Library briefs

Identity theft and your credit

Come learn what you can do to protect yourself and your financial future at a timely and financially essential seminar held at the Ascension Parish Library in Donaldsonville. During the program you explore how to obtain a copy of your credit report and credit score, how to repair discrepancies, and why keeping these accurate can save you money.

Understand that no personal financial information is requested during the course of the program; this is an educational program designed to increase one’s knowledge of financial issues. 

Sheri Fair of the LSU Ag-Center, Cooperative Extension Service offers this seminar on March 31, at 6:30 p.m.  It is free and open to the public, but please register in advance by calling the library at 473-8052.

Learn flood safety and property protection measures

Who do you call when you have a drainage problem?  How do you find out what the current river stage is near your home?  What do you need to do before and after a flood to protect your family and property? Learn to solve these and many more water related problems at the annual Flood Awareness Program held at Ascension Parish Library in Galvez at 6:30 p.m., on Tuesday, April 7.  Dietmar Rietschier, Director of the Amite River Basin Commission, along with speakers from national, state and parish agencies will be there to answer your questions and cover topics of importance to property owners in our parish.  To register please call the library at 622-3339.

Free small business consulting offered

Ascension Parish Library offers free small business consulting on the second Monday of each month at the library in Galvez, 40300 Hwy. 42, Prairieville. Persons wanting to start or improve a small business receive a private, two-hour consultation designed to provide professional help in areas of business planning, financing, marketing, and accounting.     

This service is sponsored by Ascension Parish Library and is a partnership program with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, and the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southern University and A & M College – Baton Rouge. All services are free and confidential. To schedule an appointment call the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at 922-0998.

SCORE Offers Free Counseling

Ascension Parish Library and SCORE, Baton Rouge offer free, on-site counseling in Ascension Parish for new business start-ups and mentoring for existing businesses.  Counseling sessions are held the first Tuesday morning and third Tuesday afternoon each month by appointment at the library in Gonzales.

SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), a nonprofit Association and a resource partner of the Small Business Administration, is dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide.

Counselors are active or retired business owners and executives with extensive experience, who follow the steps on ?How to Start and Manage a Successful Business?.  This includes help on the Business Plan, Financial Forecast, Marketing & Sales, Legal and Accounting suggestions, Business Insurance needs, and the Bank Loan Package preparation.  SCORE counselors follow a strict code of ethics and confidentiality.

To learn more visit the SCORE WEB SITE AT www.scorebr.org.  To schedule a counseling appointment, call (225) 381-7130 or toll-free (877) 381-7130 and specify that you want to meet at the Ascension Parish Library in Gonzales.