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HELLO, I'M DAVID JOHNSON, AND WELCOME TO THIS INAUGURAL EPISODE OF JP 200, CELEBRATING THE BICENTENNIAL OF JEFFERSON PARISH.I AM THE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND ENGAGEMENTS AT THE JEFFERSON PARISH LIBRARY, AND JOINING ME TODAY IS DR.
HE IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN ITALIAN COLLECTION, WHICH IS LOCATED AT THE EAST, UH, EAST BANK READING LIBRARY, A COLLEAGUE OF MINE, AND JUST THIS LAST YEAR, 2024 JEFFERSON PARISH LIBRARY, MARK.
SO WE HAVE MANY REASONS TO CELEBRATE, UH, THE BICENTENNIAL PLUS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBRARY.
AND TODAY WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS THE HISTORY OF THE JEFFERSON PARISH LIBRARY AND HOW THAT SYSTEM GREW ALONG WITH THE PARISH, PARTICULARLY IN THE POST-WAR YEARS.
AND WE'RE GONNA START, UH, NOT AT THE BEGINNING OF DEPTHS PARISH'S HISTORY IN 1825.
WE'RE GONNA FAST FORWARD, UH, TO THE 1930S.
UH, WE'RE GONNA START SEEING AT THE, IN THAT ERA HOW JEFFERSON PARISH BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE PHENOMENAL GROWTH.
AND WITH THAT GROWTH, OF COURSE, WAS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LIBRARY SYSTEM, WHICH AGAIN, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.
AND AL, I'LL LET YOU START BY DESCRIBING WHAT WAS THE, UM, KIND OF THE SCENE THAT WAS SETTING UP THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LIBRARY SYSTEM IN THE PARISH.
WELL, WELL, JEFFERSON PARISH WAS ALWAYS AN OUTLIER.
IN FACT, UH, METRIE IS A CORRUPTION OF THE FRENCH WORD FOR SHARECROPPER.
SO WE WERE AN AGRICULTURAL PARISH THAT WAS, UH, A FEEDER TO ALL THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF ORLEANS PARISH.
AND, UH, SO IN THE 1940 CENSUS, WE, YOU CLICKED IN AT LIKE 50,000 PEOPLE, AND 70% OF THAT WAS IN METAIRIE.
MOST OF THE PARISH WAS AGRICULTURAL HEARTLAND.
BUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS, IS, UM, UH, WITH WORLD WAR II, AFTER WORLD WAR II AND THE BOYS CAME HOME, WHAT HAPPENED WAS, WAS, UH, THE, ALL THE DYNAMICS SHIFTED.
WE HAD, UH, HIGHER INCOMES, WE HAD LONGER LIFESPANS, LARGER FAMILIES WITH THE GI BILL.
WE HAD EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
ALSO, THE GI BILL PROVIDED, UH, UH, MORTGAGES.
YOU COULD GET YOUR FIRST MORTGAGE, UH, THROUGH THE WAR DEPARTMENT AND AT VERY GREAT TERMS. AND THEN OUT HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH, UH, THE LAND WAS VERY INEXPENSIVE, AND THINGS LIKE LAND ASSEMBLY WERE PERFECTLY FINE.
THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF, UH, OF, UH, BUREAUCRATIC PAPERWORK OR OBSTACLES TO, UH, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZING A, A SUBDIVISION.
AND, UH, AND SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS, WAS, UH, THE PARISH REALLY STARTED TO GROW.
AND THERE WAS LIKE LOWER CRIME RATES AND JUST ALL SORTS OF, UH, DYNAMIC FORCES THAT WERE LIKE, COME HERE TO JEFFERSON PARISH.
SO, UH, THE 1950 CENSUS, WE'RE UP TO 104,000 1960 CENSUS.
AND THE 1970 CENSUS WE'RE AT 339,000.
AND IT'S INTERESTING, IN THE 80 CENSUS, WE HIT 455,000.
AND TODAY IN THE 2020 CENSUS, WE'RE AT 441,000.
SO WE SORT OF PLATEAUED, AND IT'S KIND OF, WE'RE IN THIS HOLDING, DEMOGRAPHIC HOLDING PATTERN, IF YOU WILL, NOW.
