Book Events for July 1

Capitol Park Museum presents summer lecture series in July

The Capitol Park Museum, 660 N. Fourth St., is hosting a summer lecture series featuring Southern University professors and instructors throughout July. The free programs will be held at 6:30 p.m. each Thursday.

Museum galleries will remain open until the program begins and guests are invited to arrive early to view the exhibits. Refreshments will be provided by the Louisiana State Museum Friends beginning at 6 p.m.

•  July 5 — “African Americans in Louisiana from the Civil War to the Black Caucus”: Author Dr. Charles Vincent will discuss African Americans’ participation in the Civil War in Louisiana, Reconstruction and the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus.
•  July 12 — “The Holy Family Sisters and Holy Rosary Institute”: Dr. Don Hernandez will present the history of the Holy Family Sisters and Rosary Institute and their contribution to educating children in and around Lafayette during the 20th century.
•  July 19 — “Women among us: Fashioning lives and communities with unapologetic dignity”: Dr. Eva S. Baham explores change of the century values via three African-American women — Valena C. Jones, Fannie C. Williams and Lucile Levy Hutton.
•  July 26 — “Louisiana and the 19th century pursuit of equality”: Dr. Peter Breaux’s lecture will chronicle the genesis, development and achievements of the earliest quest for civil rights in the state.

For more information, call [phone] or email [e-mail]. The museum is wheelchair accessible.

EBR Parish Library

Visitors from the Highland Road Observatory return with a variety of physical science experiments of interest to children and their families. UV bracelets, hematite magnets and the armatron are a few new surprises this summer. The program will be offered at two branches, Eden Park branch, 5131 Greenwell Springs Road, [phone], at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 3; and Pride-Chaneyville branch, 13600 Pride-Port Hudson Road, [phone], at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 5. For ages 6 and older. Please register.

Storyteller Judy Whitney-Davis will present the history of the Juneteenth Celebration at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 7, at Greenwell Springs Regional branch, 11300 Greenwell Springs Road. Juneteenth is the oldest known commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States and is celebrated on June 19 of every year. Limited to 200 persons. Registration is required. Call [phone].

Book clubs:

n  Scotlandville Children’s Reading Club will meet at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, July 5, at Scotlandville branch, 7373 Scenic Highway. Each month the club feature a different author or themed books.

This summer, the group’s featured themes will focus on “dreaming big.” Suggestions for future topics are always welcome. For children ages 7-11. For further information, call [phone].

•  Greenwell Springs Children’s Book Club will meet at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, July 5, at Greenwell Springs Regional branch, 11300 Greenwell Springs Road. Children will discuss books they have read. Limited to 15 persons. Registration is required. Call [phone].

Livingston Parish Library

Young Writers Club will meet 5-6 p.m. Thursday, July 5, at Denham Springs-Walker branch, 8101 U.S. 190 in Denham Springs. The club is open to anyone between the ages of 10 and 17. The goal of the club is to write for both publication and performance.

Young writers are encouraged to explore their writing interests and develop their voice and style through collaborative activities.

The program also offers free workshops in poetry, short stories, and creative nonfiction. For more information about the Young Writers Club, call the library at [phone].

Adult Writers Circle will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 5, at Denham Springs-Walker branch, 8101 U.S. 190 in Denham Springs. Writers looking for some feedback are invited to come to the Writers Circle.

Published and unpublished adult writers of fiction or nonfiction for adults, young adults, or children are welcome.

The group provides a forum for sharing writing, a venue for learning more about the writing craft and information about publishing/self-publishing.

For more information about the Writers Circle, call the library at [phone].

Book club:

n Adult Book Club meets 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Monday, July 2, at Albany-Springfield branch, 26941 La. 43, Hammond. Members will discuss South of Broad by Pat Conroy.

Lafayette Public Library

A traveling exhibition presented by the Louisiana Bicentennial Commission to commemorate 200 years of Louisiana statehood will be on view at South Regional branch, 6101 Johnston St., Thursday, July 5, through Sunday, Aug. 12.

Collaboration was done among exhibition curator Herman Mhire, graphic designer Kate Ferry, and historian Charles Elliot.

The exhibition documents the roles Louisiana’s unique geography and cultural history played on its path to becoming the 18th state of the Union.

The exhibit consists of a series of 10 fabric panels displaying images and text that tell the story of early Louisiana history.

The opening reception for the exhibit will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 12, and refreshments will be served in the meeting room in honor of the exhibit.

Following the reception, a National Park Ranger will lecture on the cultural history of Louisiana.

Acadiana Genealogical Society presents Genealogy 101, a series of presentations for the research novice and expert alike, 9:30 a.m.-noon Saturday, July 7, at South Regional branch, 6101 Johnston St. in Lafayette. The group also holds monthly meetings on the third Tuesday of each month.

Each meeting features a guest speaker. Anyone interested in genealogy may attend either event.

Signings

Johnette Downing, author of There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Bugs, will sign copies of her book noon-1 p.m. Saturday, July 7, at Tisket A Tasket Book Shop, 910 Decatur St. in New Orleans.

Items for Book Events were provided by the Capitol Park Museum, East Baton Rouge Parish Library, Livingston Parish Library and Lafayette Public Library.