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East Baton Rouge Parish Library turns to community after failed funding proposition
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BATON ROUGE - After a failed funding proposition under the Thrive EBR plan, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library is rethinking its next steps and turning to the community for input.
Library leaders say the failure of their last proposition has pushed them back to the drawing board. On Friday, they held a community meeting to discuss a new direction and gather feedback from residents as they plan for the next election cycle.
“There were many, many progressives who said ‘vote no’ because they were confident that we would be at this point at this time,” a community member said.
Another attendee noted the sense of collaboration emerging from the meeting.
“Basically, the people have come together and they will help us write the next chapter,” EBR Assistant Library Director Mary Stein said.
Library officials emphasized that the new plan will take into account lessons from the failed proposition.
“We heard from so many of these supporters from all walks of life who use the library in all different ways,” Stein said.
Community members had a chance to share why the library’s resources are vital to the parish.
“There’s true value here in the systems and processes and tools that we have,” one resident said.
The library plans to present an independent tax proposition to the Metro Council next year, with hopes of placing it on the June ballot. Those who voted “no” in the previous election expressed concerns about how money would be used.
“They said we voted for the money to go to the library. That is where we want it to go,” Katrina Stokes, East Baton Rouge Parish Library Director, said.
“Under the previous election that failed, people were confused. There were a lot of moving parts, and people wanted to know exactly where every penny was going to go,” Stein said.
Patrons of the Public Library, a nonprofit organization supporting the library, was also present to help guide the planning process.
“POPL is a 501(c)(3), and it is able to do some educational work and a small amount of advocacy for the library,” Adam St. Pierre, POPL President, said. “Just meeting and connecting with people in the community to figure out the next stages of engagement with the public.”
The library is scheduled to present the new proposition to the Metro Council on January 14, with a council vote set for February 11. If approved, the proposition will move forward for a chance on the ballot.
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