New Gretna Library Opening
New Facility Replaces Building Destroyed by Hurricane Katrina
The Gretna community will have a first-class library when the new Gretna Library opens Wednesday, March 17, at 10a.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 102 Willow Drive in Gretna. The new library was completely rebuilt on the site of the old facility, which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
The new Gretna Library is bigger and better than before. The new building is more than 5,800 sq. ft. – almost twice as big as the old facility (3,000 sq. ft.). It has a 1,000-square-foot meeting room that accommodates 58 people. The collection of 15,000 items includes 7,200 items from the temporary facility donated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2007.
The new library is high-tech. It has 10 public access computers (compared to four in the old facility), with shared seating for 16 people. There is also free wireless internet and 27 spots for library users to plug in their laptops.
The new design is comfortable and invites library users to sit down and stay awhile. The library has study tables and lounge seating for 35 people. Two booths are set aside especially for teens. Hurricane Katrina ripped the roof off of the old Gretna Library in August 2005, ruining the entire collection. In October 2007, a temporary facility opened in the library’s parking lot thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the LYRASIS Gulf Coast Libraries Project. The Foundation also provided new materials, computers, furnishings, and funds for staff salaries. Other organizations donated money for the new library, including the Green County Public Library (Xenia, OH), Round Rock Public Library (Round Rock, TX), Atlanta Public Library (Atlanta, TX), and St. Phillips United Methodist Church (Round Rock, TX).
The new Gretna Library follows the recent opening of the Lafitte Library on March 4, 2010, along with ongoing renovations at Terrytown Library and the West Bank Regional Library.
For more information, contact Lon Dickerson with the Jefferson Parish Library Department at 504-838-1100.
