Shreve Memorial Library is excited to bring music, fun and learning to library branches in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month Friday, September 15 through Sunday, October 15. Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated throughout the United States and recognizes the many contributions of Hispanic Americans to American history and culture. Shreve Memorial Library branches will host a variety of programs and events during September and October for all ages as part of its Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, including arts and crafts, storytimes, game days, music and more. All programs are free and open to the public. Registration may be required to attend certain programs.
Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. It was first observed in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, Shreve Memorial Library branches will offer a variety of programs highlighting famous Hispanic Americans and their contributions to literature, art and music. Many Shreve Memorial Library branches will host special Hispanic Heritage Month storytime programs for children and families, while other branches, such as the Higginbotham-Bryson Branch, will host book club discussions featuring bestselling Hispanic authors for adults. The Higginbotham-Bryson Branch’s “Rather Be Reading Book Club” will read The Wind Knows My Name by author Isabel Allende on Tuesday, September 12 at 5:00 p.m. at the branch, located at 9359 Greenwood Road in Greenwood.
Drop-in storytime programs, featuring children’s stories by Hispanic authors, will be held at the Oil City Branch, 102 Allen Street in Oil City, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and at the Blanchard Branch, 344 Alexander Street in Blanchard, on Tuesdays through Fridays during normal business hours. Additionally, the Belcher-Wyche Branch, 409 Charles Street in Belcher, will host Hispanic Heritage Month storytimes each Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Other Hispanic Heritage Month storytime programs are scheduled as follows:
- Friday, September 15 at 12:00 p.m. at the Mooringsport Branch, 603 Latimer Street, Mooringsport
- Tuesday, September 19 at 10:30 a.m. at the North Shreveport Branch, 4844 North Market Street
- Wednesday, September 20 at 10:00 a.m. at the Wallette Branch, 363 Hearne Avenue
- Thursday, September 21 at 4:30 p.m. at the West Shreveport Branch, 4380 Pines Road
- Friday, September 29 at 12:00 p.m. at the Mooringsport Branch.
- Thursday, October 5 at 10:00 a.m. at the David Raines Branch, 2855 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
- Wednesday, October 11 at 10:00 a.m. at the Broadmoor Branch, 1212 Captain Shreve Drive
Several Shreve Memorial Library branches will offer arts and crafts programs, allowing patrons to be creative and have fun while learning about Hispanic art, culture and history. Patrons will have an opportunity to learn about and make their own piece of Hispanic folk art at the Hosston, Atkins and North Shreveport Branches. The Hosston Branch will teach patrons to make Hojalata art, a unique method called the “poor man’s silver,” while the North Shreveport Branch will host a folk art painting workshop for adults. Both the Atkins and North Shreveport Branches will also host workshops highlighting painted pottery. Additionally, the West Shreveport and Atkins Branches will explain the importance of Ojo de Dios (God’s Eye) in Hispanic culture at crafts workshops, and children will be able to make their own piñatas and paper stars at the Belcher-Wyche, Cedar Grove-Line Avenue, and Hamilton/South Caddo Branches. A schedule of upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month arts and crafts workshops is included below.
- Friday, September 15 at 3:30 p.m. – Hojalata Art at the Hosston Branch, 15478 U.S. Highway 71, Hosston
- Friday, September 15 at 4:30 p.m. – Ojo De Dios at the West Shreveport Branch
- Tuesday, September 19 at 10:00 a.m. – Talavera Flower Pots at the Atkins Branch, 3704 Greenwood Road
- Wednesday, September 20 at 3:00 p.m. – Hispanic Heritage Month Crafts at the Atkins Branch
- Wednesday, September 20 at 4:30 p.m. – God’s Eyes at the Atkins Branch
- Monday, September 25 at 3:30 p.m. – Teen Time: Hispanic Heritage Month at the Hamilton/South Caddo Branch, 2111 Bert Kouns Industrial Loop
- Tuesday, September 26 at 4:00 p.m. – Hispanic Heritage Month Painted Pots at the North Shreveport Branch. Registration is required. Call 318-674-8172 to sign up.
- Tuesday, September 26 at 4:30 p.m. – Teen Tuesday: Hispanic Heritage Month Mini Piñatas at the Cedar Grove-Line Avenue Branch, 8303 Line Avenue
- Tuesday, September 26 at 5:00 p.m. – Hispanic Heritage Month Piñata at the Belcher-Wyche Branch
- Thursday, September 28 at 10:00 a.m. – Art Escape: Mexican Folk Art Painting at the North Shreveport Branch. Registration is required. Call 318-674-8172 to sign up.
Additional arts and crafts programs will also take place in October.
Several Shreve Memorial Library branches will host programs designed for those who enjoy family-friendly movies, great music, good food and lots of fun. Several library branches will host movie screenings of popular films based on Hispanic culture and featuring Hispanic characters. Library patrons can watch Westside Story at the Mooretown Branch, 4360 Hollywood Avenue, on Wednesday, September 16 at 1:00 p.m., Dora and the Lost City of Gold at the West Shreveport Branch on Tuesday, October 3 at 4:30 p.m., and Coco at the Atkins Branch on Wednesday, October 11 at 4:30 p.m. Plus, several Shreve Memorial Library branches will host screenings of the film, Encanto, on the dates and times below.
- Tuesday, September 19 at 1:00 p.m. at the Rodessa Branch, 10093 Main Street, Rodessa
- Wednesday, September 27 at 3:30 p.m. at the Mooretown Branch
- Saturday, September 30 at 3:30 p.m. at the Hamilton/South Caddo Branch
- Monday, October 2 at 4:00 p.m. at the Cedar Grove-Line Avenue Branch
Hispanic Heritage Month programs will also include food demonstrations, music appreciation, game play, and Spanish language classes. The Gilliam Branch, located at 12797 Main Street in Gilliam, will host a no cook salsa and chips demonstration on Thursday, September 21 at 2:00 p.m., and the Wallette Branch, 363 Hearne Avenue, will host a homemade pico de gallo demonstration on Wednesday, October 11 at 11:00 a.m. Patrons at the Hollywood/Union Avenue Branch, 2105 Hollywood Avenue, will have an opportunity to enjoy Hispanic music while doing chair exercises and competing in music trivia on Thursday, September 21 at 1:00 p.m., and adults at the David Raines Branch will move and groove to the sounds of Latin music on Friday, October 6 at 11:00 a.m. Children can also learn about Hispanic culture through game play at the Hollywood/Union Avenue Branch on Monday, September 18 at 4:30 p.m. and at the Broadmoor Branch on Wednesday, September 27 at 4:30 p.m. At the Cedar Grove-Line Avenue Branch, adults can play games such as lotería and dominoes on Friday, September 29 at 10:30 a.m. and learn to speak Spanish each Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
All programs are free and open to the public. Registration may be required.