Louisiana Libraries

According to law.com, 76 percent of respondents aged 18 to 54 said they were willing to use online legal services if it could save them money while seventy-two percent of surveyed households with income below $100,000 said they would likely use online legal services. 

Do you want to look for an attorney or need law advice about a particular topic such as adoption if you want a child? The Union Parish Library lets patrons have access to Louisiana Legal Forms at http://www.unionparishlibrary.com. Click on links and arrow down until you are able to click on Louisiana Legal Forms. These services can be accessed from the Union Parish Library or you can access it at home just as long as you log in with your library card’s number. 

Once you get to the page, there are nine links: All State Subscriptions, Legal definitions, Tax Forms, Attorney Directory, External Links, Law Digest, Legal Q&A, Legal Life Articles and Helpful Topics.

All State Subscriptions lets a person click on Louisiana Legal Forms where you can browse by main categories. Animals are my favorite because it lists 26 forms ranging from an agreement to Board Animals to Waiver and Release from liability For Adult for Land for Walking Dogs. That particular form releases a property owner from liability for permitting an individual from walking a dog on the property owner’s land. 

Contracts lists numerous forms ranging from acceptances to yoga classes. My favorite is the acknowledgment of delivery of goods because it requires that a warehouse must generally keep separate the goods covered by each warehouse so as to permit the identification of goods. Family law has forms ranging from annulment to spousal support. One thing that I did not know was that authorities use a locate data sheet to locate a delinquent parent failing to pay child support. 

Oil and Gas lists four categories that you can click on: Acknowledgments, Leases, Royalties and Transfers. The Oil, Gas and Mineral Lease is my favorite because it mentions that a lessor grants a right to a lessee by using certain property for the production of oil and gas. 

Legal Definitions even comes with a dictionary ranging from A to Z.  Here are the legal terms that I thought were the most unique. Aye means yes such as voting on the appropriations bill. B and E deals with breaking and entering being a statutory offense of breaking and entering any building with the motive to commit a felony.  

Dactylography refers to the scientific study of fingerprints as a method of identification. Gabelle was a very unpopular tax on salt in France before 1790. Kalkines warning refers to a process where rights of the employees in an organization is advertised. M.O. stands for Modus Operandi which means the method of operation. Quantum meriut is a Latin term meaning “as much as he deserved. Sabbath Law is a statute regulating or prohibiting commercial activities on Sundays. 

Tax Forms lets you click on Federal tax forms where you can download tax forms and publications from the Internal Revenue Service. You can also click on State Tax Forms which will take you to revenue.louisiana.gov where you can order paper forms such as a tax return. 

Attorney Directory lets you click on find an attorney that practices law ranging from adoption to worker’s compensation. I clicked on worker’s compensation and found sixteen lawyers and it also took me to their websites such as dudleydebossier.com

External Links lists the links to websites such as the Office of Motor Vehicles Forms, Louisiana Secretary of State, Internal Revenue Service, Voter Registration, Louisiana State Tax Forms and Louisiana Department of Revenue.

Law Digest is a reference for identifying points of law from reported cases ranging from administrative agency to zoning. I like how it mentions that the first administrative agency was created by Congress in 1789 to provide pensions for wounded Revolutionary War soldiers.

Legal Questions and Answers have topics ranging from abandoned property to zoning. I like how it lets you look at Abandoned Property Questions such as How do I claim abandoned real estate? The answer is that an owner can be divested of title only through adverse possession.

Legal Life Articles has ten categories: birth, relationships, marriage, divorce, parenting, employment, owning a business, estate planning, aging parents and death. It gives very good advice about those topics and one of my favorite categories. 

Helpful Topics lets you click on topics ranging from Accidents and injury to Worker’s Compensation. I like how it lists the type of accidents and injuries that people can have. 

Louisiana Legal Forms will give you numerous advice about anything related to law and how you can search for an attorney which will be a learning experience for anybody thanks to the Union Parish Library. 

Roberta J.M. Olson presents a very fascinating look at Fire and Ice: A History of Comets in Art which presents well over 100 illustrations of comets across the centuries for readers to enjoy. There is a full chapter devoted to depictions of Halley’s Comet, but most of the book deals with other comets in general. Publication of the book is based on an art exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum. This book is highly recommended for public and college libraries.

Olsen starts off by mentioning that comets are natural icons since each one provides wondrous images of awe while inspiring a sense of fear and wonder. 

