Nestled under the live oaks of St. Bernard Avenue sits Nora Navra Memorial Library, where it has been serving the historic 7th Ward neighborhood for more than 60 years.
The location is named for a local philanthropist who died in 1946 and left a portion of her wealth to the New Orleans Public Library. At the time, Black patrons were only permitted to use Dryades Library in Central City, and it was decided that Navra’s gift would be used to create a second public library to serve the Black community.
That summer, Library officials opened Branch Nine inside the Valena C. Jones School to serve as a temporary location until its permanent home was built. When students returned to school that fall, Branch Nine was relocated to two surplus Army huts across the street from the school. For the next eight years, Branch Nine was an integral part of the community, frequently patronized by community leaders like A. P. Tureaud and Sybil Haydel-Morial.
When the location’s permanent home was ready to open, Tureaud gave the remarks at the May 2, 1954 dedication ceremony, stating, “Public facilities which are provided on a racially segregated basis are not only a drain on our economic resources, but are an outmoded relic of a slave psychology… Libraries tend to free the mind of bigotry and prejudice; they are supposed to be a civilizing influence on the community. We need more of them.”
Just 12 days later, the Supreme Court ruled on the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case and declared that separate is not equal. The New Orleans Public Library would soon follow suit, officially desegregating the system.
However, as Lynne Taylor remembers, it took much longer for integration to be truly accepted. As a child growing up in the 1960s, she said Dryades and Nora Navra Libraries were still considered the only two options for her and her peers. And yet, Taylor fondly remembers the time she spent at Nora Navra Library, which was located steps from Corpus Christi school, where she attended.
“It was small, it was clean, it was warm, and I remember the librarians always being kind and helpful,” she recalled.
Both her parents were involved in the Civil Rights Movement, Taylor said, and were very protective of her and her sister. However, they also encouraged them to believe in progress and instilled in them a sense of hope over fear.
“Of course, we still felt a little anxious when we were outside of our community, outside our home,” Taylor recalls. “One thing the Library provided was another safe space. It was either home, school, church, or the Library, where I really felt completely safe, at home, seen, and appreciated.”
The building was seriously damaged during Hurricane Katrina and was closed after the storm. It was eventually demolished in 2017, rebuilt, and reopened on August 24, 2018, just five days shy of Katina’s 13th anniversary. Taylor, who moved away from New Orleans in the late 1970s and has not visited the Library since its reopening, was thrilled to hear that it is back.
“I always thought the building was beautiful when I was a child, and it did feel quite modern to me. But seeing the photos of it now, it really goes look incredible,” she said. “It’s a great Library, I’m so happy to hear that it’s been rebuilt, the new space is absolutely gorgeous and I look forward to going there next time I’m in town.”
Lynne’s introduction to Nora Navra Library by way of Corpus Christi Elementary School is shared by Theresa Butler, a youth services librarian. Butler recalled loving her visits to Nora Navra with her classmates; and, now, she is proud to be working there herself.
“I love working at Nora Navra because it’s a part of my familial roots,” she said. “My great grandmother, who was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, moved from the island to this historic area, living a block away from the branch.”
Butler said she believes Vivan Millon Broussard, her Big Grandma, would be thrilled to know where her career has taken her.
“It’s the first library I’ve ever patronized, and it’s where I signed up for my first library card! The Nora Navra Library is a special jewel of the community,” she said.
Butler said a particular joy of her job is interacting with the Library’s regular visitors, like Edward Rosenblum and Annetta Harris.
Rosenblum is a faithful visitor to the Nora Navra Library and a lifelong New Orleans Public Library user. Growing up, he frequented Lakeview’s Smith Library and fondly remembers his time there as a child and the long-lasting impact the librarians had on his life.
Now, he lives just a few blocks from Nora Navra and can regularly be seen making the four-minute bike ride to what quickly became his favorite Library location after moving to the neighborhood a few years ago.
Rosenblum primarily uses the Library as a place to write and print his work but also enjoys the sense of community he gets while he is there.
