Shelby is an adult programming librarian and yarn-art lover.
The new year is a time of change – starting new habits (or breaking old ones), setting goals, and embarking on new adventures. January is also National Hobby Month, so it’s the perfect time to explore a new pastime or rekindle interest in forgotten pursuits. Trying something new can be daunting, but the Library is here to help with a variety of free resources to get you started.
Creativebug offers classes taught by artists and creative experts in a wide range of subjects including art & design, sewing, knitting, crochet, food & home, and jewelry-making, among other crafty categories. Choose topics for beginners, those focused on techniques, or multi-part classes that walk you step-by-step through the creative process.
For a more social knitting or crochet experience, join the Loopy Loopers at Mid-City Library. Creativebug lessons are used alongside in-person instruction to introduce basic stitches in both crafts. Bring yarn and a hook or needles to join the fun and meet area crafters, share tips and patterns, and advance your stitching techniques.
Twenty-five different cake pan sets are now available for checkout from the Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center, so you can start baking three-tiered cake creations without investing in multiple pans.
Adult and student library card holders can borrow two sets of pans at a time for a period of three weeks. Check out a cookbook along with your pans (and maybe watch a cake decorating video on Creativebug), and you’ll be a baking star in no time.
Libby, an application you may already use for e-books and e-audiobooks, now offers additional learning and entertainment e-resources through Libby Extras. Using the Libby app, Library cardholders can access ArtistWorks for high quality instructional videos by Grammy Award-winning music professionals. Classes are offered for a variety of instruments in a variety of playing styles, including blues, bluegrass, jazz, rock, classical, and more. The database offers hundreds of hours of video instruction, from lessons for absolute beginners to advanced skills for developing musicians.
It’s no surprise that reading is a hobby well-supported by the Library, but it can be a rather solitary pursuit.
Discover new authors and share your experience with like-minded readers by joining one of the Library’s monthly book clubs. Eclectic readers will enjoy sampling a variety of literary tastes with Book Gumbo at the Rosa F. Keller Library or the West Bank Book Club at Algiers Regional Library. At Norman Mayer Library, the Urban Fiction Book Club provides a fun-filled and open-minded discussion of the hottest titles in that genre.
If you’d like to join a book club from the comfort of your own home, consider Who Dun It?, which meets virtually over ZOOM to discuss a new mystery novel each month. Book clubs are always accepting new members, so any time is a good time to join.
Did you know the Library offers free professional notary services? Veteran attorney Dara Baird is one of the certified Notary publics makes this resource possible.
Learn how to use NoveList Plus to find your next favorite book with e-Resources librarian Nancy Burvant.
The New Orleans Public Library’s City Archives & Special Collections houses hundreds of manuscripts that you can explore this summer.
