April will be an exciting time to attend St. John the Baptist Parish libraries.

National Library Week will be celebrated April 10 through 16. In celebration of National Library Week, the Garyville Library will be making bookmarks inspired by this year’s theme, “Libraries Transform.” The event will be held at 5 p.m. April 11. Children ages 4 and up are welcomed to participate.

The Edgard Library will be hosting an essay contest at 4 p.m. April 14. Tweens between 8 and 12 will write a one-page essay about why libraries are important to them. The essays will then be displayed in the library as a written documentation of its importance to the community.

In celebration of National Poetry Month, patrons can participate in a Poetry Creation Station at the Central Library. This program will last throughout April, and people of all ages are encouraged to participate.

Library patrons will have access to cutout words from magazines and use them to construct a ransom style poem. The Central Library will also host a Blackout Poetry activity for tweens and teens at 6 p.m. April 4. Tweens and teens will use a black permanent marker to blackout as many words in a particular text as they would like, leaving behind a few choice words to make poetry.

The Garyville Library will celebrate National Poetry Month by displaying a poem-a-day in the children’s reading area for the entire month. They will also have a “Hats Off to Poetry” event at 5 p.m. April 18. The event will include Dr. Seuss poetry reading, activity sheets and refreshments.

Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, when events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. St. John the Baptist Parish Library system will have several programs to celebrate Earth Day.

Tweens and teens will make birdfeeders using pinecones and soda cans at the Central Library at 6 p.m. April 11. They will also conduct a collage painting using trash and old lost and found items from the library at 6 p.m. April 19.

At the Edgard Library, tweens between 8 and 12, will practice their art skills by painting the planet Earth on construction paper and writing a note under it, stating how they promise to help keep the Earth clean. This event will be held at 4 p.m. April 21.

The Garyville Library will host a movie day on the same date. Children are invited to watch “The Lorax,” then discuss how to be kind to the Earth and complete an Earth Day activity sheet. This event is open to children 4 and older who must be accompanied by an adult.  The Central Library in LaPlace is excited to welcome Chef John Folse at 6 p.m. April 26. Folse will speak about his experiences and his cooking. He will also be preparing a dish at the library.

The Reserve Library will host its monthly Make Shoppe program at 6 p.m. April 11. This month, patrons will be making a colorful mosaic decorative plate. Make Shoppe is usually held at the Reserve Library on every second Monday of the month. Patrons are welcomed to sign up for this creative activity.

Reading! Rhythm! Readiness! will be held at 10 a.m. every Wednesday at the Central Library and at 5:30 p.m. at the Edgard Library. Children, ages 3-5, will listen to and take part in theme-based stories. They will enjoy music and engage in school-readiness activities related to each weekly theme.

Lapsit Storytime will also be held at 10:30 a.m. every Friday at the Central Library. Children, newborn to 3, are welcomed to attend with their parents.

For a full list of all programs, refer to our online calendar on our website or pick up a newsletter at any of our four branches. I hope you all can attend some of the spectacular programs offered at St. John the Baptist Parish Libraries.

Also, everyone in the community, please remember to go out and vote yes for the St. John the Baptist Parish millage at the tax election April 9 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The taxation will last for 10 years, beginning in 2018. This will not be considered a new tax; it is a renewal.

Kearston Poche’ is the administrative services coordinator for St. John the Baptist Parish Library. She can be reached at 985-652-6587.