EP Library gearing up for Book Fest this Saturday

By: HEATHER
BOGARD
Lifestyles Editor

The Evangeline Parish Library will hold its annual Book Fest Saturday, September 26, from 8 a.m. until 12 noon. Library Outreach Coordinator Suzy Lemoine says, “this fund raising event was co-created with the Friends of the Library and originated during the planning phases for the future location of the main parish library branch nearly 10 years ago.”
This cultural enrichment event was designed to help raise awareness of the large number of books housed by the library and encourage the community to become involved with the library and learn about its features and how to utilize them.
The other main purpose of the event, Lemoine shares, is to raise funds to build a covered performance area in the distant future. Before that can be done, however, the library will build an on-site storage unit to house the many donated books each branch of the library receives. Once that is done, the next phase is to have the covered performance area built approximately 10 years down the road.
While the library has not held a Book Fest since 2012, this year’s event coincides with the first anniversary of the opening of the new main library branch last September. Lemoine states the aim is to make this an annual event moving forward.
The event will feature a huge used book sale in the multi-purpose room, an author meet and greet near the courtyard and children’s entertainment in the courtyard, as well as a sweet sale under a covered tent.
The children’s entertainment will be provided by Frank Levy, who will perform at approximately 11 a.m.
Local authors invited to participate in the event include Bonnie Hollier, Grace Sibley, Nancy Duplechain, Nancy Tubre, Sam Brent, Dr. Jerry Veillon and Billy Cheramie. They will be visiting with patrons and signing copies of their books, which will be available for sale at the event.
In addition to the authors and entertainment, the Louisiana National Guard - Youth Challenge will have an information table set up in the courtyard for those interested.
Lemoine encourages the public to attend the event, saying, “This is our kickoff for our annual Fall Book Fest to commemorate the first anniversary of the new library. The public is invited to attend this casual library walk through and meet and greet. This event will help raise funds toward future long-term improvements to the facility.”

Spotlighting two of the featured authors

Nancy Duplechain
Q: How did you become involved with the event?
A: I became involved when Suzy Lemoine invited me to be one of the featured local authors.
Q: Have you previously participated in the event?
A: I wasn’t part of the grand opening of the new library last year, but did attend and instantly fell in love with the new library.
Q: Why is it important to you to be a part of supporting the local library through this event?
A: This is important to me because the library has supported me as an author since I moved back to Louisiana in 2011. Before the new library was built, they invited me to be a guest speaker and featured author at their big book sale the year I moved back. There were other authors present that day as well. It means so much to me that our library supports local authors. This is a wonderful event for the community as well, because it really gets everyone excited about reading, and that’s terrific!
Q: What are you looking forward to the most about being involved in this fun, family event?
A: I’m looking forward to seeing the other local authors and getting to meet the people who have read my books. I’m also excited about the big book sale! Like my dad used to say, “You can never have too many books.”
Grace Sibley
Q: Why is it important to you to be a part of supporting the local library through this event?
A: I am extremely excited to help support the lovely Ville Platte library. It has a competent staff with an amazing assortment of books for people who want to read them but cannot or do not wish to buy them. It is truly a sanctuary where one can go to concentrate, meditate, study, get information and reflect on things read. I enjoy watching people with limited resources and time use library computers with Internet access to share and get information, maintain emails and print materials.
My pastor, Darwan Lazard, beautifully describes literacy as “the medicine of the mind.” As an educator, I am most appreciative that our library books improve literacy, increase vocabulary, provide skills in various languages and introduce readers to a world they have not seen and people they have not met.
In my second book, God’s Unstoppable Favor, I described books as “my quiet, constant friends that were always accessible while I was restricted to total bed rest at Huey P. Long Charity Hospital for 31 days at the age of 14. Being 50 miles away from home, reading helped me feel less lonely, enlightened my mind, and expanded my perspective while preventing me from focusing on my intense pain, excessive swelling and other physical ailments.”
Q: What are you looking forward to the most about being involved in this fun, family event?
A: I am excited about interacting with community members ( I live within walking distance of our lovely library.)
Dialoguing with other local authors will help me gain a unique insight about them. Hopefully, we will form a bond between us. I look forward to getting a glimpse of each author’s writing style and hope to learn a lot from them.