Jefferson Parish Library (JPL) is the library system of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. It has its headquarters in the East Bank Regional Library in Metairie, an unincorporated area in the parish. [1] [2]
Jefferson Parish Library (JPL) is the library system of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. It has its headquarters in the East Bank Regional Library in Metairie, an unincorporated area in the parish. [1] [2]
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Digested from a paper written by Cathy Gontar[ who? ] in 1998[ citation needed ]
Jefferson Parish, a long, narrow strip of land in southeastern Louisiana, stretches from the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain to Grand Isle on the Gulf of Mexico. Adjacent to Orleans and Plaquemines Parishes on the east and St. Charles and Lafourche Parishes on the west, it was named after President Thomas Jefferson, who was responsible for the Louisiana Purchase.
The police jury of Jefferson Parish passed a resolution of library establishment in 1946, and the first public library was opened November 30, 1949.
Branches were opened in major cities and towns. At first, none of the original library buildings were owned by the parish. The headquarters and Gretna Branch were originally at Huey P. Long and Fourth Streets on the West Bank, but later moved to Lafayette Street, and second to Second Street. The Gretna Branch in 1968 was moved out of the headquarters building on Second Street to its current location on Willow Drive. The Metairie, Jefferson, Kenner, Harahan, Marrero, Gretna, and Westwego branches were all opened in December 1949. The first Lafitte Branch opened in the town firehouse, and moved in 1982 to its present location on Highway 45. The one-room Grand Isle Branch opened in January 1950.
The Harahan Branch, built in 1955, is the oldest parish library in operation. The Wagner Branch, named for former Parish Librarian Charles Wagner, opened in 1964. The headquarters building on Causeway Boulevard opened in 1967, with closed stacks. The Grand Isle Branch, destroyed by Hurricane Betsy in 1965, was rebuilt in 1970. The Terrytown Branch on the west bank opened in 1974, and was the largest library in the system until the Belle Terre Branch was built in 1981. The Live Oak Library was built on the unexcavated ruins of the Live Oak Plantation in the early 1980s.
The Rosedale Library on Jefferson Highway was completed in 1987. North Kenner Branch, opened in 1985, became the largest parish library, superseded only by the Old Metairie Branch, which was completed in 1988. West Bank Regional was built and opened in 1990, upon the recommendations of HBW Associates of Dallas, a library consultant firm that did a detailed study of the library system in 1983.
The new Westwego Library opened in 1995, and is the largest branch on the west bank, and fourth largest in the library system. The Lakeshore Branch, located near historical Bucktown, was opened in 1995 as well. The new flagship library of the system is the new East Bank Regional, opened in 1997 with 100,000 feet of public space and a collection of 300,000 volumes.
The Marrero Branch, in a rented building on the west bank and which was recommended for closing by the 1983 library study, closed in 1997. In 1997, when library administration attempted to close the Kenner Library, housed in a small storefront on Williams Boulevard, it was opposed by members of the Jefferson Parish Council. The Kenner Library closed August 1, 1998.
A bookmobile was provided by the State Library, and by 1952 there were 3 bookmobiles, one for each side of the river and one for "colored" service. This service continued until the late 60's when the library began phasing out its 5 bookmobiles. The last two bookmobiles were replaced in 1986 by vans used by current outreach services, serving nursing homes, daycare centers, and qualified homebound individuals on both banks of the river.
The library's catalog and many other internet functions were automated in the late 1980s, and the branches first went on-line in 1990. Public microcomputers were also added for public use in the 90s.
Over the past several years, Hurricanes Gustav, Katrina and Rita extensively damaged several of the libraries:
Belle Terre Library: Hurricane Katrina damaged more than 50% of the library, requiring extensive renovations. East Bank Regional Library: Minor water damage and wind damage on roof from Hurricane Katrina. Grand Isle Library: Severe damage from Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav, requiring it to be rebuilt. Gretna Library: Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav damaged 70% of the library, requiring it to be rebuilt. Harahan Library: Minor damage from Hurricane Katrina, requiring moderate restoration. Lafitte Library: Moderate damage from Hurricane Katrina but was badly damaged by Hurricane Rita, requiring it to be rebuilt. Lakeshore Library: Hurricane Katrina damaged 70% of the library, requiring it to be rebuilt. Live Oak Library: Hurricanes Katrina and Rita damaged 33% of the library, requiring extensive renovations. North Kenner Library: Some damage during Hurricane Katrina and damage to 33% of the library from Hurricane Rita, requiring extensive renovations. Old Metairie Library: Hurricane Katrina damaged 15% of the library, requiring modest restoration. Rosedale Library: Virtually no damage from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Terrytown Library: Hurricane Katrina damaged 20% of the library, requiring moderate restoration. Wagner Library: Hurricane Katrina damaged 40% of the library, requiring extensive renovations. West Bank Regional Library: Hurricanes Katrina and Rita damaged 35% of the library, requiring extensive renovations. Westwego Library: Hurricane Katrina damaged 33% of the library, requiring extensive renovations. Revised: October 2008
For more information about the current status of the Library, view the Director's Status Report here.
