Mayor Landrieu
Celebrates Opening of New Mid-City Library Location
NEW ORLEANS – Today, Mayor Mitch Landrieu and
City officials celebrated the opening of the newly-relocated Mid-City Library
(4140 Canal St.) This $200,000 investment, housed in the city’s historic landmark Automotive Life Insurance
Building, includes over 9,000 square feet of literature, entertainment and
educational opportunities for New Orleans residents.
“The Mid-City Library has an interesting story in our City’s
history being housed in a number of locations across New Orleans,” said Mayor
Mitch Landrieu. “Regardless of its physical structure, the experiences and
lessons that it creates allows it to remain a community staple, and we are
excited to celebrate this relocation. ”
This relocation brings new resources and opportunities to
Canal Street. The new two-story Mid-City branch includes a large meeting space
creating opportunity for expanded programming for the community. It also
includes a collection of over 14,800 books, audiobooks, DVDs and CDs, as well
as a larger children's room, a dedicated teen space and a Spanish-language
collection.
District A Councilmember Susan Guidry said, “The
Mid-City Library has been an asset in District A since it opened in 2007. I
could not imagine it shutting its doors forever, due to lease issues. It was
important to me for us to assist them in finding a permanent home. I am glad
that they are now in a building that fits their needs and the needs of the
community.”
In June 2007, the Mid-City Library opened in a North
Carrollton Avenue retail complex as a temporary location until the Smith and
Keller Libraries opened. However, the great response of the community to this
new library resulted in the creation of a permanent location.
In February 2011, the Mid-City Library moved to the American
Can Building on Orleans Avenue, where it was housed before its relocation
today.
Executive Director of the New Orleans Public Library
Charles Brown said, “We are so pleased that the Library will continue its
service to the Mid-City neighborhood, now in a larger location with convenient
access to both public transportation and parking. Having a public library in
such a beautiful, classic mid-20th century building, in such a
highly visible location on Canal Street is a wonderful statement to the City's
commitment to its libraries which provide the community with access to
educational and entertainment resources.”
The Mid-City Library is open Monday–Thursday from 10 a.m.–8 p.m. and
Friday–Saturday
10 a.m.–5
p.m.
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