Astronomers find that the immediate source of comets is a vast cloud known as the Oort Cloud which is significantly part of the solar system and extends thousands of times father from the sun than the outermost planets.

One thing that I did not know was that a comet is composed of three major parts. The first is the icy nucleus which comes near the sun and encounters its’ heat. The second is the coma which reflects and fluoresces sunlight. The third is the tail which is responsible for the name comet. 

Mark Twain was born in 1835, a year of Halley’s appearance and he wrote humorously about a comet in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. He wanted to live until the next appearance of Halley’s Comet and then to die with it. 

Halley’s Comet was named after British astronomer Edmund Halley who lived during a time when comet studies were common and he often worked with English astronomer, Issac Newton to formulate a hypothesis about comets and how they traveled. 

The earliest depiction of Halley’s Comet occurred in the Bayeux Tapestry which is embroidery on eight narrow strips of linen and made to illustrate William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Giotto painted the most remarkable early observation of Halley’s Comet in 1301 which shows the three wise men visiting the baby Jesus during his birth which is one of my favorites!

English painter, Samuel Scott painted a comet in 1759 that hovers majestically over the Thames River with Westminster Cathedral in the background.

The Limbourg Brothers who settled in France painted giant meteors in the sky (1416) as the background for Jesus being seized in the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthias Gerung composed a woodcut drawing of the Apocalypse which illustrates the comet-like form described in Revelation 9:1-3. 

During the sixteenth century comets were expressed on a grander scale than ever before because Italy started using comets as personal emblems since Giotto represented a comet as the Star of Bethlehem. 

Artist Lucas van Leyden’s Lot and His Daughters (1509) used a comet in the background to describe the scene of Sodom’s destruction which was a signal sent by God. The author keeps the reader interested by mentioning that the first telescopic discovery of a daylight comet was in 1680 which caused a flurry of astronomical activity and Calvinist minister,  Cotton Mather said that “comets are God’s sharp razors on mankind “and that type of sentiment brought on the infamous Salem witch hunt of 1692 in which nineteen people were executed.

A German painting depicts the comet of 1680 and supports the wild rumor that an egg had landed in Rome with stars and a comet on it. That incident relates to an astrological prophecy attributed to Nostradamus. Lieven Verschuier painted The Comet of 1680 Over Rotterdam which depicts the important landmarks of the city. 

English theologian and founder of Methodism, John Wesley used the return of Halley’s Comet in a 1758 sermon to warn people to make their peace with God. 

English artist, Thomas Sandby recorded a large meteor observed in August 1783 which was identified with what he called Draco Volans. Sandby’s watercolor looks very real to the human eye. 

A comet appeared at Napoleon’s birth and another was supposedly spotted over St. Helena and France one night before his death in 1821 which was also seen in a painting that depicted his death mask and astrological symbols where it hovered over his forehead. 

William Blake who was a painter and poet painted The Ghost of a Flea (1819) which depicted the comet as a catalyst for destruction and many art experts classify that painting as hallucinatory.  A more realistic representation of a comet appears in Frank Tenney Johnson’s An Evil Omen (1930) that shows Native American riders seeing a comet streaking across the sky. 

If you are interested in learning about comets and the artists that painted them then I suggest you stop by the Union Parish Library and check out Fire and Ice: A History of Comets in Art. That particular book is featured in our Union Parish Celebrate the Artist in You Theme for Youth Art Month. It will leave you with a feeling that comets can make legendary paintings. 

The Union Parish Library has eight program outreach staff and one of them is Judy Lewis, the Literacy Outreach Coordinator who promotes a program called the Talking Books Program.

According to the state Library of Louisiana, the Talking Books Program provides free public library services to Louisiana residents of all ages, but Union Parish Library mainly provides Braille, cassette, digital cartridge and large print materials to patrons that live in Nursing Homes and Rehabilitation centers throughout the parish.  Currently there are over 50 individuals living in Union Parish that received the Talking Books program directly to their place of residence.  

The Talking Books Program are for those who are unable to read or use standard print materials as a result of temporary or permanent visual or physical limitations. Blind and persons with poor vision due to macular degeneration are eligible. Physical conditions such as a lack of muscle coordination when turning a page, persons with physically based medically certifiable reading disabilities such as ADD/ADHD or dyslexia and institutions serving patients with qualifying conditions are also eligible. 

Lewis told me that patients must fill out an application with the signature of a medical doctor, optometrist, registered nurse, rehabilitation teacher or licensed social worker or they can fill out the application themselves. 

