Virtual Author Talk: Rebecca Serle

The Library continues its Author Talk Series with three new authors in January! 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 January selections and dates/times below. Visit here 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 here

Wednesday, January 10 at 7 p.m. – Join us as we kick off the New Year talking to Rebecca Serle about her journey writing epic love stories to span generations. Learning the love story formula with Serle, we’ll chat with the author about her New York Times bestselling novels, One Italian Summer, In Five Years, The Dinner List, and many more. Serle will also briefly discuss her forthcoming novel, Expiration Dates (due out on March 5, 2024) . Told with her signature warmth and insight into matters of the heart, Rebecca Serle has finally set her sights on romantic love. The result is a gripping, emotional, passionate, and (yes) heartbreaking novel about what it means to be single, what it means to find love, and ultimately how we define each of them for ourselves. Expiration Dates is the one fans have been waiting for. Start your year with love and register now!

Patron Website Redesign Questionnaire

We are thrilled to announce that we’re in the process of redesigning our website to enhance your online experience with us.. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we believe your feedback is invaluable in shaping the new look and functionality of our website.

This survey is designed to gather your insights and preferences, helping us understand what works well and what can be improved. We want your voice to be heard! To access the survey click here. The survey will close on December 31st.

Movies on the Plaza: Holiday Edition

Join us for Movies on the Plaza at the Main Library at Goodwood on Friday, December 15 at 7 p.m. We will watch Jim Henson’s 1992 adaptation of Dicken’s classic Christmas tale. Feel free to bring your own lawn chairs or blanket to sit comfortably while you watch, and make sure to stay for the after-movie dance party!

We want to hear from YOU! – Website Redesign Questionnaire

Meet the Authors of A Louisiana Christmas to Remember

You’re invited to meet the authors of A Louisiana Christmas to Remember, a book including three heartwarming, interconnected stories of faith, love, and restoration brought to you by three Louisiana-native authors. Will a rare snowy Louisiana Christmas bring hope to the hometown and hearts of three women from the town’s founding family? Join Morgan Tarpley Smith, Betsy St. Amant, and Lenora Worth at the Main Library at Goodwood on Saturday, December 2 at 10 a.m. as they discuss their stories: A Louisiana Snow, Restoring Christmas, and A Christmas Reunion. Learn about their individual journeys as authors and how this one book of three stories came together.

Winter Food Drive

Help your community by donating non-perishable food items at any East Baton Rouge Parish Library location during the month of December. All items will benefit the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. For more information, call 231-3740.

What to donate:

Canned Vegetables
Flour
Cornmeal
Canned Soup
Rice
Breakfast Bars and Cereal
Dried Beans
Peanut Butter
Pasta
Any non-perishables (Canned foods, dried goods, chips, bottled water, nuts, etc.)

Game On! @ The Library

Bring the whole family to the Main Library at Goodwood on Saturday, November 18, at 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., for this all-ages, free event and see how many games you can play in one day! Go from card games to life-sized games; enjoy a board game before switching to a VR headset; join a tabletop game session; connect with local gaming groups and stores like Little Wars and more! Come to the Library for some fun and friendly competition! Learn more here.

Virtual Author Talk: Joy Harjo – November 16, 2023 at 3 PM

Thursday, November 16 at 3 PM – United States Poet Laureate and winner of the 2022 Academy of American Poets Leadership Award, Joy Harjo, joins us for a chat about her most recent memoir, Catching the Light, and to discuss her rewarding lifetime as a writer and poet. In Catching the Light, Harjo examines the power of words and how poetry summons us toward justice and healing. In this lyrical meditation about the why of writing poetry, Harjo reflects on significant points of illumination, experience, and questioning from her fifty years as a poet. Harjo insists the most meaningful poetry is birthed through cracks in history from what is broken and unseen.

Home of the Happy: Murder on the Cajun Prairie

In 1983, in Mamou, Louisiana, local businessman and community leader Aubrey LaHaye was mysteriously kidnapped from his home and murdered. Forty years later, his great-granddaughter, Jordan told in her forthcoming book, Home of the Happy: A Murder on the Cajun Prairie. She will talk about her experience interviewing family and community members, and the many theories that have emerged around how and why this tragedy took place ranging from the Cajun Mafia, to a hit job, to just a random act of violence. Jordan is the Managing Editor of Country Roads Magazine and a co-host of their podcast, Detours. Come meet Jordan and hear this extraordinary story at the Main Library at Goodwood on Wednesday, November 15 at 6 p.m. as part of the Library’s Special Collections Series.

GIS Day – November 15

The City-Parish of Baton Rouge and the East Baton Rouge Parish Library are hosting GIS Day Baton Rouge at the River Center Branch on Wednesday, November 15, 6-8:30 p.m. GIS stands for geographic information systems. Presentation topics will include: LA DOTD Enterprise GIS Program, Using GIS to Manage Wildlife at LDWF, and Marking 30 Years of EBRGIS. Refreshments will be served. To register and learn more, please visit here.