Mission Statement

The Webster Parish Library is a service institution which seeks to inform, educate, entertain, and culturally enrich the lives of all people, from early childhood to senior citizens, through the use of books and other materials, technological innovations, facilities, and professional services.

The Library Board of Control has established certain standards of acceptable behavior on library property in order to maintain an atmosphere that promotes the use of resources and services, the safety of the general public and library staff, and protects the building, furniture, equipment, and materials.

Any activity that interferes with the rights of other patrons to use the library or interferes with the staffs' ability to discharge their assign tasks, disrupts normal functioning of the library or could result in physical peril, mental injury, or emotional distress to oneself or others, is considered disruptive and unacceptable.

The library reserves the right to require anyone who engages in such behavior to leave the premises, the right to restrict both access and services for a specified period of time, and the right to ban the individual for a specified period of time or permanently. In most cases, the individual will be warned verbally that he or she is in violation of the standards of conduct. This will serve as the one verbal warning. Unlawful activity will be immediately reported to the Minden City Police Department or the Webster Parish Sheriff's Office.

Any person who, in the opinion of the senior staff member on duty, is not conforming to the standards listed below, may be banned from the library for the remainder of the day. Branch Managers may ban patrons for up to three days and the Library Director, or Assistant Director, for a period of time or permanently.

Any patron who is in disagreement with the above action may proceed by registering their complaint at the next highest level. If still dissatisfied with the result after contact with the Director or Assistant Director, he or she may write a letter addressed to President, Webster Parish Library Board of control, 521 East & West Street, Minden, LA 71055. Mark as CONFIDENTIAL. This letter will be delivered, unopened, to the President.

History

The caption for the this 1929 newspaper photo was, "Webster Parish is fortunate in having one of the finest library systems in the state. The Webster Parish Library unit has gone far in raising rural literacy standing. It is a Rosenwald foundation, partially supported by the Policy Jury and by the City of Minden. Miss Mary Harris holds the office of librarian." (Click image to enlarge.)

The Louisiana Library commission began operations in 1925, a time at which there were no libraries in the state offering parish-wide service. There were only five free public libraries operating under the law in Louisiana, and fifty-nine parishes had no public library of any kind. The passage of the library law, Act 36 of the1926 legislature, which provided for the establishment of financing of parish libraries by local police juries, stimulated interest in libraries over the state.

The Webster Parish Library system, the fourth to be established in Louisiana, began in 1929 and owes its start largely to the Women's Department Club. In 1925 Dr. Mary Mims arraged a meeting between club president, Mrs. Robert Baker, and the newly appointed Executive Secretary of Louisiana Library Commission, Miss Essae M. Culver. From that meeting the club's first library committee was appointed for the purpose of obtaining signatures to petition the Webster Parish Police Jury to establish a parish library.

In August 1963, Webster Parish was given property and money for a new library facility. The "Old Ferguson Home" was given as a gift from Miss F. Dell Brown. The property was deeded to the parish under terms of the will of the late Mrs. Edmond L. Stewart, sister of Miss Brown. In 1980, the home received approval as a national historic site from the Louisiana State Review committee for the National Register of Historic Places.

The Webster Parish Library has continued to thrive and new library was built in 1996. The new building has 16,387 square feet of heated space. Including the branches in Springhill, Sarepta, Cotton Valley, Doyline, Heflin and Sibley, the library has about thirty-six employees and a collection size of over 99,000 items consisting of books, magazines, newspapers, microfilm, books on tape and CD, videos and DVDs, audio visual equipment and audio CDs.