| Lafayette
Public Library Timeline |
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1897
-- The "Women's Literary Club establishes a fund for the first
lending library that serves until 1917.
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1932
-- "Les Vingt Quatre Club" (The 24 Club) starts a library
for juveniles during the Great Depression era. This library consists
of 50 volumes on a bookcase located in the Parish courthouse. Operating
hours are limited to two hours on Saturdays.
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1942
-- Lafayette Municipal Library is founded by the state as a potential
"demonstration library" to be regulated by government in Baton
Rouge, LA.
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1946 -- Old Southside School building is new space for state-funded parish library. Lucille Arceneaux is chosen as the first parish librarian and holds the post for 36 years. The state delivers 11,148 books. Doors open August 6. Circulation swells to over 76,000.
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1953 -- The parish library expands to include ten branch locations, maintains a bookmobile program, and boasts a collection of over 38,000 volumes. The first stand-alone public library building is constructed on land at the corner of Lee and Main streets. It opens March 29. |
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1963
-- Celebrating 10 years at the Lee and Main street location, the library's
collection now includes magazines, film and audio records. The book
collection reaches 70,000 volumes. The operating budget is into the
six-figure range.
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| 1970 -- The Lafayette Public Library trades the Lee and Main Street building for the present site at 301 W. Congress Street. Construction on the 3-story, 63,000 sq. ft. building commences. | |
| 1973 -- The new, modern public library opens January 29. The new library is later awarded the 1974 Louisiana Architects Association's Excellence in Design Award. | |
| 1979 -- The Friends of the Lafayette Public Library is established to support the library and to raise community awareness of library tax issues. The Friends go on to become an indispensable asset to the continued growth of the library, sponsoring many of the library's programs and hosting the semiannual book sale. | ||
| 1982 -- Lucille Arceneaux retires as Library Director after 36 years. Sonya M. Branch becomes the library's second director. Ms. Branch institutes many innovative programs including school, teen, and prison outreach programs. She also started the Young Adult department. | |
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1993 -- The Lafayette Public Library Foundation becomes incorporated. The organization was founded to attract and receive contributions to improve Lafayette's library system. |
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1996
-- April 16th: Library initiates an online public access catalog. May
1st: The library is fully automated, including circulation and dial-up
access to the online public access catalog. The card catalog is retired.
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1998--
January: Sonya Branch retires after 16 years of service. February: Ms. Gail Dyer Smith begins tenure as the 3rd Director of Libraries. Grant received from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation allows free public access computing at all library locations. The library offers free access to mega-databases for library patrons for the first time. |
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1999 -- The Butler Branch Library located in the Martin Luther King Center, undergoes renovations. Improvements include the development of an early childhood development enrichment center. | |
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2001 -- Chenier Center Branch Library opens in November. | |
| 2002 -- Voters in Lafayette Parish pass a $40 million bond issue for major library expansion . | ||
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2003 -- Southside Branch Library grand opening for the 6,600 sq. ft. full-service facility in Time Plaza Shopping Center. |
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2004
-- Youngsville Branch Library relocates to
a 2,500 sq. ft. full-service facility in Twin Oaks Plaza.
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2005
-- In
January,
Sona J. Dombourian is appointed the 4th Director of Libraries.
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A groundbreaking ceremony is held in October for the system's first regional facility, the North Regional Library located in Carencro, Louisiana | |
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2007
-- In February, Lafayette citizens celebrated another groundbreaking...this time for the future South Regional Library. |
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In
September, the 12,564 sq. ft. North Regional Library opens in Carencro, Louisiana |
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2009
-- In April, the 37,600 sq. ft. South Regional Library opened for service at 6101 Johnston Street. |
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2010
-- Renovation of the Main Library is scheduled to begin. East and West Regional architects should be selected and planning should begin shortly thereafter. |
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| 2012
-- Main Library renovations are scheduled for completion. |
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| Construction of the East Regional and West Regional Libraries should begin | ||
| 2013
-- Construction of the East Regional and West Regional Libraries is scheduled for completion. |
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