BUT, UH, SO YEAH, THE PARISH JUST GREW BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS AND SO, AND YEAH, AND, AND MOST SOCIETALLY, AND THIS IS WHEN YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE BEGINNINGS OF THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE SUBURBAN SUBDIVISIONS.
AND EVERYBODY HAS A YARD, IT HAS TREES AND, UH, AND CARS ARE AFFORDABLE AND GASOLINE IS CHEAP.
AND YEAH, WAR OF MANY MAJOR AMERICAN CITIES HAVE STARTED TO DETERIORATE, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE WARTIME YEARS WHEN THERE WERE SHORTAGES.
AND AFTER THE WAR, YOU KNOW, A FRESH NEW START.
OH, MOST CERTAINLY, UH, KIND OF AN EMPIRE.
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LOOKING FOR, UH, GREENER PASTURES.IT'S A LOT OF THIS AREA WAS LITERALLY PASTURE.
AND, AND, AND THE, YEAH, AND THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK ROSE TO ME.
I MEAN, WE ALREADY HAD, UM, UH, AIRLINE HIGHWAY AND JEFFERSON HIGHWAY, UH, WHICH ACTUALLY IT'S INTERESTING.
JEFFERSON HIGHWAY STARTS IN CALGARY, CANADA AND ENDS IN LIKE DOWNTOWN AND THE CBD, WHICH IS KIND OF INTERESTING.
BUT, UH, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS, IS THIS IS, AND DURING THIS PERIOD, WE'LL SEE THOSE ARTERIES REALLY GROW, BUT THEN ALSO, UH, IN THE EARLY FIFTIES, WE WILL FUND AND BUILD, UH, VETERANS MEMORIAL HIGHWAY, WHICH IS WRITTEN OUT.
IT'S A BOULEVARD OF COURSE, BUT BY THEN IT WAS A HIGHWAY.
BUT THEN WE'LL HAVE, UH, I 10 COME THROUGH, AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE GOING TO SEE, UM, THE CAUSEWAY CORRIDOR AND, UH, THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS BRIDGE.
AND, AND THIS IS ALL BY LIKE 1960.
AND SO THE, THE LAND IS THERE, THE PEOPLE ARE MOVING IN, UH, THE, THE BUSINESSES ARE PUTTING DOWN ROOTS, AND IT'S PRETTY EASY TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B BY A ROAD NETWORK.
AND, UH, AND, AND IN CONSEQUENCE, IT'S GOING TO ALLOW JEFFERSON PARISH TO REALLY BLOSSOM.
OF COURSE, THOSE ARE THE YEARS OF THE BEATTY BOOMS. ABSOLUTELY.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT IS USUALLY A NECESSITY IN CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH IS, IS A PUBLIC LIBRARY.
UH, ESPECIALLY IN AN ERA WHEN BOOKS AND ALL INFORMATION WAS PRETTY MUCH STORED SOLELY AT THESE CIVIC INSTITUTIONS.
SO TELL ME ABOUT THE FIRST LIBRARY THAT OPENED, OR WHERE WAS IT AND WHAT WERE THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO IT? RIGHT.
WELL, THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE IT WAS NOT HIGH ON MOST PEOPLE'S LISTS BACK IN 1944, AND HE WAS A GOOD GOVERNOR, BUT SAM JONES, ACTUALLY, THEY CALL HIM THE CIVICS TEXTBOOK GOVERNOR.
AND HE WAS PRETTY GOOD, BUT HE, HE CAME WITH AN HAIRS BREATH OF VETOING, UH, LIBRARY FUNDS.
AND THEN HE WAS REMINDED THAT WE WERE 48 OUT OF 48TH IN TERMS OF LITERACY.
AND SO WE, BUT TWO YEARS LATER, GOVERNOR DAVIS DID VETO LIBRARY FUNDS.
SO,
BUT WHAT'LL HAPPEN IS, IS, UH, WE WILL GET THE FUNDING.
AND THAT'S, SO WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IS, IS WE'RE GONNA SEE, UH, THAT'S WHY NOVEMBER 30TH, 1949 IS OUR 75TH ANNIVERSARY, BECAUSE THAT WILL BE WHEN WE GET OUR FIRST BRANCH OPEN.
AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IS, IS, UH, IT'S OVER ON, UH, IT'S IN, UH, GRETNA, UH, AT, UH, HUEY LONG AND FOURTH AVENUE.
AND IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING.
THE FIRST BRANCH WAS THE, WAS THE LIBRARY, AND IT WAS ALSO THE HEADQUARTERS.
AND IT, THE LIBRARY SHARED A BUILDING WITH CARLOS MARCELLO, WHO, AND THIS IS WHERE HIS PEOPLE COUNTED ALL THE SLOT MACHINE MONEY.
SO THERE'S A REALLY GREAT IMAGE OF THESE PRIM AND PROPER LIBRARIANS WALKING PAST TABLES OF NICKELS AND DIMES AND QUARTERS TO GO DO THEIR JOB AND OPEN UP SHOPS.
BUT, UH, BUT WHAT WHAT THEY DID WAS, WAS REALLY BRILLIANT.
AND, AND, AND WE DID, THEY DID HAVE THE FUNDS FOR IT WAS THEY OPENED UP A, A, A WHOLE SERIES, WHAT THEY CALLED DEMONSTRATION LIBRARIES.
AND WHAT WE DID WAS, WAS THEY, WELL, I WASN'T BORN YET, BUT WHAT THEY DID WAS, WAS THEY, UH, THEY RENTED OUT SPACE IN A STRIP MALL OR A CONVENIENT BUILDING, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, AT THE HAHAN BRANCH WAS ACTUALLY IN CITY HALL AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THEY WOULD RENT OUT A, A BUILDING A OFFICE SPACE AND OPEN UP A BRANCH.
AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S CALLED A DEMONSTRATION BRANCH.
UH, FOUR HOURS ON WEEKDAYS, TWO HOURS ON SUNDAY, CLOSED SATURDAY, CLOSED ON SUNDAYS.
AND THE IDEA WAS SORT OF LIKE, GIVE EVERYBODY A TASTE OF HAVING A PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM.
AND SO WHAT'S HAPPENED IS IT'S REALLY AMAZING.
SO THE FIRST BRANCH OPENS THERE IN, UH, UH, GRETNA.
AND NOVEMBER 30TH, THE VERY NEXT DAY, THEY OPENED A BRANCH ON MET ROAD, AND THEN LIKE, AND THEN DECEMBER 5TH AND SIXTH AND SEVENTH, AND THEY OPENED UP BRANCH AFTER BRANCH.
THEY OPENED UP, UM, UM, THE JEFFERSON BRANCH AND THE KENNER BRANCH.
AND, UM, THEY, UH, THEY ALSO OPENED UP THE, IT WAS CALLED THE, UH, OH, I, PLEASE, I HAVE TO CHEAT.
IT WAS CALLED THE WEBSTER CARVER LIBRARY, WHICH IS NOW THE ROSEDALE BRANCH.
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CALLED THE COLORED LIBRARY, BECAUSE OF COURSE, THIS IS 1949.AND, UH, A AND THEN, AND, AND THEY OPENED UP ALL THESE BRANCHES AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THEN, UH, AND THAT WAS, AND THEN IN BEGINNING OF 50, UH, IN JANUARY, THEY OPENED UP A, UH, A BRANCH ON GRAND ISLE.
AND THEN IN FEBRUARY OF 50 OPENED UP A, THE SECOND COLORED LIBRARY ON THE WEST BANK, UH, CALLED, UH, UH, WALKERTOWN.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS, BUT THEY DID ALL THIS, THEY OPENED UP LIKE 10 BRANCHES IN THE SPACE OF TWO MONTHS AND GOT THEM ALL UP AND RUNNING AT THE SAME TIME.
AND, UH, AND LET EVERYBODY KNOW HOW, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, IN 1953, BOOKMOBILES, AND THEY WENT AROUND TO EVERY SCHOOL, THEY MADE A STOP AT EVERY, UH, JEFFERSON PARISH PUBLIC SCHOOL ONCE A WEEK.
AND THEY HAD, UH, ONE FOR THE WEST BANK, ONE FOR THE EAST BANK, AND THEN ONE FOR THE TWO COLORED BRANCHES.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE DIVIDING LINE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE JIM CROW REALITY IS PART OF THE LIBRARY'S HISTORY ALSO.
