East Baton Rouge Parish Library

Another addition to Check Out Louisiana! The Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre promotes the advancement of classical and contemporary dance by maintaining a performing company, presenting high-quality season, and providing both dance education and community outreach. Now cardholders of participating Louisiana library systems can reserve an e-pass redeemable for tickets to an upcoming performance. Reserve your pass today at https://CheckOutLouisiana.com and learn more about our newest performing arts organization partner at https://www.batonrougeballet.org/

“Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre is thrilled to partner with the State Library through the Check Out Louisiana Museums and Culture program," said Mysti Byrnes, Executive Director. "We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the joy, beauty, and connection that the arts can provide, which is at the heart of our Ballet Experience Initiative. We are excited to welcome the State Library as a new partner in making BRBT performances more accessible to our community and to audiences across Louisiana and hope that this partnership opens the door for more people to experience the magic of ballet."

Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre
Billy Nungesser Lt. Governor of Louisiana

Take What You Can by Naima Coster
“From the New York Times bestselling author of What’s Mine and Yours, a rich, panoramic exploration of female friendship, class, new motherhood, and independence

Val and Milly fell in love with France at the same time they fell in love with each other and became immediate best friends. Then, they bonded as the only Black students on a study-abroad trip. Now, they are in their thirties, each married and with a baby girl on the way. When Milly suggests Val move to New York to raise their daughters together after a decade apart, it’s a resounding yes.

Despite their excitement, the pair secretly wonder if their friendship has always worked best as a trio. From that first trip to France, these two motherless daughters were taken under the wing of an older woman named Helene. She showered them with money, love and attention, and showed them the possibilities of a meaningful future. But without Helene, who are Milly and Val?

Milly, a successful influencer married to restaurant royalty, is occupied with her desire for independence. Val, a brilliant journalist, is struggling to write her first book and fit into her old friend’s new world. The realities of class and social capital, of strained marriages and the demands of motherhood, serve as constant reminders of how far apart they’ve grown. And no matter how much they try to avoid it, everything comes back to the rift that began all those years ago in France. What they’ve long tried to bury may finally destroy their sisterhood.

Weaving between Brooklyn brownstones and the glittering beaches of southern France, Take What You Can is a dazzling novel exploring what it means to be a mother when you have none, a sister without blood ties, and a woman in pursuit of the life she wants. With her signature sharply-observed prose, Coster illustrates what it means to be—and to stay—someone’s person through all phases of life.”

Join Dolly Diamonds on 9-2-5 for a community tribute celebrating Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life, music and movies—and her lifelong commitment to putting books into the hands of children. 📚✨

Come to the Main Library at Goodwood on Friday, September 25, at 6:30 p.m. for a FREE screening of Dolly’s iconic movie 9 to 5 and an evening of Dolly-inspired fun!

Dolly Diamonds works right here in the Capital Area to raise awareness and local funding for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, helping carry Dolly’s love of books and reading forward to the next generation.

So grab your blanket, put on something sparkly and join us to laugh, remember and celebrate Dolly! 💕💎

FREE and open to the public. Registration encouraged at ebrpl.co/dolly

It’s !

This photo, taken on September 5, 1969, shows Mrs. Peairs, Pride Branch Librarian, teaching children how to arrange and open their books so she could easily remove the book cards and charge out their selections.
You can find this photo and more in the Baton Rouge Room's digital archive on our website.

Small business owners and entrepreneurs, put AI to work for your business!

Join us for the next Small Business Engine session on Wednesday, September 23, from 9 a.m.–noon at the Main Library at Goodwood and learn how AI can make financial statements easier to read, analyze and use.

Come early for coffee and networking at 8:30 a.m. and connect with other local business owners and entrepreneurs before the program begins.

This event is free, but registration is required. Sign up at ebrpl.com/events.

🎤 Our artist spotlight continues as we get ready for Red Stick Rhythms Presents Hip Hop Night on Saturday, October 3, from 5–7 p.m. at the Main Library at Goodwood!

Meet KnightShift Krewe, a Baton Rouge trio made up of KruellaDeRelle, KSK Looney and Kenny Gems. The group’s story began while all three were working the night shift at a local grocery store—inspiring the clever wordplay behind their name. Looney and Kenny already knew each other from high school, while Kruella grew up in Houston before moving to Baton Rouge in 2022.

The group originally performed as KnightShift Klue and released their first EP under that name before becoming KnightShift Krewe in summer 2025. Their night-shift jobs may be behind them, but they’re still creating music together!

KnightShift Krewe blends hip hop, neo soul and R&B with singing, rapping and more for a genre-bending sound all their own.

🎶 Catch KnightShift Krewe live at Hip Hop Night on Saturday, October 3, from 5–7 p.m. on the plaza at the Main Library at Goodwood. Bring a chair and enjoy an evening of local music!

Continue to celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary with the Baton Rouge Concert Band at our Fall Concert on September 27, 2026, at 5:00pm. This free concert will be held on the Plaza at the Main Branch of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Or listen online at https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bm3bngR1e/

Through a program of stirring marches, treasured American melodies, Broadway favorites, and patriotic classics, the band will honor the music and spirit that have accompanied America across generations.

The program will feature selections such as Hoagy Carmichael in Concert, The Liberty Bell, By Dawn’s Early Light, and God Bless America.

Join us as we celebrate 250 years of America through music!

Alan Opts Out by Courtney Maum "Alan Anderson is a powerful advertising executive who has built a successful life and thriving business by making people buy stuff they don’t actually need. He’s up for the biggest pitch of his career and the account everyone wants, US cow’s milk sales are plummeting, and the C-Suite wants to see trendy oat milk kicked to the curb. But when an anarchist farmer tanks Alan’s presentation, Alan bombs the pitch but ends the day with an epiphany. No longer will he exploit the insecurities of others in the service of capitalism. Alan is opting out.

This development is anathema to his wife, Vivian. She’s just a few positive affirmations, a swimming pool, and an exacting series of social tests away from finally becoming part of the elite women’s club, the Queen Annes, in their adopted town of Greenwich, Connecticut. As if contending with a daughter who wants to write plays (!) and another who has an unnatural empathy with animals isn’t enough to manage, she can only watch as Alan moves into their backyard playhouse to live off the land and—worse—spend time with the family. But instead of shocking the neighbors, Alan’s commitment to a less-is-more lifestyle seems to be catching on. Could everyone want what Alan’s not selling?"

A Taste of the Deep South Festival is celebrating 10 years! Join us at the Main Library at Goodwood next weekend for live music, food, shopping and family fun!