James Joseph Whitney Sr.
September 15, 2009
Genevieve D. Carlos
September 17, 2009
A year after hurricane damage to its old building closed the Lockport Public Library, the facility has a permanent place to call home.
The new 9,600-square-foot site, located at 720 Crescent Ave. along La. Highway 1 in Lockport, was unveiled last week.
“It’s wonderful to be back,” branch manager Brenda Bascle said.
Hurricane Gustav inundated part of the library’s old Sixth Street leased space, causing thousands of dollars in damaged and forcing the facility to move its operations.
“We had to dispose of the damage materials and sort through the things that could be saved,” Bascle said. “We had to discontinue our programs and send residents to other facilities throughout the parish.”
Ironically, the parish was in the process of building a new library in Lockport when the storm hit last August. The storm, however, precipitated an earlier-than-expected move, according to Regina Lauland, the parish’s assistant library director.
Over the last year, summer programs and other adult and children classes were dispersed to nearby outlets.
Lauland said Lockport mainly shared a space with the Gheens Public Library. Initially, to handle the increased foot traffic, the facility extended its hours of operation. However, Lauland said the site’s normal work hours have since resumed.
Prior to the punches of hurricanes Gustav and Ike, a parishwide plan calling for a public library in every Lafourche Parish city or town had been in the works. Lauland said the Lockport library was one of the last few to be addressed.
The parish had planned to buy and renovate the Sixth Street building that once housed the city’s library. However, the parish Library Board of Controls opted to build a new facility instead at an estimated cost of $1.3 million.
The Lockport library staff was relocated to Galliano, and work on the site began December 2008.
“I wouldn’t say it was total hardship because we had our jobs,” Bascle said of the move. “We all lived in the intermediate area and had to travel to other places to work, but it was worth it because we knew that we were coming back to our community.”
Last week’s opening found the staff happy to be home in spite of the limited services. The building has lights, running water and Internet access. But the telephone and fax has yet to be connected.
The community, too, has welcomed the reopening, according to Bascle. More than 100 people were on hand grand opening day.
“There was not a day that we did not see someone in a store and hear them say how anxious they were to see us come back to the community,” she said.
The Lockport Public Library is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
After hurricanes Gustav and Ike virtually destroyed the contents of the Lockport Public Library, the parish and Library Board of Controls rushed to build a new facility. The 9,600-square-foot site at 720 Crescent Ave. celebrated its grand opening last week. * Photo courtesy of LOCKPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY
