Monroe Public Library opened on May 8, 1916
It would become the Ouachita Parish Public Library System in 1940.
MONROE, La. (KNOE) - The first public library in Ouachita Parish, the Monroe Public Library opened on May 8, 1916.
The first mention of a library was in 1884 when Mrs. Louisa Lamy McGuire included her late husband’s law office on Wood Street and his law books to be used as a public library. A Public Library Association was established.
In 1915, members of the Civic League of Monroe asked members to join a committee to establish a library for a fee of $2.50 each. Judge A.A. Gunby found Mrs. McGuire’s will with the bequest.
The building was repaired and books were donated. Alice Gillam was hired as the first librarian and the Monroe Public Library opened with 731 books.
By 1920 the Library had outgrown its one-room building. In January 1921 the library moved to the Jackson Street home donated by Anna Ruth Meyer. In September 1940 it became the Ouachita Parish Public Library.
The West Monroe Branch opened on Wood Street in West Monroe in 1941. In 1948 the Bookmobile was added. By Spring 2011 the Ouachita Parish Public Library System had grown to include 10 branches.
Today the Ouachita Parish Public Library System is one of the largest in Louisiana with annual circulation of more than one million items. The next move will be into its new Main Branch set to open in mid 2026.
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