Places of Greater Baton Rouge Years in Business: 86 Years EAST BATON ROUGE LIBRARY Director: Katrina Stokes PHOTO CREDIT: BUTTERFLIES OF HOPE PHOTOGRAPHY
Y our East Baton Rouge Parish Library has delivered library services to families in the parish since 1939. Since secur- ing consistent funding through the passage of a dedicated property tax in 1986, the Library has carefully and in tentionally executed a Strategic/Capital Improvements Plan to ensure that residents of the parish have convenient access to library resources and services seven days a week. The Library has also created a robust Digital Library to augment all of its physical collections, ser- vices, and programs, so that patrons can take full advantage of all the Library has to offer 24/7.
with their needs within our community, and provide a safe environ- ment for families to visit and spend time together.
What do you enjoy the most about having the library in our area?
I believe that having libraries in our area is one of the most prized assets in our parish and community. I thoroughly enjoy the opportu- nities the library provides for us to interact with community members and families, partner with dedicated organizations, and make a differ- ence in the literacy growth of our community’s youth. What’s next for the library? The library is always looking to the future and how we can continue to meet the needs of our ever-changing community. We strive to contin- uously improve our technology, our resources, and most of all, adapt to best serve the needs of our patrons. Do you have any advice for new business owners? New business owners can visit our Small Business Services staff for assistance in getting their venture off the ground through valuable re- sources that we have curated, helpful and patient staff, and hours that allow for small business owners to easily find assistance without taking too much time away from their budding businesses.
Services Provided • Free Library Cards • Print and Online Materials Available for Checkout • Free Programming • Reading Challenges & Early Literacy Programs • Job Search Assistance • Employment Preparation • Small Business Assistance • In-person and Online Resources How do you make it a point to put families first?
Helping families is very important to us. We create and host various types of programming for families, help families in finding assistance
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Faces & Places ® | Winter 2026 65
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