July 23, 2026
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Dr. M.A. Dewey is celebrating Christmas in July with a special screening of the 1964 cult classic “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.”
Alvar Library: A Fixture of the Community since 1940
Deep in the Bywater neighborhood, nestled between the Mississippi River and St. Claude Avenue, sits Alvar Library. Built in 1940 and often noted for its Art Deco details and Works Progress Administration roots, this tiny one-room Library stands out in history for another reason: a dedicated community that refuses to give up on it.
Over the decades, this beloved Library has seen its neighbors rise up in its defense time and time again, saving it from purchase by a nearby meat-packing plant, securing government funding for its renovations, and volunteering to help staff it. In 1977, a man even chained himself to the building to protest its proposed demolition after it had fallen into disrepair.
That man was Marc Cooper, the then-president of the Bywater Neighborhood Association, who said he hoped the action would help push their message out from the confines of the neighborhood.
“It just seemed that our pleas were falling on deaf ears,” Cooper told the Times-Picayune at a celebration for Alvar Library’s 50th anniversary in 1990. “Looking back at it, I knew at that point that it was a publicity stunt, but it was also a sincere demonstration of civil disobedience.”
The association was ultimately able to secure funding for the building’s repairs, which were completed in 1982.
But, a mere four years later, the City was again considering shutting down Alvar Library, citing shrinking resources. However, the neighborhood association stood back up, preventing this fate once more by forming a volunteer workforce to help staff the location.
For the next 19 years, Alvar Library remained open and thrived as a fixture of the neighborhood.
During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the building flooded with about a foot of water, destroying books, furniture, and computers. The location was closed for renovations and reopened on June 25, 2006, quickly returning to its place at the center of the Bywater community.
In the years since, neighbors regularly gathered at the Library for storytimes and book clubs, writing workshops and homework help, author talks and game nights, compost collection, and so much more.
Currently powered by a small team led by manager Kate Martin, the Alvar Library staff consists of Sara Jacobelli, Missy Goff-Haas, and Dylan Jones.
In her more than five years at the location, Jacobelli said she has been able to form meaningful and long-lasting relationships with Library users.
“I’ve lived in the Bywater, off and on, for 20 years, and I know many of our patrons,” Jacobelli said. “Many of them were my friends before I worked here. When they see me walking down the street, or in bars and restaurants, they tell me how much they appreciate Alvar Library.”
When the COVID-19 Pandemic hit in March, all 15 Library locations closed temporarily to curb the spread of the virus, reopening with limited services in May. As the Library continues to navigate the pandemic, in-person programming remains suspended, but most locations are open to the public for 45-minute sessions. However, due to its size, Alvar Library is currently unable to offer this service.
Both Jacobelli and Goff-Haas said they miss having the community inside the Library but are grateful to be able to provide materials through the system’s contactless service.
“This is a very creative and dynamic community. Many of our regulars are writers, artists, musicians, actors, and filmmakers,” Jacobelli said. “What I really like about working at Alvar is hosting programs such as our In the Garden Writers’ Workshop, MicroCinema, author and book talks, Drag Queen Story Time, and Reading to Honeybun, an adorable therapy dog. I miss having these programs and look forward to having them again in the future.”
As a writer herself, Jacobelli said what she misses most is holding author talks at Alvar, which she said provides a unique and intimate backdrop. One of those authors is José Torres-Tama, a visual and performance artist, activist, and poet.
“Alvar Library is such an important part of the neighborhood,” he said. “It’s very important to me, personally, and to my family.”
Torres-Tama has been coming to Alvar Library for more than a decade, often bringing along his two sons.
“I’ve been coming to this Library forever with my boys. It’s a very special place, and I’m grateful to be a part of it and to be able to share that with my sons, too,” he said.
Over the years, Torres-Tama has become close with Jacobelli.
“Sara has been highly supportive of my work. She is always keeping an eye out for grants and other opportunities that could advance my work, and the work of other local poets and writers,” he said. “Sara sees the Library as more than just a place to store books. She sees it as an art center, as a community space, as a place of respite where anyone is welcome. It’s wonderful when you have librarians like Sara, who really want to expand the possibilities of what a library can do.”
Torres-Tama has held many readings and performances at Alvar Library, a venue he said is unlike any other.
“Libraries are about access, and that’s a beautiful thing. Anyone is accepted and welcome here, so you can get a very different audience than at a traditional theater or an important arts center,” he said. “I love that.”
Robert Landrum is another of Alvar Library’s most dedicated users. He lives just down the street and said being close to the Library “means so much” to him.
Having previously experienced homelessness, Landrum used to rely on the Library’s Main location for everything from computer access to entertainment, shelter from the elements, and safety.
“While I was homeless, the Library on Loyola Avenue probably saved my life once or twice. I used to go there all the time for all sorts of things, but also it was just a safe place where I knew I would be accepted,” Landrum said.
Landrum said that on more than one occasion, Library staff helped him get connected with resources to help him get where he’s been for the past three years — housed in a comfortable apartment, steps from his favorite Library.
“I love this little Library. These folks that work here, they help me a lot with everything, and they’re very nice. They’re welcoming, and they make me feel at ease and at home here.”
Goff-Haas has been working at Alvar Library for more than a year and said it’s stories like Landrum’s that highlight the widespread impact libraries have.
“I miss the regulars who used to stay for hours on the computers and look forward to the day when we can reopen and restart the in-person programs,” she said. “But, a little can go a long way, and I’m so happy we can still provide services like wifi access, copying, printing, and checking out materials, which can all be very helpful, especially in times like these.”
The Alvar Library staff said they are making the best of the situation and doing the most with what they can, which is something Simon Blake –– an artist, filmmaker, and faithful Alvar Library user –– appreciates.
“I just love it. I love the atmosphere, the people who work here, I love the neighborhood. Coming in here, it’s just like seeing friends,” Blake said. “The building itself is a piece of history, and coming here takes me back to my childhood when my dad would take us to our local library. There’s something beautiful and comforting in the ritual of it, even if we can’t go inside right now.
Over the past eight years that he’s been using Alvar Library, Blake said he’s formed meaningful friendships with the staff and feels at home in the space.
“Especially in today’s world, where so many things are accessible to us on the internet that we barely need to leave our houses anymore. This has proved to be a blessing in the pandemic, but there’s still something quite beautiful about the physicality of the Library, and the sense of community you have when you come here, that you can’t quite get elsewhere,” he said.
Blake said he often uses the Library’s collection for inspiration and references in his work, including his current project, a documentary about poet, painter, and printmaker William Blake.
“The collection here is so well curated, I’m always able to find exactly what I’m looking for, even if I didn’t know I was looking for it,” he said.
July 15, 2026
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The Library is seeking volunteers to help curate the 2026 class of Crescent City Sounds, the only music streaming service exclusively made up of New Orleans-based artists.
June 24, 2026
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The New Orleans African American Museum is the newest addition to the the Library’s Culture Pass Program, which allows cardholders to access local attractions for free.