What is so unique about the program is that it is free and the books and magazines are mailed to library patrons wherever they reside. Once the application has been processed, Talking Books will send patrons the playback equipment and a welcome packet containing sample catalogs of available books and magazines.

Patrons can even request the Union Parish Library to choose books for you and you will also receive a few books in the subject areas you specified on your application. There are 51 reading interest categories and you can select to send books, nightly, weekly, Bi-weekly, monthly and upon request. Potential applicants can check the primary disability in the application such as blindness, visual impairment, physical disability and reading disability. They can also check to select their own books or let the library select books for you. 

Now that you know all about the Talking Books Program, Judy Lewis will visit the Farmerville Square Apartments today at 1:00 to provide home delivery of audio books for the sight-impaired or physically disabled. 

Lewis also visits the Union Council on Aging on the 1^st and 3^rdWednesday of every month starting at 11:00 a.m. and the Bernice Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

On the 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday, she visits Farmerville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center at 11:00 a.m. Lewis has 100 patrons that she delivers audio books too and she often speaks with the activity coordinator about the patrons who are interested in the Talking Books Program. 

Judy Lewis says she loves her job as Literacy Outreach Coordinator because she gets to bring something positive to the lives of readers that meet the criteria by offering this free access to books both audio and text.  Sometimes one positive adaptation can make a difference in hope and despair.  Come by the Union Parish Library and ask her about the Talking Books Program. 

According to a Gallup poll, good managers have the capacity to motivate every single employee to act accordingly by engaging them with a compelling mission and vision that builds relationships that create trust, open dialogue and clear accountability. The Union Parish Library has a Director that is on a mission to make sure that the library has a clear vision of reaching the community through books, reading programs, Facebook and letting numerous patrons know about the databases that patrons can access for free and her name is Stephanie Herrmann.  

Herrmann lives in Farmerville, but is originally from Downsville and she lists adventure racing, fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, kayaking, reading and writing poetry as her main hobbies. As for adventure racing, I had to conduct research. According to usara.com, adventure racing series such as Spartan and Tough Mudder often place the focus on teamwork and the challenge, rather than individual achievement. Team working skills and taking on a good challenge also applies to working for the Union Parish Library! 

As a child, she loved reading Trixie Belden books by Julie Campbell Tatham.  Herrmann is full of instant knowledge because I never heard of the Trixie Belden books until I looked at Trixie-Belden.com and she told me that Trixie is sort of like Nancy Drew, but Trixie is a country girl tomboy who solves mysteries.  Herrmann said she found someone she could relate to in those books and that began her quest for reading.  She read all 24 books in that series.  As she moved into high school, she read all of the Jane Austin books more than once.  Her favorite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin which she’s read so often she can recite much of it verse by verse.  In college, she started drifting toward poetry and short story writers mostly those that were about nature and life outdoors.  She was assigned to read Walden in college and that was just the beginning of her interest in Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Williams Wordsworth, and other poets and writers that focused on nature.   Today she mostly reads non-fiction books of the same genre of reading.  If it combines the outdoors, history, and a slice of adventure, she’ll mark it high on her must read list. 

Much of the work she does for the library is behind the scenes:  she orders all the books, supplies, and equipment, manages the library finances, paperwork, grant writing, building maintenance, staff, and program planning.  There isn’t a job at the library she hasn’t done at one time or another including cleaning the bathrooms and taking out the trash!  

If you ask her why she likes working at the library, she will say “there are no two days the same”.  The library itself transforms each month to a new theme with programs and displays and exhibits that celebrate an entirely new topic.  They’ve done everything from Dr. Seuss to Edgar Allen Poe to Black Heroes to Life of Native Americans and a lot in between.  This month the theme is Youth Art and the library is exploding with color.  Next month is National Library Week, so the library will celebrate it’s mantra “Lighting the Way” and the library will actually “Glow in the Dark” for several of it’s programs.   Herrmann says that “a library is not a stagnant depository of books, but rather a living growing entity”.  It is her goal as Director to always see that the library is growing and continuing to meet the needs of the community.  Moving into the world of Technology is a recent focus of the library by offering databases, digital music, ebooks and e-audios, and soon to come streaming videos, all services that patrons can access free  downloads from any mobile device.  

Before she worked at the Union Parish Library, Herrmann was the Regional Director of Prevent Child Abuse in Monroe and at Louisiana Tech as a grant writer for the research department for several years before that. Herrmann is the proud mother of two children who both now attend Louisiana Tech University.  Her daughter is a Junior in Environmental Science and her son a Freshman in Computer Information Systems.  She also manages a lakehouse rental business on the side to help support her children while in college.  

