May will be a wonderful time to attend St. John the Baptist Parish Libraries.

Children’s Book Week will be held May 2-8. In celebration of Children’s Book Week, a party will be held at each library branch at 4 p.m. May 6. Kids can come dressed as their favorite book character and participate in a fun game and craft.

Patrons, between the ages of 5 and 12, are welcomed to attend this literacy event. Light refreshments, such as cupcakes and fruit punch, will be served. A special visitor will be present at each library’s event.  Also, the Central Library will host a movie day to celebrate Children’s Book Week at 4 p.m. May 5. Kids, between 5 and 12, are invited to watch “Big Hero 6,” which is based on the comic book by the same title.

Mother’s Day will be celebrated on Sunday, May 8, and the library system will provide several programs the week leading up to Mom’s big day.

The Garyville Library will host a “Mother’s Day Craft” at 4 p.m. May 2. Any doting mother, grandmother or step-mother will love receiving a nicely decorated, handmade greeting card created with love especially just for her. This program is for patrons, ages 6 and up. For more information, call Elmira Duhe, branch supervisor, at 985-535-6868.

The Reserve Branch will host a “Mother’s Day Floral Pen and Keepsake” at 5:30 p.m. May 2. Tweens and teens will create a paper floral bouquet and wood slice keepsake that any mother would treasure for years to come. The library will also host a “Mother’s Day Card and Bracelet” program at 5:30 p.m. May 5. Children 4 to 9 will make 3-D Mother’s Day cards and decorate a bracelet made from salt dough. Registration is required for both programs. For more information, call Rona Joseph, branch supervisor, at 985-536-4107.

The Edgard Library will host “Mother’s Day Cards” at 11:30 a.m. May 6. Tweens 8-12 will practice their art skills by making one-of-a-kind cards for their mothers, grandmothers or stepmothers. For more information, call Carlos Diaz at 985-497-3453.

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, the Garyville Library will host a “Sombrero Craft” at 5 p.m. May 5. Tweens and teens will create a sombrero using newspaper and giftwrap sheets. While creating the hats, a discussion will be held on why Cinco de Mayo is celebrated.

In celebration of Memorial Day, the Garyville Library will have a passive program called “Estimation Station.” A jar will be filled with red, white and blue wrapped candy for children to estimate how many pieces of confection are in the jar. The program begins at 3 p.m. May 18 and ends at 5 p.m. May 27.

The Edgard Library will host a “Bald Eagle Craft” at 11 a.m. May 28. Children 6-10 will use cardboard tubes to construct a bald eagle, the emblem of the United States of America.

The Reserve Library will host its monthly Make Shoppe program at 6 p.m. May 9. Patrons will be making a straw bag clutch to wear throughout the summer months. Make Shoppe is usually held at the Reserve Library on every second Monday of the month.

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 3-5 listen to and take part in theme-based stories. They will enjoy music and engage in school-readiness activities related to each weekly theme.

The Tots and Toddlers program will also be held at 10:30 a.m. every Friday at the Central Library. Children newborn to 3 are welcome 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, St. John the Baptist Parish Library System would like to thank the residents of the community for voting yes for the library’s tax renewal.

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