Bossier Parish Libraries

Annie Gilmer, Community Engagement Librarian   

For this week’s column I had a hard time settling on a single topic, and so readers will (hopefully) get to enjoy fun facts about a variety of unofficial holidays.

We’ll kick it off with World UFO Day, which is celebrated on July 2nd. I admit I included this one because the date makes for a perfect excuse to break out either one of the Independence Day movies and combine this holiday with your July 4th celebrations. The reason the holiday is celebrated on July 2nd is because it was on this day, in 1947, that rancher, Mac Brazel, discovered the wreckage of a metallic object on his ranch and contacted the military to investigate. Thus, a fervor for unidentified flying objects, the possibility of alien life, and more was sparked and continues still.

Continuing with the vague connections to July 4th, you can celebrate International Chicken Wing Day on July 1st. Or celebrate a few days late and add them to your weekend celebrations, as they are a perfect addition to the menu for parties, game nights, and more. There are plenty of local restaurants that will provide you with wing platters, or you can break out your own recipes and wow your guests with these spicy, sweet, savory, or zesty appetizers. There are even vegetarian and vegan options for those who can’t eat meat.

And finally, I’ll wrap up with National Anisette Day, celebrated on July 2nd, to offer a cocktail or dessert addition to any celebrations. Anisette is a liqueur derived from aniseed, which is from the anis herb and tastes like licorice or fennel. This liqueur is popular in Spain, Italy, Portugal, and France, but you can also find it here in the United States. If you’re not a fan of licorice-flavored cocktails, or alcohol in general, anise cookies are a treat. You can also snag a bag of black jelly beans and enjoy your sweet licorice treat that way.

As always, check out our catalog for movies, cookbooks, and more to help you get ready to celebrate any of these holidays or any others you may have come across yourself! As a reminder, all library locations will be closed Friday, July 3rd and Saturday, July 4th for the holiday.

Questions? Email us at: [email protected] 
 
Website: https://www.bossierlibrary.org/ 
 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bossierlibrary 
 
Library Hours: 
Central
Monday – Thursday, 9:00am – 8:00pm 
Friday, 9:00am – 6:00pm 
Saturday, 9:00am – 5:00pm 
Benton 
Monday – Thursday, 9:00am – 7:00pm 
Friday, 9:00am – 6:00pm 
Saturday, 10:00am – 2:00pm 
Haughton 
Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 6:00pm 
Saturday, 10:00am – 2:00pm 
Aulds/East 80/Plain Dealing/Tooke 
Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 6:00pm 
History Center
Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday, by appointment
 
Library Locations: 
Aulds Branch 
318.742.2337 
 
Benton Branch 
318.965.2751 
 
Central Library 
318.746.1693 
 
East 80 Branch 
318.949.2665 
 
Haughton Branch 
318.949.0196 
 
History Center 
318.746.7717 
 
Plain Dealing Branch 
318.326.4233 
 
Tooke Branch 
318.987.3915 
 
New & Coming Soon: 
Bashir Boutros and the Forgotten Realm: Bashir Boutros, Book 2 by George Jreije (Children’s Fiction; Book)
Father Material: London Calling, Book 3 by Alexis Hall (Fiction; Book, eBook, eAudiobook)
First-Time Fostering: A Practical Guide for Supporting Kids in Foster Care by Laura, the foster parent partner (Non-Fiction; Book, eBook)
Ghalen: A Romance in Black by Walter Mosley (Fiction; Book)
John of John: A Novel by Douglas Stuart (Fiction; Book, eBook, eAudiobook)
Marion: A Novel by Leah Rowan (Fiction; Book, eBook, eAudiobook)
Palaces of the Crow: A Novel by Ray Nayler (Fiction; Book)
Returns and Exchanges: A Novel by Kayla Rae Whitaker (Fiction; Book, eBook, eAudiobook)
Shim Jung Takes the Dive by Julia Riew (Children’s Fiction; Book)
Three Queens by Rebecca Connolly (Fiction; Book, eBook, eAudiobook)
The Unicorn Hunters: A Novel by Katherine Arden (Fiction; Book, eBook)