Stephanie Herrmann is probably a non-traditional librarian that often finds herself escaping to outdoors to see sunrises, sunsets, mountains, waterfalls, and scenic views that make her go “Wow!”, but she also loves the “escape” that a good book can offer where as a reader she can go anywhere in the world without ever leaving home.   If you love reading and want to know about the different programs that the Union Parish Library offers then stop by and tell her hello!   And if you ever ask here where would be a good place to go kayaking, then pull up a chair, cause you might be there for awhile. 

Have you ever had a dream about being a superhero or wanted to read about a mythological Greek goddess? If you did then, I suggest you take a look at the graphic novel genre of books at the Union Parish Library. They have 502 Juvenile and 321 adult graphic novels from authors like Don McLeese who composed and wrote Spartans. They also have 504 graphic fiction novels, 215 juvenile graphic novels and 65 graphic novels from Japanese authors such as Tomo Katsushiro and Ryo Suzukaze. 

Did you know that that a graphic novel is a book made up of content from comics and the term graphic novel usually applies to fiction, non-fiction and other pieces of work? It is distinguished from the term comic book which is generally used for comic periodicals. 

The Adventures of Obadiah Oldluck is the oldest recognized American example of comics that was written in 1828 by Swiss caricaturist Rodolphe Topher. Richard Outcault wrote The Yellow Kid in 1897 and it quickly became a best seller. Graphic novels continued to evolve in the 1920’s thanks to Frans Mascreel who wrote Passionate Journey (1919) and Lynd Ward also published God’s Man in 1929 which tells a story about an artist who signs away his soul for a magic paintbrush. 

Milt Gross wrote He Done Her Wrong (1930). That type of novel is based on raw comedy sketches with a love story added to it. The 1940’s began with Classics Illustrated which is a comic book series for young readers.

Faucett Comics published Novel #1: Anarcho, Dictator of Death which is an anti-fascism story. American comic book creators started becoming more adventurous when Gil Kane and Archie Goodwin published His Name is Savage which tells the story about a cyborg retired general, Simon Mace who kidnaps the U.S. president and impersonates him at a United Nations assembly meeting.

Marvel Comics published two issues of The Spectacular Spider Man. Comic book writer Steven Grant mentions that Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s Doctor Strange Story in Strange Tales was published serially from 1965-1966 which is the first American graphic novel written. Critic Jason Sacks mentions that the 13 issue Panther’s Rage comics that ran from 1973-1975 in the Black Panther series in Marvel’s Jungle Action is Marvel’s first graphic novel. 

The term graphic novel began to grow in popularity months after it appeared on the cover of the paperback edition of Will Eisner’s A Contract with God in October 1978. That particular graphic novel was a collection of short stories that focused on the lives of ordinary people. 

Cartoonist Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer prize-winning Maus (1986) helped establish both the term and concept of graphic novels to the general public. The Dark Knight (1986) was not originally a graphic novel, but a four-part comic book series written by Frank Miller which featured a four-part series featuring an older Batman fighting crime which is one of my favorites! The Watchmen (1986-1987) was a collection of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons 12 issue limited series in which he describes the dynamics of power in a post Hiroshima world. Sales of graphic novels increased with Batman: The Dark Knight Returns which lasted 40 weeks on a UK best seller list. 

Grant Morrison wrote Batman, Arkham Asylum in 1989 and was inspired by The Dark Knight Returns which tells the story of the superhero fighting the Joker and other villains. Frank Miller wrote 300 in 1998 which is a fictional retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae and the events leading up to it from the perspective of Leonidas of Sparta. It was made into a popular action film in 2007. 

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was written in 1999 by Alan Moore which tells the story of Mina Murray who is asked by British Intelligence to assemble a league of extraordinary individuals to protect the interests of the British Empire. 

Graphic novels continued to be even popular in the 21^st century especially since Jason Lutes wrote Berlin: City of Stones which is a comic book series written from April 1996 to March 2018. That particular novel describes life in Berlin before the Nazis took over. 

All the Answers is written by Michael Kupperman in 2018 which tells the story of his father who was a child prodigy on a quiz show in the 40’s and 50’s. Home After Dark was written by David Small in 2018 and tells the story of adolescence life in the 1950’s. 

