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St. John the Baptist Parish Library System is preparing to reopen our physical locations in a safe and methodical process with a phased reopening plan. While our buildings may be closed, our services are not. Patrons can communicate with us on our website (stjohn.lib.la.us) through our new real-time chat service. Rather than having to speak with a staff member over the phone, patrons can now chat questions to us about new books/DVDs, their accounts, accessing databases, or any other library related question. Patrons can also access our digital library on our website. Databases such as Hoopla, OverDrive/Libby, RB Digital, Zinio and a whole lot more are available for e-books, movies, music, magazines, etc. Curbside pickup is now available at the Norris J. Millet, Sr. Library. Patrons can search our online catalog, call us, or use our live chat system to request items and pick them up with a contact free delivery system. Only want access to our online services? E-cards are available to those who don’t currently have access to our system. They are available to anyone who lives, attends school, owns property, or works in St. John the Baptist Parish. Please fill out the registration form on our website and email it to sjbplinfo@stjohn.lib.la.us to receive a card number. The cards will grant patrons access to all St. John the Baptist Parish Library’s e-resources and won’t expire until Dec. 31, 2020.

We continue our virtual programming offered on our social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter). Beginning Monday, June 8, we kick off our Virtual Summer Reading Program. No registration required; patrons are encouraged to pick up “grab & go” bags during our curbside pickup service. The grab bags will contain reading logs to keep track of how many books you’ve read, materials for crafts and a few more goodies. Once participants have read 10 books, they are to alert the library, so that they can receive a certificate of completion and a Brag Tag. The more you read, the more prizes you receive. Our virtual summer reading program will feature activities daily. Patrons can expect quarantine craft ideas, boredom busters, library displays, science experiments, yoga classes, story time, movies and a whole lot more!

At 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, we will host a “Book Talk” of “A Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead. This Pulitzer Prize winning book explores a brutal Florida reform school during the Jim Crow era. Another option for all, we encourage you to “Armchair Travel.” Armchair travel takes people to faraway places without leaving home. It provides a sensory experience and the opportunity to learn about exotic lands and important past events in a meaningful manner. Don’t forget to check out our books or videos on Hoopla or OverDrive to enhance armchair travel. Families are encouraged to participate in a family tree project on Monday, June 15. The family project includes a family tree, questions to be completed by young children, questions for children to ask their parents, and ancestry charts for parents to complete. Families are asked to call the library at 985.652.6857 to sign-up for this event and to learn more information about it. Patrons are also asked to participate in our virtual Father’s Day program by posting pictures with their fathers or significant male figures in their lives on social media platforms and tagging St. John the Baptist Parish Library.

Please join us for these programs by following St. John the Baptist Parish Library on Facebook, Instagram (stjohnparishlib), and Twitter (StJohnLib4). We can’t wait to share our programming with you and your families!

Don’t forget to visit our website (stjohn.lib.la.us) for more information about St. John the Baptist Parish Library System.

 

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