BUT THEY HAD IT ALL FIGURED OUT, AND THEY PUT IT ALL INTO PLACE IN A MATTER OF MONTHS.
AND THAT'S, UH, AND FROM NOTHING.
I MEAN, THEY, WE, WE HAD NOTHING.
AND THEN THEY PUT IT ALL ON THE MAP AT ONCE.
AND OBVIOUSLY, THESE PROVED TO BE VERY POPULAR.
YOU KNOW, YOU DEMONSTRATION LIBRARY, YOU STARTED TO ATTEND THEM.
THEY WERE, UH, BECAME A PART OF THE FABRIC OF THE COMMUNITY.
UH, TELL ME ABOUT SOME OF THE EARLY, UH, PEOPLE WHO WERE INFLUENTIAL IN, UH, FOUNDING OF THIS.
WELL, THE, THE, THE, THE MAIN PERSON WHO REALLY STANDS OUT WAS, UH, OUR, OUR FIRST DIRECTOR.
HER NAME WAS, UH, BERTHA DUBINSKY HELLA, AND SHE CAME FROM CALIFORNIA, AND SHE CAME WITH, UH, A WONDERFUL RAFT OF EXPERIENCE AND HER EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND.
AND SHE WAS OUR DIRECTOR FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS, AND FROM 49 TO 52.
AND SHE DID A REALLY SPLENDID JOB.
SHE WAS VERY, UH, AWARE OF THE FINANCIAL REALITIES IN WHICH SHE HAD TO, TO, TO OPERATE.
AND IN FACT, SHE EVEN, UH, SHE WAS, SHE WAS KNOWN TO BE VERY, UH, VERY GOOD AT, IN TERMS OF DIPLOMACY WITH THE LIBRARY BOARD.
AND THAT, UH, SHE WAS, UH, QUITE A, UH, A GOOD COOK.
AND SHE WOULD COOK GOURMET MEALS FOR THE LIBRARY BOARD WHEN SHE WAS TRYING TO WEED A LITTLE EXTRA MONEY OUT OF, AND THE RECORD HAS IT THAT SHE WAS NEVER TURNED DOWN
BUT, BUT, AND SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS IT'S JUST SORT OF, UH, AND FROM THERE, IT'S JUST, UH, SHE GETS IT LAUNCHED.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS YEAH, THAT, THAT SORT OF, THAT, YOU KNOW, FIRST TASTE IS FREE KIND OF THING, BUT IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG WITHIN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS.
WHAT YOU START SEEING HAPPENING IS, IS, WELL, THE BIG BREAKTHROUGH IS, IS THAT THE VOTERS DO APPROVE MILLAGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE STATE FINDS THIS MONEY, BUT THE, WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH START VOTING FOR IT TOO.
AND SO WHAT YOU SEE IS THAT WITHIN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS IS, UH, WE START BUILDING DEDICATED BUILDINGS, UH, FACILITIES FOR A LIBRARY BRANCH, AND WE MOVE OUT OF THE STOREFRONT, WE MOVE OUT OF THE RENTAL PROPERTY, AND, AND WE OPEN UP A, A REAL LIBRARY WITH REAL HOURS.
AND, AND, AND ONCE THAT PROCESS STARTS, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PHASING THE, THE, THE TEMPORARY LOCATIONS OUT ONE BY ONE AS THE BUDGET ALLOWS.
SO EVENTUALLY WHEN YOU GET, LIKE IN 1959, UH, LAFITTE BAR, TERRY LAFITTE GETS ITS PUB FIRST PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND IT'S A DEDICATED RIGHT THERE, BOOM.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, NONE OF THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, HALFWAY, YOU KNOW, COMPROMISE SITUATION.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, RIGHT OUTTA THE GATE AND JUST GO FROM THERE.
SO IT WAS THAT SORT OF, THE, THE, THE TRANSITION WORKED REALLY, REALLY WELL IN THAT RESPECT.
AND OBVIOUSLY THROUGH SUPREME COURT RULINGS AND CULTURAL CHANGE, THE LIBRARIES WERE INTEGRATED.