If you are interested in reading any of the graphic novel genre of books that I mentioned then I suggest stopping by at the Union Parish Library and check out one! Pick an author and pretend you are an adolescent living in the 50’s or a Greek soldier fighting the Persian Army, either way you will be amazed with the fascinating artwork of the Graphic Novels at the Union Parish Library!

According to small business administration, there are 28.8 million small businesses which accounts for 99.7 percent of U.S. businesses. The greatest challenge to small business growth and survival is economic uncertainty followed by lower consumer spending and regulatory burdens. Small businesses provide 55 percent of all jobs and 66 percent of all new jobs since the 1970’s. 

Do you want to learn how to build a small business or maybe you already have your own business and want to learn how to make it even better? The Union Parish Library lets patrons have access to the Small Business Reference Center at www.unionparishlibrary.com.  Click on links and arrow down until you are able to click on Small Business Reference Center. These services can be accessed from the Union Parish Library or you can access it at home just as long as you log in with your library card’s number.

Once you get to the page, there are four links: Business Areas, Industry Information by Small Business Type, Business Basics and Start-Up Kit & Business Plans. Business Areas lets a person click on accounting which has numerous articles ranging from accounting methods, accounts, payable, accounts receivable, financial statements to cash flow. Financial statements are my favorite because it lists 4,273 scholarly journal articles about an independent auditor’s report.

Buying a Business lists the key legal issues about businesses and Fred S. Steingold describes how buying a business is one legal transaction which is made up of a whole idea of significant legal issues. Tax-saving strategies involve buying the assets rather than the business itself and allocating the sale price to assets means you can write off a relatively short period. 

Legal issues deal with asset protection, data protection, copyright licenses and permits, patents and trademarks. Stephen Fishman wrote a very good article on copyright protection which talks about the years that a specific author died and when his or her unpublished works will enter the public domain. It lists 2,256 articles on copyright laws. Licenses and permits have 11,315 articles on how to obtain a license and permit. Fishman has another good article where he mentions about the federal and state requirements on obtaining a business permit. 

Patents has 4,978 articles and one of my favorite articles is A Look at Recently Issued Patents because it describes new inventions before they are introduced to the market. Trademark has nineteen articles about sorting out trademark disputes. Marketing and Public Relations lets a person click on advertising, brand building, marketing plan, online marketing, pricing and social media. Advertising is my favorite because it displays 10,434 articles on promoting your product and why it is a very good marketing tactic. 

Sales lets you click on cold calls, customer feedback, customer service, market research, negotiating, persuading, presenting sales promotions and selling skills.  Customer service is my favorite because it has 23,927 articles on how to bring innovation and prestige to the small business owner. 

Industry Information by Small Business Type lets you click on advertising agency, automobile dealers & repair, bakeries, beauty salons, car wash and detailing, educational services, farming, florists, law firms, marketing services, pet services, restaurants, travel agencies and many more. Automobile dealers and repair is my favorite because it lists 16,709 articles about the type of service that customers want since numerous people always expect to receive positive and quality service from their car dealer or repair shop. 

Business Basics lets a person click on coaching an employee, conducting successful meetings, doing business on eBay and marketing your business. 

Marketing Your Business is my favorite because it has 14 articles about the basics of marketing which deals with patents, licensing and design. Lisa Guerin and Richard Stim both composed a good article about marketing and mentions that it is a method of attracting and retaining customers which includes advertising. 

Start-Up Kit and Business Plans lets a person click on small business start-up kit, writing a business plan, sample business plans, cash flow Forecast, loan request, profit & loss forecast, sales revenue, forecast and start-up forms.

Writing a Business Plan is my favorite because it lists why and how to write a business plan. Mike P. McKeever states that a complete business plan helps a person analyze their business by giving detailed projections about the future. 

I highly recommend composing a business plan because it will let you know if you have the target market and resources to make it succeed. I also like the 37 articles that lists different sample business plans because it gives the potential small business owner an idea on what to do. 

The Small Business Reference Center will give you numerous advice on developing your small business and making sure that it is doing well which will give you confidence by thinking positive thanks to the Union Parish Library. 

Barbara Krystal presents a very captivating look at 100 Artists Who Changed the World who had the most profound impact on the shape of World History. This unique book contains well written biographies that describes the essential accomplishments of their subjects with brilliant and fascinating details. 

Each biography is arranged chronologically and covers every artist around the globe. This book will appeal to readers who want to learn about World History and those that love art and it comes with an index and a special section with a trivia quiz and suggested projects.

