Our History

With origins dating back to 1843, the New Orleans Public Library has grown from a single French Quarter house with a few volumes into a city-wide system serving all of Orleans Parish with locations throughout the City.

City Librarians since 1896

  • 1896-1906 - William Beer

  • 1906-1928 - Henry M. Gill

  • 1928-1932 - Daniel D. Moore

  • 1932-1935 - Edward Alexander Parsons

  • 1935-1936 – Mildred Guthrie (Acting)

  • 1936-1937 – Edmund L. McGivaren (died in office)

  • 1938-1960 – John Hall Jacobs / George King Logan (Acting) 1943-1945 (George King Logan became Acting from 1943-1945 while Jacobs served in the military during WWII)

  • 1960-1961 – Ruth K. Robbins (Acting)

  • 1961-1965 – Jerome Cushman

  • 1965-1967 – Guenter A. Jansen

  • 1967-1984 – M. Eugene Wright, Jr.

  • 1984-1986 – George J. Guidry (Acting)

  • 1986-1996 – Daniel Wilson

  • 1996-2004 – Gertiana Williams

  • 2004-2006 – William Johnson (left Aug 2006)

  • 2006 - Geraldine Harris (Interim Aug 2006-Nov 2006) / Lance Query (Consulting)

  • 2006-2008 – Donna Schremser (Nov 2006-Sep 2008)

  • 2008-2010 – No City Librarian

  • 2011 – Shannon Aymami (Interim Jan 2011-Nov 2011)

  • 2011-2019 – Charles M. Brown (retired Mar 2019)

  • 2019-Present – Jessica Styons (Interim)

Questions?