New Main Library

Main Library Status Updates

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New Library Photo Gallery

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

ABOUT THE OLD LIBRARY

Question: I love the library you have now.  What’s wrong with the current building (242 W. Main St., Ville Platte)?

Answer: It is a beautiful old post office, built in 1937 as part of the WPA project.  Ville Platte’s has twins or near twins in Lake Providence, Winnsboro, and a number of other Louisiana towns.  It also has twins in New Hampshire, Vermont, Virginia, and many other states.  The one in Winnsboro has reopened now as The Post Office Museum after being closed for ten years.

The red brick federal style buildings have multi-levels and basements.  Ours has been the main library for Evangeline Parish since the 1970’s.  It was the source of a Civil Rights disability complaint in 2002 for handicapped accessibility and was evaluated by State Library consultants in 2003.  The conclusion was that the building could not be effectively renovated to meet accessibility standards, nor could it meet the technology requirements of a changing library system.

Through over thirty years in this building, library staff  have fought roof and water issues, bats, bees, and more.  The public has put up with overcrowded programs, inaccessible areas, and very limited parking.

We love the old building, but it is time for a change!

Q: What will happen to the old library?

A: The Evangeline Parish Police Jury owns the building and will make that determination, after study and research into possibilities. It is a beautiful old landmark, and we all want it to be preserved and used for many years to come.

NEW LIBRARY BUILDING GOALS AND BENEFITS TO PARISH

Q: What are the goals for the new library?

A:  We want a building that can be used in many ways by all ages.

Families will enter to attend programs together.
Genealogists will research family history or local history in the genealogy room using special local collections, microfilm, and genealogy databases.
Parents and grandparents will read to babies and toddlers in the children’s room.
Children will find comfortable chairs to read books for school or for fun on their own.
Teens will read and study in the teen/study room.
Everybody will use the computers for education, job hunts, consumer research, and for preparing resumes, invitations, signs, etc.
Students of all ages will use special databases to find information for their projects. There will be many shelves of books for all ages to browse, plus newspapers, magazines, movies, etc.
On nice days, patrons may want to read in the courtyard.
Throughout the building, there will be wireless access, and patrons can use their own laptops or other devices.  Some may use their devices to download eBooks and eAudiobooks from the library’s Overdrive collection or from the special Louisiana Library Connection eBook collection.
Other patrons may drop in to photocopy or scan documents or pictures.  Others may come to fax documents.
Bargain hunters and book lovers will pause to check out the great bargains on the Friends of the Library sale shelves.
Retirees and others will find satisfying opportunities to volunteer their time and talents.

Our goal for the new library building is to be able to accommodate all these uses now and have flexibility to adjust to accommodate changes in the future.

Q: How will the new building meet the parish’s needs?

A: The new library has been designed to be SAFE:

S–Secure and Supportive for the whole parish
A–Attractive, Accessible, Adaptable, and Affordable
F–Flexible and Functional
E–Exciting, Efficient, and Educational

Q: How will the new building benefit the whole parish?

A: The main library is the hub for all Internet services to each of the five branch libraries in the parish: Mamou, Basile, Pine Prairie, Chataignier, and Turkey Creek.  All grant writing, summer performer scheduling, book purchasing, item cataloging and processing, deliveries, supply purchasing, and many other processes for the branches are done at the main library.

A well-arranged main library helps all the branch libraries in the parish to run more efficiently and effectively, by providing their staff with the resources they need to operate and patrons with many items and services they want.

Despite what you may hear, libraries are busier than ever.  No, the Internet hasn’t killed libraries (grin)! They provide needed and wanted services to patrons of all ages and incomes.

NEW LIBRARY LOCATION: WHERE, WHY, HOW?

Q: Where will the new building be located?

A: On the old hospital property, which is approximately three acres, across W. Main St. from Citizens Bank and Mikey’s Donuts.  The building will face Main Street and have a courtyard on the side facing Dupre Street.