Krystal starts off by talking about Phidias who was a Greek Sculptor of the Classical Period which saw the annexation of modern-day Greece by the Persian Empire. He was born in Attica, Greece and his artistic career started with Greek general statesman, Pericles making him head of affairs in the Athenian state. Phidias completed the famous gold and ivory statue of Zeus at Olympia after he worked on the Parthenon. 

One thing that I did not know was that Phidias was imprisoned after being accused of embezzling gold while others say he was condemned for blasphemy after putting his portrait on the shield of Athena. 

Do you have a favorite painter? Leonardo da Vinci was a painter, sculptor, architect and scientist. Da Vinci once said that the eye is the window of the soul.” At age fourteen, Leonardo was tutored by Andrea del Verrocchio who taught Leonardo the fundamentals of painting and the creation of marble and bronze statues. He used his own personal style to paint The Last Supper which depicted Jesus and his disciples. That particular painting is one of my favorites because it is so unique since it shows the disciples having a puzzling look on their faces and Jesus knows that one of them will betray him. 

During his employment with the Duke of Milan, he painted the Mona Lisa in 1506 which is a very well-known painting throughout the world. Leonardo da Vinci became court painter to King Louis XII who lived in Milan, Italy at the time. He also went to France to work in the royal court of King Francis I where he spent the last years of his life. 

Another one of my favorite artists is Michelangelo who was an Italian sculptor, painter and architect. He began his apprenticeship with the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio who painted religious themes with surreal settings and details. Michelangelo finished his large sculpture with the marble David (1504) which is 18 ft in height. He was contacted by Pope Julius II to paint the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel ceiling in Rome. Michelangelo started in 1508 and it ended in 1512. What was so unique about those frescoes was that he painted the story of Creation on his back which depicted God Separating Light from Darkness, Creation of Adam and Eve, Temptation of Adam and Eve and Flood.

Raphael is another favorite artist of mine because he is regarded as the painter of religious figures during the Renaissance. He was born in Urbino, Italy to a family of painters and received his training on how to paint from his father, Giovanni. Raphael painted The Vision of a Knight in 1504 which showed a knight sleeping under a tree. Pope Julius II gave him a job to paint frescoes in the Vatican palace and he was also made chief architect of St. Peter’s Basilica in 1514. Raphael died at the age of thirty-seven in 1520. 

Rembrandt was born in Leiden, Netherlands and ranks as one of the greatest painters in the history of western art. Did you know that Rembrandt created over six hundred paintings and that sixty were self-portraits? 

His style of painting self-portraits is known as chiaroscuro which is the dramatic employment of light and darkness to create emotion. Rembrandt got a job to paint The Night Watch which is a painting that depicts the organization of the civil guard. He created a scene where the civil guard was called in to defend the state. Rembrandt was a successful artist, teacher and art dealer, but that did not keep him from declaring bankruptcy in 1656. He continued to work painting Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph (1656) and Portrait of the Painter in Old Age (1659). 

The author keeps the reader interested by mentioning that Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses was a self-taught painter who was born in 1860. Moses painted her first picture in 1918 and two years later, she painted a picture on the panels of her pullout table. In 1938, she began composing more paintings and a group of her paintings were shown in a drugstore window where they were noticed by art collector Louis Caldor. He showed three of her paintings at the museum of Modern Art in New York City. Her work includes: Thanksgiving Turkey (1943), Sugaring Off (1945) and Out for the Christmas Tree (1945). 

If you are interested in learning about numerous artists and the different paintings each one composed then I suggest you stop by the Union Parish Library and check out 100 Artists Who Changed the World. That particular book is featured in our Union Parish Celebrate the Artist in You Theme for Youth Art Month. It will leave you with a feeling of awe and fascination as you come to know the different artists from all over the world. 

The Union Parish Library has eight program outreach part-time staff who may run one or two outreach programs a week in our community.  Outreach includes all reading programs that we may host “outside” of the library everywhere from preschools to nursing homes.   Jiame Brown is one of the outreach staff who leads the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program. The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program is a national program that believes that students who have read 1000 books before they enter Kindergarten will have an advantage in language, reading, and creative skills.  The program has two objectives: to promote reading to newborns, infants and toddlers and to encourage parent and child bonding through reading.

Specific studies show that as many as one in five children have difficulties learning to read. Reading is an early indicator of academic success. Parents and caregivers are the first education providers during a child’s early years. The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program is to read a book to a child with the goal of reading 1000 books which helps young children gain the confidence necessary to become strong readers and it is an innovative and fun way to establish strong early literacy skills. 

