The Tim Burton movie night utilized the small meeting room with projector, but most fans of the movie maker were familiar enough with the feature, they could concentrate on making the crafts developed by the library staff as an activity for 20-Somethings.

Finding friends just became easier

During the past nine months, the answers most often given when young adults have been asked, “what do you do for fun,” have been “go to Lafayette” or “hang out with my friends.”

Sami Sion Haggood, community relations coordinator for the Iberia Parish Library system, asked a similar question to fellow staffers.

“Wouldn’t it be great to meet new people in a nice space, a safe place in Iberia Parish for our age group?” Haggood said. “A bar attracts one crowd, a church another, but somewhere in between is everyone else. The library can meet the needs of all of these people.”

In September a new “social club” was launched through a series of activities at the Iberia Parish Library. Young adults ages 20-something, both single and married, have started gathering on Tuesday nights for a variety of activities designed to facilitate building bonds of friendship through common interests.

Only one month into the programs, Haggood said, they have had new people every week. Starting new things at the library comes easier for Haggood than they might for someone from the outside. He worked part time rotating through the library branches for five years beginning his senior year at New Iberia Senior High.

Like others in his 2009 graduating class, Haggood left the Teche Area for college. He was ready to leave New Iberia permanently until he worked for a year back in the city and began to get to know its beauty.

Haggood said his mission at the library is to put something back into the community. The idea is not original. He said “Ms. Reaux,” a principal at NISH taught him the philosophy, “the more you invest yourself in school, the better your experience will be.” He said that applies to everything, especially his community.

“Everybody my age is just so ready to leave, me too. I was ‘done’ with Iberia Parish and I was trying to leave,” Haggood said. “I thought, what is there to ‘do’ in New Iberia, what is there for ‘me’ in Iberia Parish? Then, I realized, what did I do for the city?”

Haggood said it was like living in a bedroom your whole life but never cleaning it.

“One day you say ‘this room is so messy, I’m leaving it,’ instead of realizing the room just needs to be cleaned,” he said. “I was expecting a city that I’ve never respected, never put stock into or given any care about, to do something for me?”

Then Haggood found the more he invested in the community the more he fell in love with New Iberia.

Trying new things is part of the approach for Haggood and the library leadership. They are listening to patrons and responding by seeking new and different kinds of activities. During October the 20-Somethings played board games and had a Tim Burton movie night with crafts.

On Tuesday night, a murder mystery will be enacted with the theme “Alice In Wonderland.” One of the people who helped inspire the club will be the white rabbit.

Alex Manuel, 24, a Westgate High School graduate, was instrumental in motivating action by the staff. He became friends with Haggood during their years at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Manuel was attending an activity at the library during the summer and made the comment “y’all need to do this for adults.” Other 20-somethings told Haggood the same thing.

“We do this stuff year-round for adults, children and teens,” Haggood said, “but they really noticed when we singled out the 20-somethings. The library has existed for this purpose all the time.”

Manuel said he was happy to be involved and hopes to see an increase in participation. At the time Manuel would come to New Iberia to visit friends and family, but recently has found a job in his field of interest. With full-time employment in his hometown, Manuel is now commuting back to New Iberia. It’s easy to stay longer and hang out at the library.

The activities are not restricted to the main branch of the library but include adult events throughout the system and in the community. In the coming weeks, the 20-Something Club will venture out to KK’s Café and Cakery on Main Street for a cooking demonstration. November 19 they will meet at Mulligan’s Irish Pub.

Similar to the Cookbook Club at St. Peter’s, Haggood hopes to expand the interests of individuals through these “edu-tainment” events, entertainment that is also helping people to grow.

“I’m taking the 20-something club to the cookbook club, it’s always existed. We’re going to crash a lot of parties,” Haggood said. “They say to me, ‘You guys do this all the time?’ ‘Yes, and more.’ ”

To increase participation, Haggood and all the library team members are listening to what people want to do and are creating programs to meet those needs.

“We just did this 20-something board game night and then the 30-somethings wanted to do it. We knew of some teens that had a bunch of friends that had board games, so we decided to do an all-ages, board game night. We’re starting something new for all adult ages.”

The first board game night for adults of all ages is the first Tuesday in November. The library will have two board games set up, but depending on the number of people in attendance, and their interests, or if anyone happens to bring another type of game, the possibilities are endless.

“We want to give people of choice of what to play,” Haggood said. “We want to expose people to new games but also offer familiar ones.”

Around Parish for All Adults

The goal of the 20-Something Club and the adult activities is to get groups of people together “in town,” using “in town” resources, sponsored by someone who cares, Haggood said.

“We’re an entity that cares about you and whether you are happy living in this community. That’s the point. That’s the whole point.”

He said each library has staff with unique interests and therefore some of the events planned accentuate those interests. All of the gatherings function as a means for people to better themselves, to introduce them to new things and new people, Haggood said.

“Why wouldn’t we do a fishing workshop for adults,” he said, “or a bike trail for adults? We do it for children all the time.”

For example, the manager at St. Peter’s is interested in catering. That’s the branch that has the “Out of the Kitchen” Cookbook Book Club. Like other book clubs, a published work is selected, this time it is a cookbook. Members read and discuss the book but with fringe benefits. Members usually find a recipe they want to try and prepare it for the group. Everyone shares in the experiment.

One of the members, Darnelle Delcambre, found her category-winning recipe for the Cajun Creole Cookbook competition through reading a new cookbook at the club. She made a few changes to the original recipe, entered and won in the Meat Category. Her experience with the Cookbook Club was written about in 2015 The Daily Iberian Cajun Co-op Cookbook.

Lydia’s manager is a fitness junkie, she is about health and wellness, Haggood said, so they started a walking club. He is working on a bike trail as part of giving the patrons what they want.

“We’re seeing brand new people every week. I’m happy about that,” he said. “Some of them are in college or work and they can’t make it every week, several are returning and bringing their friends from Lafayette. With rebranding the types of activities the library has always offered, suddenly, a new audience is activated.”

Brittany LeBouef, 24, also has been attending the weekly meetings but with a four year old at home, her husband stays home to let her have a night out. Haggood is working on a solution for couples with children.

On Dec. 4, another murder mystery will take place in the library after hours for adults of all ages. The clues to solve the murder revolve around a house falling on a witch and a young girl named Dorothy is taking the blame. Is she really responsible or is there more to the story?

“Since we close earlier on Friday, we will have the whole library,” said Haggood. “It’s quiet, it’s dark and we will decorate the little meeting room with access everywhere.”

Visit the calendar on website iberia.evanced.info/signup to see upcoming events to join the adult activities.