THE FIRST TWO LIBRARIES WERE 49 AND 50, AND THEY WERE AGAIN, UH, WEBSTER CARVER, UH, IN KENNER AND, WELL, ROSEDALE ISS IN KENNER, CORRECT? OR IS IT JEFFERS, IS IT HARRY? OKAY.
SO MY, SOMETIMES THEY GET KIND OF FUZZY WITH SOME, YEAH.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WALKERTOWN WAS ON IN MARRERO.
AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS, WAS, UH, AND THEN
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ACTUALLY, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING, IN 59, THEY HAD THE, IT'S CALLED THE, THE, THE HARLEM READING ROOM, WHICH WAS, UH, A, A STREET CALLED HARLEM, WHICH WAS, UH, WHERE NOW WEST NAPOLEON AND CAUSEWAY MEET.BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THAT WAS, WAS IN 54, THE SUPREME COURT DECISION OF BROWN VERSUS THE PIKA BOARD OF EDUCATION RULED UNANIMOUSLY THAT SEPARATE BUT EQUAL WAS INHERENTLY UNEQUAL.
BUT OF COURSE, REMEMBER THE SUPREME COURT SAID, UH, DESEGREGATE WITH ALL DELIBERATE SPEED, WELL, WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL? AND THEN OF COURSE, SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS REALLY DUG IN.
THEY DID THE, THEY HAD THE, UM, DECLARATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES, AND THEN THEY HAD THIS, UH, UH, THEY HAD THIS, UM, CONSIDERED EFFORT THAT THEY CALLED, UH, MASSIVE RESISTANCE, SO PROTESTS, LAWSUITS, UH, UH, BOYCOTTS AND, AND SO FORTH AND SO FORTH.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS THAT YOU HAVE THE DECISION IN 54, AND IN 59 WE'RE OPENING UP ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, BRANCH FOR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COLORED LIBRARY SYSTEM.
OH, THEY HAD THEIR OWN SEPARATE LIBRARY CARDS, AND THERE WAS NO, THERE WAS NO BACK AND FORTH THOSE, THOSE CARDS.
YOUR CARD WAS GOOD THERE, AND THEIR CARD WAS GOOD THERE, AND THAT, AND IT WAS REALLY DIVIDED.
AND, UH, WHAT WILL REALLY BREAK IT OPEN IS, IS, UH, THE 1964 CIVIL RIGHTS ACT.
AND THEN THAT'S WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAID, YOU HAVE TO DESEGREGATE.
AND SO THIS IS WHERE YOU SEE THE, THE REAL UPSURGE IN THE SIT-INS AND THE WAIT INS AND THE SWIM INS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND SO, UM, YOUNG, ESPECIALLY YOUNG BLACK PEOPLE WERE COMING INTO THE WHITE LIBRARIES TO SIT DOWN AND READ.
AND, AND THERE WAS NEVER ANY VIOLENCE.
THERE WAS NEVER, YOU KNOW, NOBODY EVER DISAPPEARED OR WAS BEATEN OR WHATEVER, BUT THE POLICE WOULD BE CALLED, AND THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WOULD BE ARRESTED AND TAKEN OFF AND BE PROCESSED.
AND THIS GENERATED A, UH, ANOTHER LAWSUIT THAT BECAME KNOWN AS, UH, A SUPREME COURT CASE IN 66 CALLED BROWN VERSUS LOUISIANA.
AND AT THIS TIME, THERE WAS FIVE TO FOUR, WASN'T NINE TO ZERO, WHICH IS INTERESTING, BUT A FIVE TO FOUR VOTE, THE SUPREME COURT SAID THAT HAVING ACCESS TO BOOKS IS JUST A CIVIL RIGHT.
YOU CAN'T HAVE A DESEGREGATED SYSTEM.
AND IN THAT 66, AND, AND THEN BY 69, WE HAD DISSOLVED THE SEGREGATED SYSTEM.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS, WAS THE, THE COLORED BRANCHES WERE, WELL, LIKE I SAID, THE, YOU KNOW, THE WEBSTER CARVER IS, IS RENAMED AND REPURPOSED, BUT LIKE THE HARLEM READING ROOM, ITS COLLECTION WAS REASSIGNED ELSEWHERE.
