The New Orleans Public Library’s Summer Fun & Reading Challenge is halfway over, but it’s not too late to get in on the fun. Participants are being challenged to read 800 minutes and complete a variety of library-related activities before July 31. Everyone who signs up gets a registration prize, and those who complete the challenge will receive a tote bag featuring art by local illustrator Tamisha Anthony.
Visit summerfun.nolalibrary.org or stop by any library location for registration and more information about this year’s reading challenge.
The library is also accepting submissions for the 2024 Summer Fun Adult Writing Contest. Enter your short story or poem before July 31 for the chance to win a gift card and be featured in next year’s edition of “Renewed: A New Orleans Public Library Anthology.”
The theme is “adventure.” From camping or a trip to Mars, forging a trail through a magical realm or turning toward a new path in life, or anything in between — writers are invited to interpret this theme however they like.
Visit nolalibrary.org/for-writers for more information.
Summer Fun also features dozens of events for all ages and interests at library locations across the city. See below for a sample of upcoming programs, or visit events.nolalibrary.org to check out the full calendar:
Early literacy
Meditation and Movement for Families: 10:30 a.m.-11 a.m. July 5 at Algiers Regional Library, 3014 Holiday Drive
Learn movement, breath work, and meditation techniques together. Designed for children ages 2-5 and their families.
Story Hour with author Alondra Eugen: Black Box Presents Bessie Coleman 10:30-11:30 a.m. July 8 at Keller Library, 4300 S Broad St.
Learn about Bessie Coleman and her successful path to becoming a pilot during this engaging story hour and hands-on art project.
Children
Egg Drop — Activate STEAM Afternoon: at 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. July 6, Main Library, 219 Loyola Ave.
Learn about gravity and inertia before designing and testing ways to protect an egg dropped from a 6 foot ladder.
Bee Hotels — Activate STEAM Afternoon: Using items often found around the house, create a safe, snug shelter for bees while learning more about the role these important insects play in our environment.
- 3:30-4:30 p.m. July 9, Children’s Resource Center Library, 913 Napoleon Ave.
- 3:30-4:30 p.m. July 10, East New Orleans Regional Library, 5641 Read Blvd.
- 4:30-5:30 p.m. July 10, Central City Library, 2020 Jackson Ave.
Teens
Virtual Reality and More: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. July 9 at East New Orleans Regional Library, 5641 Read Blvd.
Explore and try out technology from the Best Buy Teen Tech Center, including a virtual reality headset and a Dato Synth for musical collaboration.
Adults
Hooping for Health and Wellness: With Hey Now Hooping, 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. July 10 at Norman Mayer Library, 3001 Gentilly Blvd.
Learn to keep the hoop spinning on your waist and other ways to move the hoop using your hands to improve core strength, flexibility, and balance.
Jane LeGros is the director of marketing and communications for the Orleans Parish Library.