Jefferson Parish Library

I’m always on the lookout for a great place to study and this is one of my new favorite spots to do so in the NOLA metro.
My severe ADHD prevents me from studying in chatty coffee shops, so I’m usually looking for quiet places with few distractions, clean bathrooms, reliable WiFi, and easy parking. The main branch of the Jefferson Parish library is less than 3 minutes off I-​10 at the Clearview exit and has ample free parking.
One of my favorite amenities here is the study rooms. If you want to get one you may have to hang out by the front desk until one becomes available because they’re always in pretty high demand. Anyone with a library card can check one out for as long as they want, and work in quiet, undistracted bliss. Other libraries have study rooms too, but one thing that’s great about these is that they give you a little key card and the door locks behind you when you leave, so you can get up to go to the bathroom, smoke a cigarette, etc. without worrying about someone stealing your stuff. Every study room has ample power outlets and the free wifi works very well throughout the entire building.
Beyond that, the staff is friendly, the bathrooms are clean, and the facility itself is beautiful. Everything I want in a library.
Note to Orleans Parish peeps: If you have a New Orleans library card and your license reflects your NOLA address, go to the front desk and show them both and they’ll give you a Jefferson Parish card for free.

I love libraries. I love books. I love peace and quiet.
I have volunteered the last two years doing taxes for AARP under VITA, and this is where we have had the computer training both years, using the private meeting rooms. I love coming here on my own to print things off, check out books, or to write. In the front lobby, there is a coffee shop. Just inside the library, there is a friends of the library store to support the library. This library is open, airy and large.
This library does provide a variety of things catered to the local community, such as literacy programs and reading programs. The staff is friendly and helpful. It is also very well lit and appealing posters on the walls.
There are plenty of areas to sit quietly to read and work. There are also computers to print stuff off, look things up and so on. It is very neat and clean, and the staff is pleasant.

I always go to this library. The children’s area is great for my nephews. I also like the young adults section for my kid sister and the isolated studies for me and my girlfriend. They have a lot of clubs & groups that meet periodically throughout the week. Make sure you check with the librarians for anything going on that week.

This is an awesome library as it has plenty of everything. Books, DVD’s, VHS tapes (old school), study rooms, and computers. The library also has this very convenient DVD self-​checkout section that lets you rent DVD’s without having to wait in line. Just make sure you go to the correct color kiosk to check-​out your movie or else it won’t dispense out the machine (they have colored stickers on the DVD cases that indicate which kiosk to go to).
I love how spacious this library is. It never feels crowded because there are multiple rooms. The children’s section alone is bigger than some of the other branches in the city. If you come to the library mainly to use a computer they got you covered with a big computer area on the 1^st floor. If you go to the library often to study duck off into one of the dozen or so study rooms they have on the 1^st and 2^nd floor. Also there is a nice café in the library right inside the main door that has good sandwiches and wraps. Everything at this huge library is well organized. The staff is pretty helpful too. Oh and don’t forget to check out the small gift shop before you leave. They have some great deals there on books, watches, keychains, etc (yeah all random stuff). Overall, this is my favorite library in the NOLA area.

Selection for books and DVDs is superb. However, this is the loudest library I’ve ever been to. If you need to concentrate or study for finals, make sure you get there as soon as it opens to get a study room, otherwise you’ll have to listen to screaming children and rude people having very loud cell phone conversations.

I was introduced to this little gym during finals week some time ago. And since that introduction, it’s the best kept secret.
I love the concept, convenience & ambience of it all. How much more ingenious of an idea can this be? A library with a café??? Anyone that has ever studied before knows that you often times get the munchies while studying… Hello you gotta feed & stimulat those brain cells!!!
The café serves coffee, tea, sandwiches, salads, soups & the list goes on.
I’m pleased as punch with the convenience of being able to take a study break, grab a bite to eat without going too far from your study area.
No eating in the library… And you’re only allowed drinks with lids…
Me loves it here.
Jusssssssssssst wish they were open 24 hours… But that might not be good because I don’t think I’d ever leave. Oh well, a gal’s gotta dream huh?

