Lately, there’s only one place I want to be on Sunday nights: the library.
When it feels like everywhere else in the city has closed, the East Baton Rouge Parish main library is open until 10 p.m. (In fact, it’s got late hours every night of the week except Friday.)
I’ve spent the last few weekends there, absorbing the calm buzz of patrons typing on their computers or lazily turning the pages of a good book.
Visiting the library feels like a treasure hunt to me. I always go home with something I didn’t plan to find.
Browsing the DVD selection is better than browsing Blockbuster back in the day. There’s everything from ’80s classics such as Stand By Me to newer releases like Me, Earl & the Dying Girl, and the movies I want to watch are actually in stock, unlike at good old Blockbuster.
And so far, I’ve successfully found every book on my reading list at either the main library or another one of the EBRP library system’s locations.
Right now, my boyfriend and I are obsessed with the book Try This at Home: Recipes from My Head to Your Plate. It’s by Richard Blais, the best person to ever compete on Top Chef, in my opinion.
I didn’t even know he had a book until we stumbled upon it in the food section. The book is like Bon Appetit meets Esquire. The photography and design are as creative as Blais’ own wacky recipes, and each recipe is paired with one of his witty stories.
Last week, I took home a stack of interior design books, including A Beautiful Mess blog’s Happy Handmade Home.
I’m also on the waiting list to get the new book published by the creators of the Apartment Therapy blog.
Next, I plan to check out the novel The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost and Mindy Kaling’s new book—all of which, yes, is in stock.
There’s even fine art available for rent, which must be great for film or theater productions that need props—or for those who just like to frequently switch up their home décor.
There’s so much talk today about the digital revolution being the death of print, with newspapers and magazines cutting staff and national bookstore chains shutting down some of their locations.
So it’s encouraging to walk into the local library on a Sunday night and see every chair filled.
Even better, it’s refreshing to see libraries embracing the digital revolution, combining their print collections with downloadable e-books and audio books. EBRP library’s online catalog is a great resource—I can place a hold on a book from home to pick up later.
The library has found other ways to engage the community, too. It’s got a pretty amazing calendar of events and classes.
The main library has hosted beer brewing classes, the 2015 Baton Rouge Mini Maker Faire, and on April 30 will host some of Red Stick International Festival’s events.
My mom works at a library back home in Florida and I spent countless hours there growing up, so I might be biased about libaries. But I really think the main library is one of the coolest places in town.
I mean, it has a 3-D printer. It doesn’t get cooler than that.