The Union Parish Library presents the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program to preschool students at Union Parish Elementary School who attend the after-school program.   Once she’s able to give hugs and high fives and settle the kids down, Brown reads them children’s books–usually about 15-20 books a week.   The purpose of the program is actually quantity reading.  Where some storytimes might actually focus on one book, then singing, games, or perhaps a craft project, 1000 Books Before Kindergarten is different because it really is about the amount of content.  Study after study confirms that kids learn literacy long before they are able to read for themselves.  They are able to understand vocabulary, grammar, and cadence in reading by listening to reading which will help them tremendously when they begin reading themselves.  

Last Tuesday, Brown read several books by Eric Carle to the preschool children at Union Parish Elementary School. Today Brown will also visit Union Parish Elementary School and read to the students an art book since they will be doing an art project for Youth Art Month.   Most of the themes of the books she selects ties in with either seasonal emphasis or themes of the library.

Brown also makes reading fun with art projects, dress up days and special character guests like Cat in the Hat!  But again the main focus of the reading is actually finishing books.  At the end of the year, the students celebrate the books they’ve read with a graduation party. Each student graduates with certificates of completion at the end of the school year. 

If you ask Jiame Brown what her favorite childrens book is, she’d reply Honey I Love and Other Love Poems by Eloise Greenfield.  That’s a perfect book choice for Brown because at the core of everything Jiame Brown does is love!  Her zest for life, cheerful disposition, and hearty laugh is infectious.  If anyone can make children feel loved and love reading, it’s Jiame Brown!  

Did you know that the employment of computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow to 13 percent from 2016 to 2026 which is faster than the average for all occupations?   The Union Parish Library maintains 16 public access computers for the public, 10 laptops for checkouts, 6 childrens’ computers, two card catalogs, 10 staff computers including servers, firewalls, wireless modems, and two mobile computers for the bookmobile , and an ebook terminal.  On average, the library has 600 computer users and over 800 wireless users per month.  Behind the scenes keeping them all running efficiently is Christopher Carey. 

Carey started working at the library in 2009 under an older worker training program that offers new skills training for older workers to re-enter the workforce.  When his two years ended on the program, it was obvious that the library needed him more than he needed the library, so they offered him a part-time position to stay on as the technology coordinator.  Since that time, he has been an invaluable asset to helping the library stay current with virus protection and other precautions to keep the technology up to date and safe for users.

Carey lives in Downsville and he lists fishing and working with computers as his main hobbies.  He loves to spend time outdoors where he can be active and enjoy life at his pond. Carey has a wife and one daughter and they are very close as a family.  As for reading, he likes comic books and has read the first Peanuts comic strip and even loves Dr. Seuss.  It’s ironic that Carey mentions comic books as his favorite reads, because according to the University of Windsor, English Professor Dale Jacobs  “Comic books help us think differently by processing the different components such as visual, spatial and that it often involves a complex process for generating ideas.” Thinking creatively and often outside the box is one of the keys to problem solving when it comes to computer issues.

If you ask him why he likes working at the library, he will say “learning new technology.”  Most of the staff would agree.  Even though Carey is part-time, he spends some of his off time reading and staying current on what is needed in the technology field.   

Before working at the library, he worked at River City Sheet Metal in West Monroe, Louisiana as Head of the Department. His main role was to make sure that the machinery was running smoothly. 

Carey has worked for the Union Parish Library for nearly ten years, but the picture you will see on the staff photo wall is a very young Carey in the 1960’s wearing round sunglasses and a long scruffy beard from his days as a surfer in sunny California.  Carey was a very accomplished surfer and was even mentioned in a book the library has on it’s shelves about the surfing culture in Santa Cruz, California.   Some say that surfing requires high energy, calm spirit, and willingness to tackle the endless challenge of mastering the next big wave.   Maybe this is what suits him so well for technology issues at the Union Parish Library.  He’s calm under pressure, always relentless and yes, he’s willing to tackle a good challenge!  

Have you ever wanted to read a famous folk tale about Louisiana or wondered what it must be like living in New Orleans during French colonial rule? That is why I suggest you take a look at the Louisiana genre of books at the Union Parish Library. They have 169 Adult books and 43 Juvenile books from authors like Donna Jo Napoli who wrote Alligator Bayou which tells the story of what it was like to live in small-town Louisiana in 1898. There are approximately 655 books on Louisiana and 212 Louisiana fiction books from authors like Jennifer Blake who wrote Arrow to the Heart. Did you know that Blake is from Goldonna, Louisiana and that her birth name is Patricia Maxwell? 