I remember a time when my nearest library was on Kawanee and it was TINY. Then in the 90’s the East Bank Regional (as it was called then) Library was built just down W Napoleon from where I was growing up.
This place is big. It’s not just filled with books and other media (yeah, you can borrow DVDs here) but it’s got several nice meeting rooms. As befitting a center of learning the staff is constantly hosting educational activities.
This is the place to go for all you library needs in Jefferson Parish.

The Jefferson Parish Library is on West Napoleon Ave and really close to my house. I would drive by this building many times a week and wonder why it is so big. Why are there so many cars parked here constantly? Why is there is electronic sign outside announcing stuff all the time. So when the opportunity came for me and my sister to go one bored day and see what it was like we were both surprised.
This library is pretty darn large for being just a parish library. When you walk in there is a little café at the side with coffee and drinks and snacks and small desserts or food. This is a little added touch that makes it cooler. Once you walk into the actual library there are books and books and more books! So large with a wide collection. The library is easily divided into its designated sections for easy search. Super clean and most people are friendly. Just watch out for kids that do not realize that you are supposed to be quiet. As I was walking around I also discovered that there were many little rooms spread out. These are basically study rooms or private rooms to do work by yourself. Really great if you want to escape your house and people. This place is always hosting events and having movie showings or something as well. Now i just need to actually get a library card so I can checkout more books, my kindle wants more!!!

You know what I love? Knowing shit. A good way to know shit is to read about shit. A good way to read a lot and not spend all your goddamn money on books or throw your fucking back out when you have to move because of all the goddamn books is to go to the library.
This place has a fuck load of books and if they don’t have the book you want you can ORDER it and they will buy a copy. That’s some real gangster shit. They also have ebooks which you don’t even have to go up in that morherfucker to check out. Oh, and check this shit out; you can eat and drink in there. It’s like the chilliest library ever.
Let me tell you about some other real shit at this motherfucker. They will loan you a laptop. They also have more DVDs than a blockbuster*. They also have all kinds of activities, lectures and other real academic shit going on almost every day of the week. The meeting rooms are hella nice and you will enjoy the shit out of the modern projection and sound systems. You can also borrow a tv in case you need to catch up on Matlock or whatever bullshit you’re in to. They literally have posters of the librarians hanging up in the library reading books and talking about how they transport you to another world and shit.
In closing, if you want to get your learn on, then get a library card and get your ass in this library.
* Since blockbuster no longer exists**.
** I realize that there are a few left here and there, but come on, you know what I’m saying.

They have an excellent selection of ebooks and audiobooks for my kindle. They will even order a book or upload an electronic book for you if you request a particular one not at the library!

I’ve been to many meetings at this library and they have some decent meeting rooms that are really more like classrooms. This is a very large library and they seem to frequently have events happening. They also have some good things to check out from their collection. They even have a café here but I’ve never been inside it so I can’t really give any opinion on it. Overall this is a good spot to host a meeting in a classroom style environment or if you need a library this is one of the larger public ones in the area.

This is a review for the library’s meeting rooms instead of the library itself.
I have been to several meetings here and the meeting space is very good. The room we used was a large meeting room that seemed to be able to accommodate nearly 200 people. There are dual projectors and screens so your presentation can be seen by all in attendance.
Outside in the hallway are reproductions of historic documents. During breaks I was able to read the official surrender documents of the Japanese at the end of WWII. This was very cool.
there is one odd feature to the meeting room. The fire exit says to push the bar, wait thirty seconds and the door will open. If there were a fire, I wouldn’t want to burn up for 30 seconds trying to exit.
I would recommend this as a meeting venue in the Metairie area.

I’m not big on libraries… mostly because I don’t have time to read. I’ll use it more as the baby gets older, but for now, if I’m going to give her books to chew/​drool on, I prefer to purchase, not borrow.
The boyfriend, however, checks out a book every once in a while. I typically go with him. While I may not have time to read, I do like to just wander through the library and look at the selection. They have a nice variety of everything, and apparently are very accomodating at transfering in titles from the other JP branches if something is not available at this one.
It’s modern looking, which is nice. Too many libraries these days look old and run down (inside and out). They have a check-​out kiosk, but the librarians are more than happy to do it the old-​fashioned way if you need help. Oh, and there is free WiFi. I would prefer to use WiFi at home, or possibly a coffee shop, but apparently sitting in the quiet comfort of this library is an option too.