THE PERSONNEL WERE REASSIGNED ELSEWHERE, AND THAT FACILITY WAS CLOSED.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED WITH WALKERTOWN, BUT, UM, BUT SO, SO BY 69, UH, THE SYSTEM IS FULLY INTEGRATED.
AND BY 69, OF COURSE, JEFFERSON HARRIS HAD REALLY SOLIDIFIED ITSELF AS A STRONG SUBURBAN ENTITY.
THAT KIND OF BRINGS US MORE INTO THE MODERN ERA.
SO WHERE DID YOU GO FROM THERE? I MEAN, WE, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION REPORT, RIGHT, RIGHT.
WELL, THE, UH, THE, FOR THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, AS WE GO INTO THE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF POSTMODERN, WHICH IS ALWAYS AN INTERESTING TERM, THE POSTMODERN ERA, UH, THE, FOR THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, THE FIRST BIG MOMENT WAS IN 59 WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THAT, UH, THE LIBRARY WOULD NOW BE PART OF THE DEPARTMENT OF, UH, WHAT IS THE DEPARTMENT, UH, RECREATION.
AND, AND THE PROBLEM WITH THAT WAS, WAS THAT PUT THE LIBRARY BOARD AT THE MERCY OF PEOPLE ABOVE THEM AND SHARED BUDGETS AND TRYING TO GET THEIR PIECE OF THE PIE, IF YOU WILL, AND SO FORTH AND SO FORTH.
AND IT MADE FOR A FAIRLY DIFFICULT STRETCH FOR THE LIBRARY.
LIKE I SAID, WE ARE STILL BUILDING THESE NEW FACILITIES.
UM, THE, ONE OF THE BIG BREAKTHROUGHS FOR THEM WAS IN 67, I BELIEVE IT WAS, WAS THE, UM, THE BUILDING ON CAUSEWAY THAT BECAME, IT WAS, AND IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING, THE, THAT WAS ORIGINALLY JUST SUPPOSED TO BE AN ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING, A HEADQUARTERS FOR THE WHOLE LIBRARY SYSTEM, BUT IT WAS SO POPULAR, AND THE LOCATION WAS SO, UH, CONVENIENT THAT THE LIBRARY SYSTEM THEY ACTUALLY BUILT, PUT IN THEIR OWN LIBRARY.
THEY TURNED PART OF THE BUILDING INTO A LENDING LIBRARY BECAUSE IT BENEFITED THE PUBLIC, AND IT WAS HIGHLY TRAFFICKED, WHICH WAS REALLY KIND OF NEAT.
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I THINK IT WAS THE, THEY FUNDED A STUDY ABOUT GROWTH, AND ACTUALLY THIS WAS ACTUALLY $10,000 WELL SPENT.AND THE PEOPLE THAT ADVISED THE LIBRARY GAVE THEM GOOD ADVICE, AND, UH, THEY GAVE THEM A BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE.
85, THE FRIENDS OF THE JEFFERSON PARISH LIBRARY CAME AROUND, WHICH IS REALLY NEAT.
UM, 86, WE STOPPED THE BOOKMOBILES, BUT WE NOW HAVE THESE OUTREACH VANS THAT GO TO SHUT-INS AND, UM, LIKE RETIREMENT HOMES AND, YOU KNOW, AND PLAY PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND EVERYTHING, WHICH I THINK IS VERY NICE.
AND, UH, UH, THEN I GUESS THE, THE BIG DEAL WAS, WAS IN 97 WHEN THEY, UH, THEY BUILD, UH, EAST BANK REGIONAL.
AND THEY CLOSED THE, THE BRANCH ON CAUSEWAY.
AND, AND OF COURSE, THAT'S NOW THE FLAGSHIP.
I MEAN, IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF BOOKS AND, AND MAGAZINES AND PATRONAGE AREA, AND 50,000 FOR ADMINIS SQUARE FEET OF ADMINISTRATIVE SPACE, AND 300,000 VOLUMES.
AND WE'RE, IT'S LIKE 40% OF THE WHOLE COLLECTION AND THE SPECIAL COLLECTION
THERE'S THE, THE KINDA SOME INTERESTING ARCHITECTURE ALONG THE WAY.
