calendar to collect them all.
Twas the night before Star Wars, and all through the library
Not a creature was stirring, not even a cassowary.
The books were all shelved in their sections with care,
In hopes that their new readers soon would be there;
The librarians were nestled all snug in their beds*
While Vader and Obi Wan sabre-fought in their heads.
So come check out our book displays! (We couldn’t keep that up. Rhyming is exhausting, and that poem is actually quite long.)
Main Library, 2nd Floor
Just about every branch has something set up, and most of them also have some kind of Star Wars activity or craft planned for the weeks leading up to and following the premier. We’ve got a whole bunch of booksabout Star Wars. We’ve got a Pinterest board full of crafts – having something to do with your hands might keep you awake during Thursday’s twenty-hour marathon. (Are you going? Some of us are going. Some brave, dedicated souls.) Keep an eye on the library’s social media pages for a thematic surprise coming soon!
If this is not the most adorable geeky thing you’ve ever seen, please send us pictures of whatever is beating it. We must know.
If you can’t make the premier, and you’re not a knitter or any of those other things, check out the Star Wars Cubeecrafts page! They’ve got most of the original characters, and since all you have to do is print them out, cut out the shapes, and fold and glue them together, it’s loneliness to desk friends in just a few short minutes. Or, if you’re a little more science-y and like your desk friends of the slightly less easily damaged variety, check out Thingiverse for some great 3D-printed Star Wars things! You can have them printed using the library’s 3D printers.
And finally, if you just don’t care about Star Wars and are desperate to talk about something else (but don’t want to be completely alienated from your peer group), here’s a suitably themed sound bite to play whenever someone brings it up.
It sounds like this.
Whatever your opinions on the franchise might be, enjoy the celebration! We’ll see you after the premier. (NO SPOILERS.)
*Because this comes up sometimes, it’s important that you know that none of us actually live here. Some of us have asked if we may. They won’t let us. Probably Darth Vader’s fault, somehow.
Speaking of donating to good causes, why not turn the plastic bags from all that holiday shopping into something great?
Crochet for a Cause, a regular program at the Main Library and at the Jones Creek Regional Branch, turns plastic bags into sleeping mats for the homeless. Each 3′ x 6′ mat is made of plarn, a “plastic yarn” made of recycled grocery bags. It takes about 500 bags to make enough plarn for one mat. The preparation takes about eight hours, and crocheting a bag takes about six to eight hours. When they’re finished, the mats are donated to Capital Area Alliance for the Homeless.
It’s a really great program, and there’s a way you can help! The group is running out of plastic bags and needs supplies. Bring in your plastic bags to the circulation desk of any of the branches and they’ll get to the crocheters soon.
Jones Creek crocheters.
If you’re a teen and need service hours, this is a great way to get some, too! We need volunteers to make the plarn. Come to the Main Library’s Teen Room on the second Wednesday of every month from 3:00-5:00 to help out.
Central’s premier doggie daycare, salon and boutique!
“Dogs are not our whole life but they make our lives whole.” – Roger Caras
Owner, Shauna Nicosia, poses with a client.
18235 Magnolia Bridge Rd.
Greenwell Springs, LA 70739 (PHONE) 225.262.6061 (FAX) 225.261.4484 info@smoochmypooch.com
Smooch my Pooch is Central’s premier doggie daycare, grooming salon, overnight boarding facility and boutique located in the Central/Greenwell Springs area. The business is owned by Shauna Nicosia and she successfully runs it with the help of her sister Shelley Black, her mom Robyn Parker and a wonderful caring staff.
Ten years ago, Shauna’s sister Shelley, with the help of her parents, purchased a mobile grooming van. Not only was she the first in Central to offer the service, but the first in the Baton Rouge area. It was a huge success. Working in the mobile van became difficult with the birth of her first child so she sold the van. Having been born and raised in Central, Shauna’s family saw a need for a dog grooming salon. “So my mom, my sister and I said, ‘Let’s do it!’ ”
Smooch my Pooch opened its doors in 2007. Shauna explains, “We opened up a one groomer salon and a small doggie daycare. Eight years later we have expanded into so much more. We have 3 certified full time groomers, 3 large indoor/outdoor play areas, overnight and extended stay boarding, and the ever popular U-Shampooch. Customers can bring in their dirty pooch and we supply the rest. We have waist high tubs, towels, shampoos, colognes and more. We also have a great boutique with treats, apparel and lots of LSU items.”
