Introduction

A postcard of the Main Library circa 1920.

The New Orleans Public Library has taken many twists and turns as it has grown from a small venture originally outlined in the will of Abijah Fisk to the large library with 13 branches that exists today.  This blog will look at the origins of the library, the disasters that occurred, funding sources, people involved with the growth and natural disasters that have created problems for the buildings and staff.  Another problem that has faced New Orleans, perhaps more than other libraries, is the issue of segregation between the races.  How do you serve the people, all the free people, when slavery is over and yet not so much in the south?   Overall, the flavor and problems involved in creating and maintaining a library in New Orleans were exciting to study.