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

Children’s Book Week will be held Monday through May 6. Children’s Book Week is the annual celebration of children’s books and reading. The program is administered by Every Child is a Reader and the Children’s Book Council, which is the anchor sponsor.

To show support to the organization and celebrate Children’s Book Week, St. John the Baptist Parish Libraries will showcase a plethora of books throughout the week to highlight the “One World, Many Stories” slogan. Programs will also be hosted at all library branches. Please contact your local branches for more information.

Mother’s Day will be celebrated May 13, and the library system will provide several programs leading up to Mom’s big day. The Edgard Library’s “Mother’s Day Craft” will be held at 4 p.m. May 8. Children, ages 6 to 12, are invited to make custom mason jars using a variety of provided accessories.

The Central Library will host “Mother’s Calendars” at 5:30 p.m. May 9. Using Microsoft PowerPoint, adult patrons will design a Mother’s Day calendar using their own photos. The class is limited to the first 10 people that sign-up.  For more information, call branch supervisor JoAnn Proctor at 985-652-6857.

The Central Library will also host a “Mom and Me Storytime” at 10:30 a.m. May 10. Children and their parents are invited to listen to stories, songs, rhymes, finger plays and other activities. For more information, call Dawn Monica at 985-652-6857.

Children, ages 8 and up, are invited to the Garyville Library to make “Mason Jars” at 5:30 p.m. May 10. The jars can then be given as gifts for Mother’s Day. The Garyville Library will also host “Handmade Greeting Cards” at 11 a.m. May 12. Any doting mother, grandmother, step-mother or mother-figure will love receiving a nicely decorated, handmade greeting card created with love especially for her.

This program is for children, ages 6 and up. For more information, call branch supervisor Elmira Duhe at 985-535-6868.

The Reserve Branch will host a “Mother’s Day Craft” at 5 p.m. May 10. Children, ages 4 and older, are invited to make a clay hand jewelry holder for their mother. For more information, call branch supervisor Rona Joseph at 985-536-4107.

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, the Garyville Library will host “Simply Paint” at 4:30 p.m. May 3. Tweens and teens will celebrate the history of Cinco de Mayo while painting a festive sombrero and completing a word search activity related to the celebration. For more information, call 985-535-6868.

May is known as Physical Fitness and Sports Month. Regular physical activity is good for everyone’s health, and people of all ages and body types can be physically active. National Physical Fitness and Sports Month is a great time to spread the word about the benefits of getting active.

The Reserve Library has a 30-minute walking class at 10 a.m. every Thursday. Please come out and get active with the library.

May is also known as the Month of the Short Stories. Inspired by April’s “National Poetry Month,” May started to become identified with the short story, especially since 2013, when the first organized International Short Story Month began.

Short stories make the perfect introduction to a new author’s work, a great way for readers to get a top-up from their favorite authors between novels, and a perfect impulse purchase on a smartphone or e-reader.

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