Louisiana Book Festival

It’s time for the 7th Annual Louisiana Book Festival presented by the Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana!

On Saturday October 17, 10:00am-5:00pm, downtown by the State Capitol, meet authors, enjoy great programs, listen to live music and browse the exhibitors stalls.

It’s a great day for the whole family with fun activities for kids and teens. Of course as this is Louisiana you can guarantee there will be plenty of great food! Take a look at the official festival website for more details.

Banned Books Week

September 26-October 3rd is Banned Books Week! It’s a celebration of the freedom to read under the protection of the First Amendment. You can read all about it here on the American Library Association website.

You might be surprised at some of the titles that have been challenged (a formal written request made to remove a book from library shelves).  Here is a fascinating list of the top 100 banned and challenged classics.

Jay Dardenne’s Recommended Reading List & Songs

Recently Louisiana Secretary of State, Jay Dardenne, gave a presentation at the Jones Creek Regional Branch revealing his top ten  favorite Louisiana books and songs. Here’s the list!

1.Rising Tide by John Barry
Louisiana 1927 by Randy Newman

2. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Way Down Yonder Down in New Orleans by Pete Fountain

3. Huey Long by T. Harry Williams
Every Man a King by Huey Long
3a. Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long by Dr. Richard White

4. The Earl of Louisiana by A.J. Liebling
You Are My Sunshine by Jimmie Davis

5. Bayou Farewell by Mike Tidwell
Lost in Louisiana by Jay Chevalier

6. Any book by James Lee Burke
Jolie Blond by Buckwheat Zydeco

7. Inside the Carnival by Wayne Parent
Second Line

8. All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren
Louisiana Man by Doug Kershaw

9. The Last Hayride by John Maginnis
Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis

10. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines
Cotton Fields by Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter

Horror Books

Looking for a gruesome, exciting read? Here are some of the latest horror titles added to the collection. Read them if you dare, but we must warn you, not for the squeamish! woohahaha!

Hater
David Moody

Infected: A Novel
Scott Sigler

The God of the Razor
Joe Lansdale

The Living Dead
John Joseph Adams, editor
(A collection of short stories from some of the greatest horror writers)

The Sound of Building Coffins
Louis Maistros

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
Max Brooks

Collectibles Price Guides

If you collect something, there is a good chance we have the price guide for it here at the library. Some examples of price guides that we have include:

Antiques, Baseball Cards, Coins, Comic books, Disney and Coca-Cola Memorabilia, Stamps.

There are too many to list here, so try searching the catalog. One of the great things about the majority of these price guides is that they are updated yearly so you can get the most accurate pricing.

If you’re looking for antiques information we also have a database you can access from home p4A Antiques Reference.