Kelly LaRocca

ST. TAMMANY PARISH LIBRARY

St. Tammany Parish Library Director Kelly LaRocca wants to get the word out: “The library is open and ready to serve St. Tammany Parish.” Though the pandemic did cause the library to close temporarily, the staff continued to serve the public throughout the quarantine while also enhancing the virtual and online resources for those residents uncomfortable leaving their homes. “I recommend everyone explore the website at sttammanylibrary.org to discover everything we have to offer the community,” says LaRocca. The library has countless resources for children, teens, college students and adults, either in person or virtually. “We’ve issued about 3,000 virtual library cards to residents of St. Tammany Parish; these cards permit access to thousands of downloadable ebooks, audio books, music, movies and various virtual programs and tutorials,” she explains. For example, using one of three apps, library members can download a book or a movie for 28 days, at which time the rental expires, preventing the reader from incurring any library fines. (Fines are suspended for the time being because of the pandemic.)

The library has also stepped up the resources for students who are learning virtually, including a large selection of research materials available in person or online. From small children to teens, there’s an amazing array of activities and resources, such as take-and-make crafts, Storywalk (RTM) for Families at the Northlake Nature Center, Graphic Novel Book Club for ages 8-11 and virtual story time over Zoom. There’s an entire section devoted just to teens, offering everything from age-appropriate crafts to free ACT practice tests.

Whether you want a quiet place to study with exceptional Wi-Fi that can also be accessed from the parking lot, books presented to you curbside, or a myriad of downloadable entertainment or study materials, St. Tammany Parish Library is open to serve you.

For more information, go to sttammanylibrary.org.