The daycare for dog’s service they provide has been well received by the public. “The principle behind doggie daycare is simple” says Shauna. “We provide a safe and healthy atmosphere with lots of interaction, both with other dogs and with people. Dogs can participate in group play, gnaw on a favorite toy, hang out with humans, or just lounge and watch television. The point is that they’re not at home alone.
“Doggie Daycare allows your pet to play and socialize with other dogs. It is a safe place for your pet to be while you are at work or during home maintenance, pest control or cleaning person visits. It prevents hours alone that can result in separation anxiety, destructive behavior and boredom. You can view your pooch on our webcam anytime and anywhere.
“Smooch my Pooch has grown so much in the last 8 years, so much, so that we ran out of room. We built our own building, just down the road from our former location. Our new address is 18235 Magnolia Bridge Rd., Greenwell Springs, LA 70739. It is almost twice the size, and we opened in October, 2015. It has 3 indoor/outdoor play areas, much more boarding room and 8 cameras so customers can watch their pooch while they play. We are very excited about this move and look forward to growing with this community for years to come.”
Shauna feels libraries have been an important part of her life. She says, “As a child my mom always brought us to the Central library, it was just the little white building on Hooper Road. I remember how exciting it was to have my own card and to sign the back. She would even bring us for the read-alongs and other activities. The building probably wasn’t bigger than 1000 sq ft but to me and my sister it was the best part of our day. We were home schooled for a couple years so the library was a huge part of our learning experience.”
“Now I read a lot of pet journals and magazines. I’m always looking for articles to improve my business, whether it is me as a boss, ways to make sure the dogs are happy while they’re with us, or ways to increase revenue. During this building process I’ve been able to purchase and implement a lot of the tools and ideas I’ve learned through these different magazines. I still mostly read paper magazines and books. I’ve tried reading online and I just get too distracted.”
Shauna is proud to be a small business in the Central community. The Central Chamber of Commerce presented Smooch my Pooch with the Small Business of the Year Award for 2014. “Not only was it an honor but it is something I try to work at every day. Small businesses are so important for this community because the members really do care and want to keep their money local. It is definitely our job to give them the best service we can so they not only stay but keep us growing and working!” Shauna says.
“I’ve learned so much about myself over the last 8 ½ years. When we first started I was so concerned about the “business” aspect, I was missing the personal touch. I hadn’t learned yet what customer service really was. For us it could be as simple as going out front and helping someone in and out of the car with their dog or looking at pictures on their phone of a new puppy. It took me a few years to slow down and enjoy not only the dogs but their owners too.
“Of course we all have room for improvement but I tell my employees all the time even if you feel silly or don’t want to, ALWAYS greet and thank every customer. It’s just as important to them as it is to me.”
one groomer salon and a small doggie daycare. Eight years later we have expanded into so much more. We have 3 certified full time groomers, 3 large indoor/outdoor play areas, overnight and extended stay boarding, and the ever popular U-Shampooch. Customers can bring in their dirty pooch and we supply the rest. We have waist high tubs, towels, shampoos, colognes and more. We also have a great boutique with treats, apparel and lots of LSU items.”
ears, so much, so that we ran out of room. We built our own building, just down the road from our former location. Our new address is 18235 Magnolia Bridge Rd., Greenwell Springs, LA 70739. It is almost twice the size, and we opened in October, 2015. It has 3 indoor/outdoor play areas, much more boarding room and 8 cameras so customers can watch their pooch while they play. We are very excited about this move and look forward to growing with this community for years to come.”
could be as simple as going out front and helping someone in and out of the car with their dog or looking at pictures on their phone of a new puppy. It took me a few years to slow down and enjoy not only the dogs but their owners too.