We’ll begin the month of March with some fun, free events at the main library. Monday, March 4^th @ 10:30 am, the main library will host an ADULT BINGO! It’s going to be fun and we’ll have lots of prizes!Come early to grab a good seat. On Tuesday, March 5^th, after our usual French Talk at 1pm we will host another weekly Coffee Talk @ 2 pm. Please get the word out! Wednesday, March 6^th, we will host another Chair Exercise event! These events are fun and free to the public. On Saturday, March 9^th @ 11 am, we will host a unique program hosted by Miss Acadiana USA, Anna Steckler and Nutritionist, Gourmet Chef and Author, Charmaine Dupre. They will demonstrate how to make nutritional dinners under $10 by buying all of your ingredients from dollar stores!

We now have an Infinity Game Table at four of our libraries: Basile, Chataignier, Mamou and Pine Prairie! These games tables offer hours of fun playing digital games for ALL ages. With over 50 games inside of each table, lots of fun awaits! Here are a few titles – Kids: Candy Land, Checkers, Chicken Wrangle, Chutes & Ladders, Color Create and Connect 4.  Teens: Clue, Chess, Battle Ship, Sorry, Find It and Monopoly to name a few. Adults: Solitaire, Scrabble, Yahtzee, Puzzle Play and what’s the Word.  We are looking forward to getting one for Turkey Creek and the main library before Summer Reading programs begin!

EARLY NOTICE: (1) Monday, March 11^th @ 4 pm, the library Board of Control will meet. An agenda will be posted. (2) Our Spring Library Fest is slated for Saturday, May 4, 2024. Please The deadline for submitting vendor participation forms for all types of participants is April 19, 2024. Contact Keishia Ford or any employee of the library for more information.This is a FREE family fun event and is a way for the Library to say Thank You to its patrons and to show support for local cooks, artists, performers, authors and civic organizations!

Visit the Facebook page of your favorite library branch to see information about programs unique to them. Also, visit our website www.evangelinelibrary.org for updates. You can always call the main library @ 337-363-1369 or send an email to [email protected] for more information and never forget that libraries do change lives…. even in the cloud! Suzy Lemoine.

The main library and all branches will be CLOSED Monday, February 19th in recognition of Presidents’ Day. Regular hours resume on Tuesday. 

 Even though Mardi Gras has come and gone, the main library in Ville Platte continues to offer folks an opportunity to see and, perhaps take a photo with, a unique and authentic New Orleans Mardi Gras costume worn by Don Deville in 2011 when he was the King of Endymion XLV! It is on temporary display in the multipurpose room of the main library.  Please share this good news.

Tuesday, February 20^th, after our regular “French Talk” program at 1 pm and then our new “Coffee Talk” program at @ 2 pm, we will host another program just for Veterans @ 3pm provided by Louisiana Hospice and Palliative Care out of Opelousas. This is a great day to come to the main library and spend the afternoon with us! 

New: Every Wednesday at 10:30 am, the main library in Ville Platte will host a “Chair Exercise” event for adults of all ages! Just bring your water bottles and we’ll provide the motivation! The other branches that offer this event are Basile, Mamou and Pine Prairie. Please check their Facebook pages for dates and times.  

EARLY NOTICE: (1) Our Spring Library Fest is slated for Saturday, May 4, 2024. Please The deadline for submitting vendor participation forms for all types of participants is April 19, 2024. Contact Keishia Ford or any employee of the library for more information.This is a FREE family fun event and is a way for the Library to say Thank You to its patrons and to show support for local cooks, artists, performers, authors and civic organizations! (2) In advance of Summer Reading, please note that this year all of the libraries around the state are REQUIRED to implement new policies regarding Act 436, initially known as SB7, which establishes a process by which people can request a review of library material accessible to minors. It also places RESTRICTIONS on certain library materials deemed ‘explicit’ by the state. This February we will be re-registering every patron from the age of 0 to 17 to get permission by the parents or guardians to make the decision to either restrict their library card check-out access or not to restrict the items that they can check out. Any questions can be answered by our staff at our main library and the branches around the parish. If parents go to their branch to re-register their child before May 1, 2024, they will get a chance to WIN A FREE KINDLE!!  

Visit the Facebook page of your favorite library branch to see information about programs unique to them. 