“Nora Navra is a help and a haven. The interior is clean, spacious, and bright, and the exterior is very welcoming. The staff are generous, professional, and patient. Anytime I start my day there, I know it will be a solid one,” he said.
Rosenblum said he has been especially grateful for the Library during the pandemic.
“Sad as it is to be there more or less alone, when I go in with my computer, it feels like a wonderful luxury,” he said. “I’m grateful to be able to go inside again, and the staff is what I call ‘virus woke,’ which makes it feel like a very safe place for me to be.”
Over the past two years, Rosenblum has become close with Nora Navra’s staff, who always look forward to his visits, entertained by his stories and song recommendations.
Harris has also been an almost daily visitor for the past two years.
“I love it here! It’s really nice and spacious, and the people are awesome. Really, each and every one of them,” she said.
Harris is a writer and when the COVID-19 pandemic started last March, she decided to commit once again to getting published.
“I think everything I’ve written has gotten rejected at least once, so I quit for a long time. But, I’ve been wanting to try again, and I decided there was no better time to do it,” she said. “I mainly write thrillers, mysteries, and horror, which was once a genre dominated by white males. But because of the digital age, we all have opportunities now. And I could have kicked myself, I almost missed it.”
In addition to writing, Harris decided to do her own artwork for the two collections of short stories she’s working on and said the Library’s access to tutorials and other learning tools has been game changing.
“It’s hard, and every step of the way, I have to teach myself how to do something new. But I just realized that I’m still going! It’s been a year and I didn’t quit again, and I’m not scared anymore,” she said.
Harris often visits Nora Navra to do research and work, but also to unwind and relax.
“It’s the only non-work place that I’ve really allowed myself to go for the past year. I missed it so much while you were closed. When you re-opened last summer, I think I was the first person through that door. I couldn’t wait to come back.”
Katy Hepner, the manager at Nora Navra, confirmed that Harris was their first patron to return to the Library and said its people like Harris and Rosenblum that make this Library so special.
“There’s a lot of community involvement and love for this location, which makes it delightful to come to work every day,” Hepner said. “It is a true community library.”
Hepner also praised the rest of her staff –– Katy Balma, Granada Baker, Diana Issokson, and Emilie Staat –– for always going above and beyond to ensure the Library serves the neighborhood in the best ways possible.
“They’re one of the best teams I’ve ever worked with,” Hepner said.
At the end of the month, Katy is transitioning to a new role as the regional manager at Norman Mayer Library. She said she’s excited for the new opportunity and is grateful it won’t take her too far.
“Navra is in Norman Mayer’s region, which means I’ll be able to stay connected to this staff and the community here, which is huge for me. I love this region as a whole, and I think it’s important for New Orleans, as everyone says, to preserve history and preserve culture. That’s one thing I would like to continue to do at New Orleans Public Library.”
In 1902, the New Orleans Public Library received a $250,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie to build four new Library locations, including one Uptown, known then as the Napoleon Library. More than a century later, that little Library is still serving its community today, but under a different name: the Children’s Resource Center Library.
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2 thoughts on “‘A Help and a Haven’: What Nora Navra Library Means to its Community ”
Nora Navra library is very much a part of my childhood memories. My family moved in the early 60’s to a house within walking distance to the Library. It was modern to me back then, brightly lit and an opportune place to study and research topics for homework using the encyclopedias. I was a student at the former McDonough #42. It was the library where I developed a love for reading and spent most of my summer to peruse the shelves for books for the annual Summer Reading Program. Receiving a certificate for every 10 books read was encouragement to read more and often. A summer ritual was taking an afternoon bath, putting on a fresh set of play clothes, and taking a walk. — mostly to the library. Across from the library was a small park on St. Bernard and A.P. Tureaud, that had a few swings, a slide, monkey bars and a merry-go-round that enticed you to play. A short distance down from Nora Navra was a snowball stand where you could indulge your favorite flavors to create the ideal sno-cone. While you told your mom you were “going to the library,” so much more happened on the way.
Thank you for sharing these wonderful memories! We love to hear stories like this.