🇺🇸🎆 Celebrate America, Honor Veterans, and Join Us This July! 🎆🇺🇸

This summer, the Rapides Parish Library is proud to celebrate our nation's history, honor those who served, and welcome our community to three special Bronze Braille American Flag Dedication Ceremonies... across Rapides Parish. ❤️🤍💙

As we continue celebrating Independence Day and prepare for America's 250th Anniversary (1776–2026), these unique monuments serve as a powerful reminder of the freedoms we cherish and the sacrifices made to protect them.

⭐ Featuring raised stars and stripes that can be experienced through touch
📖 The Pledge of Allegiance presented in Braille
🎖️ Honoring blind and visually impaired veterans
🤝 Promoting accessibility, inclusion, and community awareness

📍 Dedication Ceremony Schedule

🏛️ Martin Library
📅 July 16
⏰ 10:00 AM

🏛️ Libuse Branch
📅 July 17
⏰ 2:00 PM

🏛️ Westside Regional Library
📅 July 20
⏰ 6:00 PM

These installations honor the legacy of the Blinded Veterans Association and recognize the courage, service, and advocacy of veterans who lost their sight during or following military service. Their efforts helped create greater opportunities for blind veterans across the nation and continue to inspire generations today.

🎆 Celebrate America's story
🇺🇸 Honor our veterans
⭐ Experience this remarkable monument
🤝 Connect with your community
🍪 Enjoy refreshments following each dedication

Whether you're a veteran, history enthusiast, supporter of accessibility initiatives, or simply proud to celebrate our nation's heritage, we invite you to join us for this meaningful occasion.

Together, let's commemorate America's past, celebrate its future, and honor those who helped make both possible. ❤️🤍💙

#America250 #RapidesParishLibrary #BronzeBrailleAmericanFlag #HonorOurVeterans #AccessibilityForAll #CommunityCelebration #BlindVeterans #CelebrateAmerica #LouisianaLibraries #PatrioticPride 🇺🇸🎆

🇺🇸🎉 Happy Independence Day! 🎉🇺🇸

Today, America celebrates 250 years of freedom, history, and opportunity! ❤️🤍💙

From sea to shining sea, communities across the nation are coming together to celebrate our country's 250th birthday and the ideals that ...continue to unite us. 🇺🇸✨

🎆 Happy Birthday, America!
⭐ Celebrating 250 years of history
❤️ Honoring those who served
🤍 Cherishing our freedoms
💙 Looking forward to the future

As a reminder, all Rapides Parish Library locations are closed today, July 4, in observance of Independence Day.

📱 Need the library today?
🌐 Visit www.rpl.org
📚 Access your account through the RPL Mobile App
📖 Enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks
🎧 Explore digital resources anytime

Whether you're enjoying a parade, spending time with family, grilling with friends, or watching fireworks light up the night sky, we hope your day is filled with joy, celebration, and patriotic pride! 🎇🎉

From all of us at Rapides Parish Library, have a safe, happy, and memorable Fourth of July as we celebrate America 250! 🇺🇸🎂✨

#America250 #HappyBirthdayAmerica #FourthOfJuly #IndependenceDay #RapidesParishLibrary #CelebrateAmerica #RedWhiteAndBlue #PatrioticPride #LibraryAnywhere 🇺🇸🎆❤️🤍💙

📚❤️ Celebrating local stories and local talent! ❤️📚

This morning, Rapides Parish Library was honored to welcome July Author of the Month, Shannon Williams, to Westside Regional Library for a special storytime with our community.

Shannon, a talented local author from ...Alexandria, shared her stories with young readers and families while celebrating the power of books, creativity, and imagination. Her warmth, kindness, and passion for storytelling made for a wonderful morning that everyone enjoyed.

As the author of Non-Verbal, Stay or Let Go, and I Am Hannah: A Coloring Book of Beautiful Differences, Shannon continues to inspire readers of all ages through her writing and dedication to her community.

Thank you, Shannon Williams, for spending the morning with us and helping us celebrate the importance of local authors and the stories that bring us together. We are grateful you could be part of our library family today!

#RapidesParishLibrary #AuthorOfTheMonth #LocalAuthor #LouisianaAuthors #Storytime #Community #Readers 📚✨

🚐👻 Jinkies! Creative Con is coming back! 👻🚐

Rapides Parish Library's biggest fandom event of the year is returning, and this time we're taking a trip to Coolsville for a Scooby-Doo-themed Creative Con! 🐶✨

Join us at Westside Regional Library for an ...unforgettable day filled with cosplay, vendors, games, crafts, virtual reality, family activities, delicious food, and plenty of mystery-solving fun!

📍 Westside Regional Library
📅 Saturday, September 5
⏰ 9:00 AM–1:00 PM

✨ Event Highlights:

🎭 Local vendors
🎲 Cosplay Bingo
🥽 Virtual Reality
🎨 Family watercolor craft
🧣 Tie-dye bandanas with Milk and Honey
📸 Photo opportunities
🌭 Café opens at 10:30 AM

🏆 Costume Contest at Noon!

Compete for Books-A-Million Gift Cards in Kids (Under 13), Teen, and Adult categories!

👀 We're just getting started!

We'll be announcing more vendors, special guests, and exciting activities as the event gets closer, so stay tuned—there are still plenty of surprises to reveal! 🔎✨

Whether you're Team Scooby, Team Velma, or just love all things geeky and fun, you won't want to miss this year's Creative Con!

Ruh-roh... we'll see you September 5! 🐾💚

#RapidesParishLibrary #CreativeCon #ScoobyDoo #WestsideRegionalLibrary #ComicCon #Cosplay #FamilyFun #LibraryEvents #GeekCulture #LouisianaEvents 👻🚐🎭✨