Q: Were other locations considered?

A: In response to an ad seeking property in summer 2003, three parcels of land and one building were offered.  Library Board members toured the building, and the Board voted to decline it with regret.

State Library consultants toured the three land parcels in October 2003 and evaluated the properties for suitability for a library.  They recommended that the Library Board acquire either the old hospital property or the property where the old Sears house is (now Slap Ya Mama).

The Board did not want to tear down the old Sears house and destroy a town landmark.  Therefore, the Board voted to seek to acquire the old hospital property, which was approximately three acres of completely vacant land on Main Street.

Q: Who owns the property now?

A: The Evangeline Parish Police Jury owns it on behalf of the library.  After the Library Board of Control had the property appraised and voted to recommend its purchase, the police jury purchased it, on the library’s behalf, out of library funding.  It was acquired in two purchases, first the front half (2004), then the back half (2008). The total purchase cost was slightly less than the appraised value.

NEW BUILDING DESIGN: WHO, WHAT, WHY?

Q: Who designed the new building?

A: Ardoin Architecture in Opelousas, working as a consultant to Landreneau & Associates, the engineer of record for the project.  The head of Ardoin Architecture is Brodie Ardoin, who is a member of First Baptist Church of Ville Platte. Brodie has close ties to this community and his children can’t wait to use the new library!  As part of the Gaudet and Tolson firm, Brodie worked on the Family Life Center for St. John’s Church.  His mother was a founder of Grace Christian School, which became Christian Heritage Academy.

The engineer of record for the project, Ronnie Landreneau of Landreneau & Associates, considered a number of architects.  We are very happy with Brodie’s work and glad that he was selected.

Q: What led to the choice of design?

A: Brodie started by working closely with Ronnie Landreneau and with the Library Board and staff.  Landreneau & Associates had already done extensive preliminary work on the interior needs of a new library, as part of a USDA application process in 2011.  In addition, a community survey in 2008 had pinpointed many specific needs that the new library needed to address, among them sufficient parking, a large community or program room, a genealogy room with locked storage, a children’s room, better computer space, a one floor design for ease of access and supervision, and more.

Brodie worked with this preliminary material and also he and his assistant made site visits to measure space requirements for book collections and other collections in the building, plus watch and document the tasks performed in the library by staff behind the scenes (cataloging books, processing books, paying bills, creating children’s programs, writing grants, etc.) Out of all this work, plus input from mechanical, electrical, and structural engineers, Brodie Ardoin and Ronnie Landreneau developed an interior plan that would meet the library’s needs and be attractive and affordable.

According to Brodie, who is profiled in the Aug. 12, 2012, Sunday edition of the Ville Platte Gazette, the exterior developed organically as a logical outgrowth of the interior.  Its varying roof levels will promote good drainage and open up the building’s interior.  The modified butterfly roof shape echoes the shape of an open book, and the varied roof levels reflect the new library’s “many libraries in one” theme—for this is the headquarters for the parish library system and serves its five branch libraries as well as being the main library, the genealogy library, and more for the whole parish.

The roof will also allow for an open interior that will be flexible and functional.  Also, in time, if the library needs to expand, the high sides of the building will make expansion less expensive than if the roof were a traditional gable roof.

Q: Is expansion being considered?

A: Not at this time, but we wanted to make it possible for the future.  State Library consultants in 2003 had recommended that the new building be at least 10,000 sq. ft.  What we can afford at this time is about 8,500 sq. ft.  We are trying to leave room for another 500 to 1,500 sq. ft. in the future.

The need to get as much usable interior space as possible was another reason for the choice of roofline, because it allows for fewer interior columns and opens up the floor space.

Q: Can the “butterfly roof” fit in an historic district?

A:  Architecture around the new location is varied, and the roofline will compliment rather than compete with or copy existing building shapes.

Q: Have other libraries used similar roofs?