East Bank:
West Bank:
Jefferson Parish is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 440,781. Its parish seat is Gretna, its largest community is Metairie, and its largest incorporated city is Kenner. Jefferson Parish is included in the Greater New Orleans area.
Bridge City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It was established in the 1930s during the construction of the Huey P. Long Bridge over the Mississippi River. The town is located on the south side of the river. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner metropolitan statistical area.
Elmwood is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, within the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner metropolitan statistical area. The population was 4,635 at the 2010 census, and 5,649 in 2020. Elmwood was part of neighboring Jefferson's census area from 1960 to 1990. The ZIP Code serving Elmwood is 70123.
Gretna is the second-largest city in, and parish seat of, Jefferson Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Gretna lies on the west bank of the Mississippi River, just east and across the river from uptown New Orleans. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner metropolitan statistical area. The population was 17,814 at the 2020 U.S. census.
Harvey is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. Harvey is on the south side of the Mississippi River, within the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner metropolitan statistical area. The majority-minority population was 20,348 at the 2010 census, down from 22,226 at the 2000 census. The 2020 census determined 22,236 people lived in the CDP.
Jean Lafitte is a town on Bayou Barataria in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located in Jefferson Parish, it is named after the privateer Jean Lafitte. The population was 1,809 at the 2020 census. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner metropolitan statistical area.
Lafitte is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 972 at the 2010 census, and 816 in 2019. In 2020, its population increased to 1,014 people. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner metropolitan statistical area. Lafitte is located at the southern end of Louisiana Highway 45 along Bayou Barataria, and fishing is a major part of the local economy and culture.
Marrero is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. Marrero is on the south side of the Mississippi River, within the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner metropolitan statistical area. The population was 32,382 at the 2020 U.S. census.
Metairie is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and is part of the New Orleans metropolitan area. With a population of 143,507 in 2020, Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish and was the fifth-largest CDP in the United States. It is an unincorporated area that would have been Louisiana's fourth-largest city behind Shreveport if incorporated.
River Ridge is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 13,591 in 2020.
Terrytown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is on the "Westbank" of the Mississippi River. It is a suburb within the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner metropolitan statistical area. The population was 23,319 at the 2010 census, and 25,278 in 2020.
Waggaman is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. Waggaman is on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, within the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner metropolitan statistical area. The population was 9,835 at the 2020 census. The area was named for U.S. Senator George Augustus Waggaman (1782–1843).
The New Orleans metropolitan area, designated the New Orleans–Metairie metropolitan statistical area by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, or simply Greater New Orleans, is a metropolitan statistical area designated by the United States Census Bureau encompassing eight Louisiana parishes—the equivalent of counties in other U.S. states—centered on the city of New Orleans. The population of Greater New Orleans was 1,271,845 in 2020, up from 1,189,166 at the 2010 United States census. Greater New Orleans is the most populous metropolitan area in Louisiana, and the 45th most populous in the United States. According to 2017 census estimates, the broader New Orleans–Metairie–Hammond combined statistical area (CSA) had a population of 1,510,562.
Harry Lee was the long-time sheriff of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. He was first elected in 1979 as the thirtieth sheriff, and was re-elected six times, having served twenty-eight years and six months.
Grace King High School was a public high school located in Metairie, unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It was a part of the Jefferson Parish Public Schools and served portions of Metairie and Kenner.
Jefferson Parish Public Schools is a school district based in Harvey in unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. The district operates all district public schools in Jefferson Parish. As of 2019 it had 50,582 students, making it the largest public school system in the state.
Oakwood Center is a major shopping mall in Terrytown, Louisiana, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River in the New Orleans metropolitan area. It was originally named "Oakwood Mall", and some signage and local usage continue to call it that. It is geographically in Terrytown, but the mailing address is adjacent Gretna, Louisiana. The anchor stores are Dick's Sporting Goods, Old Navy, Shoe Dept. Encore, JCPenney, and Dillard's. There is 1 vacant anchor store that was once Sears.
Riverdale High School is a public secondary school in Jefferson, unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is a part of the Jefferson Parish Public Schools.
West Jefferson High School, also known as WJHS, and West Jeff is a public high school located in Harvey in unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, just outside New Orleans. It was founded in 1955. This is one of the schools in Jefferson Parish that offered the Laptop one to one initiative program. West Jefferson also offers transportation for students to and from school for free. This is a Title I school The school was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
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