Public library systems in Louisiana
The 67 profiled public library systems in Louisiana served 4.5 million residents in FY 2024 and logged 2.50 visits and 2.55 physical checkouts per resident, which ranks 35th and 46th among the 50 states and DC. Operating spending came to $59.96 per resident (16th nationally). Local government supplied 91% of operating revenue, against 85% for all profiled systems nationwide, and the state government 1%.
The largest system is East Baton Rouge Parish Library, serving 453,022 residents; 14 systems serve 100,000 or more. At the end of the year, 57% of the state's profiled systems charged no overdue fines on print items. The most common legal form is the county library (59 systems).
Visits per resident, system by system
Each dot is one Louisiana system, grouped by the size of the population it serves; darker dots have their own profile page. The gold tick marks the national median for that size class.
The 20 largest systems
| System | City | Residents | Visits per resident | Checkouts per resident | Spending per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Baton Rouge Parish Library | Baton Rouge | 453,022 | 3.88 | 3.16 | $100.46 |
| Jefferson Parish Library | Metairie | 427,253 | 2.74 | 1.81 | $59.02 |
| New Orleans Public Library | New Orleans | 362,701 | 3.02 | 2.89 | $65.01 |
| St. Tammany Parish Library | Covington | 277,615 | 2.18 | 2.30 | $40.32 |
| Lafayette Public Library | Lafayette | 254,241 | 2.98 | 5.39 | $44.16 |
| Shreve Memorial Library | Shreveport | 224,893 | 3.07 | 2.59 | $86.91 |
| Calcasieu Parish Public Library | Lake Charles | 206,861 | 1.66 | 3.00 | $63.78 |
| Ouachita Parish Public Library | Monroe | 157,874 | 2.62 | 2.14 | $49.34 |
| Livingston Parish Library | Livingston | 152,886 | 2.08 | 2.74 | $39.80 |
| Tangipahoa Parish Library | Amite | 139,823 | 1.57 | 1.53 | $31.46 |
| Ascension Parish Library | Donaldsonville | 133,534 | 2.44 | 3.55 | $70.17 |
| Bossier Parish Library | Bossier City | 131,102 | 1.53 | 2.48 | $55.50 |
| Rapides Parish Library | Alexandria | 125,899 | 2.37 | 1.93 | $54.69 |
| Terrebonne Parish Library | Houma | 103,864 | 2.40 | 1.77 | $60.71 |
| Lafourche Parish Public Library | Thibodaux | 95,342 | 4.47 | 4.17 | $58.06 |
| Iberia Parish Library | New Iberia | 67,540 | 1.52 | 1.14 | $26.12 |
| Vermilion Parish Library | Abbeville | 57,641 | 1.49 | 0.81 | $26.23 |
| Acadia Parish Library | Crowley | 56,604 | 1.14 | 1.12 | $29.17 |
| St. Martin Parish Library | St. Martinville | 51,218 | 1.27 | 0.89 | $40.68 |
| St. Charles Parish Library | Destrehan | 50,400 | 2.65 | 3.48 | $148.40 |
Highest rates among systems serving 5,000 or more
Of the state's profiled systems, 63 serve at least 5,000 residents.
Visits per resident
- Opelousas Public Library · 6.00
- Bienville Parish Library · 5.21
- Jefferson Davis Parish Library · 4.86
- Iberville Parish Library · 4.75
- Lafourche Parish Public Library · 4.47
Checkouts per resident
- Pointe Coupee Parish Library · 15.31
- Catahoula Parish Library · 6.50
- Lafayette Public Library · 5.39
- East Carroll Parish Library · 4.87
- Lafourche Parish Public Library · 4.17
Spending per resident
- St. Charles Parish Library · $148.40
- Bienville Parish Library · $122.52
- St. John the Baptist Parish Library · $109.60
- Pointe Coupee Parish Library · $102.28
- East Baton Rouge Parish Library · $100.46
Revenue mix
Combined operating revenue of $323 million across the 67 systems that reported every revenue source.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other