A: The Newburg Branch Library in Louisville, Kentucky, built in 2010 recently won a “New Landmark Award” from the Louisville Historical League.  Although it looks very different from our building, it also has a butterfly roof.

NEW LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION: WHO AND WHEN?

Q: Who is the construction contractor?

A: The contractor will be Troy A. Frick from Lake Charles.

Q: When will the building be complete?

A: Groundbreaking is Aug. 14, 2012.  We estimate that construction will take about a year.  We will also need time for moving and setup of shelving, etc. in the new building after it is completed.

We hope to actually be in the new building by Thanksgiving 2013 but cannot assign an actual date.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE MONEY!

Q: How much will the building cost?

A: The contractor’s low bid was $1,524,000.  This includes the courtyard.  This is construction cost and does not include new furniture, etc.

Q: How is the construction being financed?

A: With State Bonding Commission approval, the project is being financed locally through participation of banks in the parish.  The bond counsel for the project was Sen. Eric Lafleur, and the lead bank for the project is Evangeline Bank, with the participation of other local banks.

Q: Was grant funding considered for this project?

A: The library has actively sought grant funding for this project for years.  However, no grants for actual building construction ever were found.  The USDA application in 2010-2011 initially seemed to have a large grant component as part of stimulus funds, but the grant funding was pulled back.  The viable choice was to proceed with local financing.

Q: How will the money be repaid?

A: It will be repaid from the library’s dedicated ad valorem tax, which parish voters voted in April 2011 to continue for an additional 15 years.  The tax continuation passed with over 90% approval of those who voted.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET INVOLVED?

Q: How can I help?

A: Our Friends of the Library group, a separate 501(c)3 organization, is preparing a fundraising campaign to help furnish and equip the new children’s room.  One way to help is to contact Paula Lafleur, president of the Friends (337.363.4991) and see how you can donate to the campaign or get involved with the Friends.

We are also hoping to receive donations to help with furnishing parts of the building and will be happy to accept memorial contributions, etc.  The Library has established a separate fund at Evangeline Bank to hold special donations for this project.  For more information about this, please contact the library director Mary Foster-Galasso (337.363.1369, [email protected]  or the library outreach coordinator Suzy Lemone (337.363.1369; [email protected]).

Want to learn more about the project first?  Call us at 337.363.1369 or come by the old main library at 242 W. Main St., Ville Platte.

You can also reach us by mail at:

Evangeline Parish Library

242 W. Main St.

Ville Platte, LA 70586

FINALLY, A PARTING WORD. . . .

Q: Is there anything else you would like to tell me about this project?

A: The Library Board, administration, and staff would like to stress how important two deceased board members, Mr. Bill Guidry and Ms. Becky Lafleur, were in getting us to this point.  They believed in this project, and we hope to honor their memories in some special way within the new building.

We also wish to thank all the Library Board members who have served during the past ten years.  Each has helped to move this project forward.  Mr. Donald Miley and Mr. Calvin Perrodin, both of whom resigned from the board due to ill health, were great board members for many years, and we miss them, as well as Mr. Bob Manual who served during his time as police jury president and who first helped reopen the new library planning in 2009. Others serving during these new library planning years were Ms. Nina David, Ms. Marie Soileau, and Ms. Elaine Deshotels.  We thank each of them for their service.

Our current Board members are Julia Fontenot, Jennifer Vidrine (Ville Platte mayor), Wade Riley (Pine Prairie Justice of the Peace), Rose Marie Johnson (retired town clerk of Basile), Katy Marcantel, and Eric Soileau (Police Jury member ).  All serve on the Library Board without pay.  The Board is appointed by the Police Jury.

Q: In addition to this online page, where can I learn more about the project?

A: Come see our displays at the current main library (242 W. Main St., Ville Platte), or call us at (337)363-1369.  Thank you for your interest! Please check back with us for updates as the new library takes shape.