SO, UH, THE LAKE SHORE LIBRARY, RIGHT.
IT'S, WHICH IS FAIRLY NEW AND A VERY MODERN YES.
DESIGN, BUT, UH, PREVIOUSLY IT WAS, UH, LITTLE MORE STATE.
WELL, THAT WAS THE, THAT WAS THE LAST MAY BEFORE EAST BANK REGIONAL IN 97.
AND, UH, THERE'S A, THERE'S PICTURES OF IT, AND IT, IT LOOKS LIKE A VERY, VERY UNINVITING LUTHERAN CHURCH
UH, BUT THAT PLACE WAS, UH, JUST DONE IN BY KATRINA, UH, THAT TOOK MASSIVE DAMAGE.
SO NOW THE, WHICH I, I PERSONALLY THINK, AND THERE'S SOME VERY LOVELY BRANCHES OUT THERE.
I MEAN, LIVE OAK AND THE HARAHAN, EAST BANK REGIONAL ITSELF, THERE'S SOME VERY LOVELY BUILDINGS OUT THERE, BUT I THINK THAT THE, THE LAKE SHORE BRANCHES, UH, PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, ATTRACTIVE, VERY, VERY NICELY DONE ARCHITECTURE.
AND SO THAT'S THE, THE, THE MAJOR ONE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE BRANCHES ARE REALLY, UH, THEY'RE, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY HANDSOME BUILDINGS AND OR IN SOME CASES, THEY'RE JUST VERY, THEY'VE BEEN THERE A LONG TIME, THEY'VE SOLDIERED ON, AND THEY HAVE A CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, SORT OF LIKE, THEY'VE JUST BECOME SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST, THEY HAVE A CERTAIN, UM, UH, APPEAL TO THEM THAT, UH, I THINK, I THINK SHOWS THROUGH A LOT TOO.
COURAGE, ALL THE VIEWERS TO VISIT ALL YES.
OF THE JEFFERSON PARISH LIBRARY, SOON TO BE 17TH BRANCH IN AVONDALE.
THEY HAVE A LOVELY BRANCH IN GRAND ISLE.
I'M ALSO A BIG FAN OF LATHES, WHICH HAS AN INCREDIBLE WALL OF WINDOWS THAT WAS RIGHT OUT INTO THE YP SWAMP.
UH, YOU ALMOST FEEL LIKE AN ALLIGATOR CENTER
AND MAN, IF THE RAIN, IF IT RAINS ENOUGH, IT PROBABLY WILL
SO, BUT YES, IT'S, UH, IT'S A VERY, UM, IT'S A VERY WELL RUN ORGANIZATION, AND THEY, IN THE, THE BUILDINGS, YEAH.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THAT, YOU KNOW, BRUTALIST NONSENSE.
ONE, WHAT REGIONAL HAS AN INTERESTING SERIES OF SMALL COURTYARDS, UH, UH, AIR, AIR, WINDOWS, UH, UH, THAT ARE DECORATIVE AND, AND SUCH, UH, PLACES THAT YOU CAN NOT, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, READ A BOOK, BUT LOOK UP AND ENJOY THE SETTING.
WELL, YEAH, IN FACT, AND, AND SOME OF THE AREAS ARE EVEN OPEN FOR PEOPLE TO EAT AND DRINK, WHICH IS REALLY NICE.
ALL WE NEED NOW IS A FIRST CLASS COFFEE SHOP, AND WE'LL BE ALL SET
I, WE WOULD SAY THAT THE LIBRARY HAS REDEFINED ITSELF IN MANY WAYS OVER THE YEARS.
OF COURSE, WHEN IT FIRST OPENED, THEY WERE LARGELY REPOSITORIES FOR BOOKS, UH, WHEN BOOKS WERE LESS COMMON, CERTAINLY WELL BEFORE THE INTERNET.
BUT NOW WE HAVE, UH, SERVICES MANY PEOPLE MIGHT NOT EVEN THINK OF.
WE HAVE A LIBRARY OF THINGS THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO COME IN AND CHECK OUT COOKWARE.