There is also 42 Louisiana in literature books, 50 Louisiana family books, 25 Louisiana government books, 17 Louisiana Purchase books, 14 Louisiana in Art, 10 Louisiana State University Books, 2 Louisiana Iris books and 1 on Louisiana Governor’s. 

Louisiana has a lot of famous authors that love writing about their home state because it serves as an inspiration for others to enjoy. James Lee Burke was born in Houston Texas, but spent most of his childhood on the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast. James Lee Burke says that “New Iberia has the most beautiful main street in the country” which is a landmark on the National Historic Register of Historic Places. One of his books, Heaven’s Prisoners was written in 1988 and tells the story of New Orleans police detective officer Dave Robicheaux as he pursues cases in New Iberia, Louisiana. The book was so popular that it was made into a movie and was a very good suspense thriller!

Tennessee Williams is a well-known playwright and author whose birth name was Thomas Lanier Williams. Williams lived for a time in New Orleans and used it as the setting for A Streetcar Named Desire and other short stories such as The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1950) which was adapted into a film in 1961 and again in 2003. A Streetcar Named Desire tells the story of a troubled school teacher, Blanche Dubois who leaves small-town Mississippi and moves in with her sister, Stella Kowalski and her husband Stanley. It was made into a movie in 1951 starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh. You can stop by and look at William’s first Vieux Carre apartment at 722 Toulouse Street which is now home of the Historic New Orleans Collection.

Alcee Fortier was a famous professor who wrote Compere Lapin which was a children’s story told to him by former slaves when he was seventeen. He also published those stories in his book titled Louisiana Folk Tales and Compere Lapin (clever rabbit) went on to be known as Br’er Rabbit or The Tales of Uncle Remus in Joel Chandler Harris’ books.

Do you like horror fiction? Anne Rice is one of New Orleans’ most supernatural literary authors known for her metaphysical gothic fiction. She was born in New Orleans who became famous with her book, Interview with a Vampire which centers on a vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac who tells the story of his life to a reporter. 

Kate Chopin married and moved with her husband to New Orleans and then to Cloutierville, Louisiana. She wrote two novels: At Fault (1890) and The Awakening (1899) which are both set in New Orleans and Grand Isle. The characters in her stories are usually residents of Louisiana. Many of her works are set in Natchitoches in North-central Louisiana, a region where she lived.

Ernest Gaines was born on a plantation in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana and wrote Catherine Carmier at age 17. He also wrote A Lesson Before Dying which tells the story of Willie Francis, a young black man sentenced to death by the electric chair twice in Louisiana, in 1945 and 1947. Gaines mentions food a lot in his books and says in A Lesson Before Dying that “gumbo can be eaten at any time!”

Amanda Boyden is the author of Babylon Rolling (2008) which tells the story of Ariel May and her husband Ed who just moved to New Orleans with their small children. Tim Gautreaux is a novelist and short story writer who lives in Hammond, Louisiana. He is the author of The Missing (2009) which tells the story of Sam Simoneaux who comes home from World War I to New Orleans and then goes to the Arkansas wilderness. 

Ashley Elston is the author of several novels including: The Rules for Disappearing (2013) that tells the story of high school student, Meg who has changed identities and is in the Witness Protection Program. 

Bayou Diversity is one of our non-fiction reads in the Louisiana section.  Bayou Diversity is a collection of essays from KEDM radio broadcasts written by Union Parish native Kelby Ouchley.  These books celebrate and explore the unique ecosystem of Louisiana and the importance of the waterways, wildlife, and botany that make Louisiana, well Louisiana!   His wife Amy also has penned a collection of letters written from the perspective of a Louisiana swamp rabbit entitled Swamper:  Letters from a Louisiana Swamp Rabbit.   The majority of the remainder of the Louisiana section books at the library are non-fiction stories that feature towns, rivers, geology, landscape photography, geographic regions of the state, and of course a few politician stories and biographies, afterall it wouldn’t be Louisiana without those!

If you are interested in reading any of the Louisiana genre of books that I mentioned, I suggest stopping by the Union Parish Library and check out one! Pick an author and pretend you are a New Orleans detective searching for a murderer or being a musician living in the swamps of southwest Louisiana, either way you will be inspired reading about the beautiful and lush Louisiana scenery that so many authors write about.