Jefferson Parish Library
Jefferson Parish Library is a county public library system based in Metairie (Jefferson Parish), Louisiana, serving a legal service area of 427,253 residents through 16 library buildings. Among the 67 profiled systems in Louisiana, it ranks second for population served, second for total visits, second for operating spending and second for number of library buildings.
Among profiled systems serving 250,000 to 499,999 residents, it ranks tenth for the electronic share of checkouts and records the ninth-smallest decline in visits since FY 2019. Against the median system of its size class, it records 49% fewer physical checkouts per resident and 64% more operating spending per resident.
Jefferson Parish against the 122 systems of its size class
Jefferson Parish, building by building
The 16 buildings cover 265,395 square feet in total, 0.62 square feet per resident against a median of 0.46 for the size class. The largest building is Jefferson Parish Library at 135,777 square feet; the smallest is Harahan Branch at 3,000. The longest hours, 69 a week, are shared by two buildings.
| Building | Type | Town | Hours a week | Floor area, sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Parish Library | Central library | Metairie | 69 | 135,777 |
| Charles A. Wagner Branch | Branch | Metairie | 48 | 6,205 |
| Doris Hooper Pitts Belle Terre Branch | Branch | Marrero | 64 | 7,375 |
| Edith S. Lawson Library in Westwego | Branch | Westwego | 64 | 7,666 |
| Grand Isle Branch | Branch | Grand Isle | 40 | 3,172 |
| Gretna Branch | Branch | Gretna | 48 | 5,835 |
| Harahan Branch | Branch | Harahan | 64 | 3,000 |
| Jane O`brien Chatelain West Bank Regional | Branch | Harvey | 69 | 33,600 |
| Lafitte Branch | Branch | Lafitte | 48 | 4,540 |
| Lakeshore Branch | Branch | Metairie | 64 | 8,200 |
| Live Oak Branch | Branch | Waggaman | 48 | 5,412 |
| North Kenner Branch | Branch | Kenner | 64 | 9,350 |
| Old Metairie Branch | Branch | Metairie | 64 | 10,000 |
| River Ridge Library | Branch | River Ridge | 64 | 10,500 |
| Rosedale Branch | Branch | Old Jefferson | 48 | 7,138 |
| Terrytown Branch | Branch | Terrytown | 48 | 7,625 |
Jefferson Parish in numbers, FY 2024
- Visits
- 1,168,848
- Physical checkouts
- 775,193
- …of children's materials
- 314,222
- Electronic checkouts
- 745,451
- …of e-books
- 368,464
- …of e-audio
- 280,842
- Registered users
- 62,600
- Program sessions
- 4,280
- Program attendance
- 71,561
- Print volumes
- 571,131
- Audio items (physical)
- 18,378
- Video items (physical)
- 95,398
- Public computers
- 363
- Public service hours, all outlets
- 45,662
- Paid staff (full-time equivalent)
- 216.8
- Operating spending
- $25.2 million
- …on books and other materials
- $2.9 million
- Overdue fines on print items
- not charged
Where Jefferson Parish gets its operating money
Operating revenue came to $26.9 million, or $63.00 per resident. The local-government share is close to the combined share for the 67 profiled systems in Louisiana.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other (fines, fees, gifts, grants)
Jefferson Parish since FY 2019
Visits were 7% below the FY 2019 count of 1.3 million (size-class median: −30%). Physical checkouts moved 35% down over the same span.
- Visits
- Physical checkouts
Who comes to Jefferson Parish programs
Programs for children up to age 11 drew 43% of all program attendance, and sessions averaged 17 people each.
County libraries of similar size in other states
Of these six systems, three record more visits per resident than this one. The highest checkout rate in the group belongs to Loudoun County Public Library in Virginia.
| System | Based in | Residents | Visits per resident | Checkouts per resident | Spending per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo-Lucas County Public Library | Toledo, OH | 428,505 | 4.73 | 7.25 | $104.07 |
| Loudoun County Public Library | Leesburg, VA | 425,204 | 4.03 | 8.66 | $57.12 |
| Monmouth County Library | Manalapan, NJ | 425,110 | 1.89 | 3.46 | $38.90 |
| Richland County Public Library | Columbia, SC | 416,147 | 2.83 | 5.42 | $81.95 |
| Marion County Public Library System | Ocala, FL | 413,951 | 1.39 | 1.84 | $21.62 |
| Collier County Public Library | Naples, FL | 408,363 | 2.08 | 2.98 | $22.35 |
Nearest in size within Louisiana
- East Baton Rouge Parish Library · Baton Rouge · 453,022 residents
- New Orleans Public Library · New Orleans · 362,701 residents
- St. Tammany Parish Library · Covington · 277,615 residents
- Lafayette Public Library · Lafayette · 254,241 residents