The Library Board of Control and staff members from around the parish wish everyone a safe and memorable Mardi Gras celebration! The Mamou branch library is the ONLY branch that will be closed on Monday and Tuesday (Feb. 12 & 13^th). The main library and all other branches will be closed only on Tuesday, Feb. 13^th in recognition of Mardi Gras. The main library in Ville Platte has been blessed with an opportunity to showcase a unique and authentic New Orleans Mardi Gras costume worn by Don Deville in 2011 as the King of Endymion XLV! You are invited to come by the multipurpose room of the library to take a look and snap a pic!  

Tuesday, February 13^th at 1 pm we will host our regular “French Table” but what is new is the “Coffee Talk” gathering that will follow at @ 2pm. Please consider joining in to socialize and perhaps try a new type of coffee. On Wednesday, February 14^th at 10:30, we will host our second “Chair Exercise” event and we hope to have a room full of folks! Please share this good news.

Reminder: In anticipation of a great amount of celebrating that will be going on all around parish for Mardi Gras, I’d like to encourage folks to consider checking out a “Litter Clean-up Kit” from the library. Patrons can use their library card to check out a kit, which includes a safety vest, grabber, a trash bag, and instructions on how to conduct the cleanup. This is a great hands-on way for families and youth groups to care for their neighborhood. The kits can be checked put for one week at a time then returned to the library. Keep Louisiana Beautiful is an anti?litter and community improvement non-profit organization focused on achieving a clean and beautiful Louisiana through education, enforcement, public awareness, and community engagement. Please join in as we prepare for the April statewide litter clean-up event!

EARLY NOTICE: (1) Our Spring Library Fest is slated for Saturday, May 4, 2024. Please The deadline for submitting vendor participation forms for all types of participants is April 19, 2024. Contact Keishia Ford or any employee of the library for more information.This is a FREE family fun event and is a way for the Library to say Thank You to its patrons and to show support for local cooks, artists, performers, authors and civic organizations! (2) In advance of Summer Reading, please note that this year all of the libraries around the state are REQUIRED to implement new policies regarding Act 436, initially known as SB7, which establishes a process by which people can request a review of library material accessible to minors. It also places RESTRICTIONS on certain library materials deemed ‘explicit’ by the state. This February we will be re-registering every patron from the age of 0 to 17 to get permission by the parents or guardians to make the decision to either restrict their library card check-out access or not to restrict the items that they can check out. We will share more information soon. Any questions can be answered by our staff at our main library and the branches around the parish. 

Visit the Facebook page of your favorite library branch to see information about programs unique to them. Also, visit our website www.evangelinelibrary.org for updates. You can always call the main library @ 337-363-1369 or send an email to [email protected] for more information and never forget that libraries do change lives…. even in the cloud! Suzy Lemoine.

Our Mamou branch library will be CLOSED on Monday, February 12th. only. The main library and all branches will be closed on Tuesday, February 13th to celebrate Mardi Gras! Be safe and have fun!

CLICK HERE FOR EVANGELINE PARISH APPOINTMENT

Appointment times: 

Saturday Feb. 10, 17  9:00 -11:45 at Ville Platte Public Library (click)

Super Tax Day March 2 (St. Landry) and March 9 (Evangeline) Locations to be announced.

What does VITA stand for?

VITA is an acronym for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance , and it offers free tax preparation utilizing volunteers who are trained by the IRS.

Who is eligible for this free service?

You may qualify for the tax prep through VITA if one (or all) of these apply to you:

• Your total household income was $60,000 or less.
• You do not receive active military pay.
• You are not a practicing clergy.
• You did not have farm income.
• You did not own a business.
• You did not have rental property income.
• You did not have income from trading stocks or bonds.
• You don’t speak English well enough to complete your taxes.
• You have a disability.

Do most people get a refund?

YES!.  

What else will help me with tax preparation?

Most people do not take advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).  We focus on the EITC because it can bring additional $1,000s extra on a refund.

What should I bring to the appointment?

• Proof of ID
• SSN Card for you, your spouse, your dependents, and/or SSN verification issued by the social security administration
• Birth dates for you, your spouse, and dependents on tax return
• Wage and earning statements from: Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, 1099-Misc from all employers
• Interest and dividend statements from banks (Form 1099)
• A copy of last year’s federal and state returns, if available
• Proof of bank account routing number and account numbers for Direct Deposit, such as a blank check
• If applicable, the total paid for daycare and the daycare provider’s tax identification number