Approval of renewal will keep libraries open

    The fate of seven libraries and outreach services in Avoyelles Parish lies in the hands of voters this Saturday. All will close if a renewal funding proposition fails.

    Several parish municipalities and governing boards have endorsed or voiced their support for the library millage renewal on this Saturday’s ballot.

    All municipalities are served by the library system, either by branches or with the library system’s “bookmobile.”

   If the renewal fails, the system will more than likely have to shut down due to lack of funding, Library Director Theresa Thevenote said.  That includes the main headquarters, six branches and the mobile library van.

 Municipalities adopting resolutions or publicly voicing support for the funding renewal include Moreauville, Bunkie, Simmesport, Cottonport, Mansura and Evergreen. The School Board and Police Jury have also thrown their support behind the renewal effort.

School Board members noted that the library system benefits  children by providing resources for research on school papers and projects, as well as encouraging students to read.

  “One of the first things someone with a company, wanting to move to an area, ask is if there is a library system,” Bunkie Mayor Mike Robertson said. “Without a library system, it could hurt the economic development of an area.”

   Thevenote has spoken to governing bodies and civic organizations across the parish for the past several weeks.

  “We only get funding from the millage that is up for renewal,” Thevenote tells groups. “The funding is the only way the library system can stay open. If it doesn’t pass, the future of the library is in serious jeopardy.”