When holidays collide, there’s something for everyone at New Orleans Public Libraries.
Little ones can learn some sweet literacy skills while having Carnival fun, while adults can put their hearts into making their own Valentines.
First up, families and caregivers with children age 2-5 are invited to Create & Play: King Cake Krewe at Latter Library, 5120 St. Charles Ave., from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 6.
Attendees will practice developing early literacy skills with Mardi Gras crafts, hands-on activities, and snacks.
Visit nolalibrary.org/early-lit for more information on how the library can help you raise your kids to be readers.
And then there’s a project adults will love: Valentine’s Day card workshops.
Attendees can learn cutting and folding techniques and then get creative to make a festive card for their Valentine or Palentine.
The first workshop is at Latter Library, 5120 St. Charles Ave., from 11 a.m. to noon on Feb. 9. The second is at 5 p.m. Feb. 10 at Alvar Library, 913 Alvar St.
ART CONTEST: Entries are being accepted for the library’s annual Black History Month Art Contest. The theme is “Building Tomorrow: Black Youth Shaping the Future.”
Students in grades K-12 can enter either online or by downloading the paper form and turning it in, along with their art, at any library location. Visit nolalibrary.co/black-history-month for details.
MARRYING SMART: Divorce lawyer Camille Patti will visit Algiers Regional Library via Zoom to talk about “getting married smart” at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 4. The workshop will cover important factors to consider before getting married.
There will be an opportunity to ask questions as time allows.
AUTHOR TALK: Award-winning author Vanessa Riley will visit the library via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Feb. 5 to discuss swashbuckling heroines and high seas adventure through the lens of her latest novel, “Fire Sword and Sea.”
The book is based on the folk story of pirate Jacquotte Delahaye, the mixed-race daughter of a wealthy tavern owner on the island of Tortuga in 1675.
Instead of marriage, young Jacquotte dreams of joining the seafarers whose tall-masted ships cluster in the turquoise waters around Tortuga. She finds her way to the sea, and for 20 years, she raids the Caribbean, making enemies and amassing a fortune in stolen gold.
When her fellow pirates decide to increase their profits by entering the slave trade, Jacquotte has a change of heart and plots a war of liberation.
Visit nolalibrary.co/vanessa-riley to register and to submit your questions for the author.