YOU CAN BRING HOME AN AIR FRYER OR A KITCHENAID MIXER, UH, ANYTHING YOU MIGHT NEED AND THROW THAT BIG PARTY, EVEN A CRAWFISH BOILING POT, UH, AS WELL AS RECREATIONAL ITEMS, ITEMS FOR CHILDREN, AGAIN, LIBRARY OF
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THINGS, WHICH IS A, A RELATIVELY NEW INITIATIVE.WE ALSO HAVE AN EXPERIENCED PASS PROGRAM WHERE YOU CAN COME IN AND GET LIMITED, UH, NUMBERS OF TICKETS TO CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE CITY, LIKE THE NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ARTS, OR THE WORLD WAR II MUSEUM, THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION, THE LIGHTHOUSE AT WEST INN, WHICH IS OPERATED BY THE PUNCH TRAIN FOUNDATION, AND, UH, SELECT PERFORMANCES AT THE JEFFERSON PERFORMING ARTS SOCIETY.
UM, AN INCREDIBLE ARRAY OF AUDIO BOOKS, MANY, MANY DIGITAL APPS.
EVERYTHING FROM PRE STREAMING MOVIES ON CANOPY AUDIO BOOKS ON HOOPLA, MORE THAN 2 MILLION SONGS ON FRUGAL, OUR MUSIC STREAMING APP, UH, AUTO REPAIR, UH, SERVICES FOR VETERANS THROUGH VET NOW LIVE HOMEWORK TUTORING, UH, ON I BELIEVE TWO APPS.
YOU JUST HAVE TO GO TO OUR WEBSITES@JPLIBRARY.NET AND YOU'LL SEE THE FULL ARRAY.
BUT OF COURSE, WE ALSO WANT YOU TO COME IN THE DOORS AND VISIT US.
OUR TWO REGIONAL BRANCHES, THE WEST BANK REGIONAL AND THE ACE BANK REGIONAL ARE OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
THE OTHERS ARE OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK.
AGAIN, YOU CAN FIND ALL THE HOURS AT OUR WEBSITE.
SO, CY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PERHAPS WRAPPING THINGS UP, UM, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE, THE, THE VISION OF THE FUTURE OR, UH, BUILDING OUR PAST? WELL, IT'S A, WOW, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION AND, AND NICE AND NARROW SO I CAN ANSWER IT QUICKLY NOW.
UH, IT IS, I WOULD SAY THAT IT'S, UH, I LIKE THE OUTREACH, THE CONCEPT OF THE OUTREACH.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF TRYING TO BRING AS MUCH, UH, UTILITY AND USE AND ENGAGEMENT AND EVEN ENJOYMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND TO BRING MORE PATRONS IN FOR ALL.
I MEAN, ON TOP OF ALL THE SERVICES, I, I REALLY, UH, APPRECIATE ALL THE EVENTS THAT WE HOST, UH, THINGS FOR, FOR KIDS AND FOR THE TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS, FOR THE RETIRED CROWD, FOR THE JIGSAW PUZZLERS, AND THE BOARD GAMERS, AND THE MAHJONG AND THE LECTURES.
AND I JUST THINK THAT, UH, WE EVEN HAD A, WE EVEN HAD A, A, A SWIFTY PALOOZA, RIGHT.
YOU SEE, AND, AND I JUST THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST OVERALL, UH, THAT'S WHAT I THINK THE FUTURE IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, COME FROM THE BOOKS AND, YOU KNOW, AND STAY FOR THE EVENT.
AND, UH, I THINK THE LIBRARY, I THINK WE'RE, WE ARE ALREADY DOING THAT, AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING AND, AND, AND, AND ACCOMPLISHING EVEN MORE IN, IN THAT ENDEAVOR AS TIME GOES ON.
YES, AS WE LIKE TO SAY, WE'RE ABOUT COLLECTIONS, BUT WE'RE ALSO ABOUT CONNECTIONS.
AND WE ENCOURAGE EVERY RESIDENT OF JEFFERSON PARISH TO COME AND GET A FREE LIBRARY CARD AND TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE SERVICES, ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER, UH, YEAR ROUND.
AND WITH THAT, WE, UH, AGAIN, ARE THRILLED TO BE CELEBRATING 75 YEARS IN SERVICE AND AS A INTEGRAL PART OF THE BICENTENNIAL OF JEFFERSON PARISH.