| New Orleans Public Library |
Article Index for New Orleans |
Limousines in New Orleans |
Website Links For New Orleans |
Information AboutNew Orleans Public Library |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC LIBRARY | |
| new orleans, louisiana | |
| public libraries in the united states | |
|
HISTORY The system began in 1896 as the Fisk Free and Public Library in a building on Lafayette Square. Abijah Fisk was a merchant who, over fifty years earlier, had left his house—at the corner of Iberville and Bourbon Streets—to the city for use as a library. Subsequent donations had resulted in libraries and collections not completely free and open to the citizenry. An 1896 city ordinance proposed by Mayor John Fitzpatrick combined the Fisk collection with a newer municipal library. It eventually became known as the New Orleans Public Library. A Turn-of-the-century donation of $50,000 from businessman Simon Hernsheim allowed the library to begin building a significant collection. In 1902 the city received $250,000 from Andrew Carnegie to build a new main library and three branches. By 1908 the new main library was open at Lee Circle, and branches were open on Royal Street in the French Quarter , on Pelican Avenue in Algiers and on Napoleon Avenue uptown. 1 By 2005 , NOPL had a dozen branches in addition to a newer ( 1960 ) main library on Loyola Avenue. The branches included Algiers and Napoleon, mentioned above, although renamed.2 EFFECTS OF HURRICANE KATRINA NOPL was severely impacted by Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005 . Damage to branch locations ran the gamut from two windows broken at the Cita Dennis Hubbell Branch in Algiers to complete destruction of the Martin Luther King Branch in the Lower 9th Ward . With the devastation of the city and the crippling of city government, NOPL was forced to lay off 90 percent of its employees.3 All libraries were closed for over two months. The 19 remaining staff members, when they were able to re-enter the city, began surveying damage and salvaging assets. Two branches—Hubbell and Nix (on Carrollton Avenue uptown)—re-opened with limited services (no circulation) on 31 October 2005 . Part of the Main Library also re-opened. Library administrators began looking for outside sources of funds to begin hiring additional staff. BRANCHES In 2005, the system included three regional, three major and six neighborhood branches.
EXTERNAL LINKS NOTES |
|
|