April 11 is National Take Action for Libraries Day, so we’re shining a light on our longtime supporters: the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library. Since 1957, the Friends have been standing up for the Library’s mission through sponsorship, fundraising, and advocacy work.
The Friends’ mission is to fund Library services, programs, and resources not covered in the operating budget. Additionally, the Friends also award scholarships to librarians seeking advanced degrees. They even provided Library staff with proper personal protective equipment and sanitizing supplies at the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
In 2023 alone, the Friends sponsored hundreds of Library events, including our beloved Summer Fun & Reading Challenge programming. They also support literary festivals, teen and adult skill-building workshops, and so much more.
Earlier this year, the Friends helped publish the Library’s first volume of Renewed, an anthology showcasing winning entries from last summer’s writing contest. In addition to sponsoring Library programs and services, the Friends have their own mission to provide books to every person in the greater New Orleans area that wants one.
Shannan Cvitanovic is the Friends’ executive director, a position she’s held for about two years. Development director Louise Saenz and book sale manager Daniel Neathery help keep the non-profit running day-to-day, but their work could not be done without the help of their dedicated volunteers.
Cindy Morse and Carol Hester are two longtime volunteers who Cvitanovic said are invaluable to the organization. In 2006, Morse started selling used books at the monthly Marsalis Harmony Park (Formerly Palmer Park) art market to raise funds for the Library in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Soon after, Morse recruited Hester to help, and the two have been volunteering at the market ever since. Cvitanovic said their dedication to the Friends and to the Library is clear, praising their urgency to get Library services back up and running after Katrina – and their enthusiasm for the monthly book sale.
“If you come to shop at our tent at the Marsalis Park Arts Market, Cindy and Carol will immediately ask you what you are looking for and will have great suggestions for books to try,” Cvitanovic said. “Reading is such a big part of both of their lives that they cannot wait to share their enthusiasm with others. Nothing makes them happier than to see the right book find the right person. They are book matchmakers at heart, and the fact that their work supports the Library makes it even more important to them.”
Linda Prout also volunteers with the Friends and said Morse and Hester are “outstanding ambassadors for the Library.”
“They both have such a passion for reading, a broad knowledge of the history and culture of New Orleans, and outgoing personalities,” she said. “Once, Cindy started talking about gardening with a tourist, who ended up going to her house later in the week to get plant cuttings!”
For Prout, working at the Art Market alongside Morse and Hester has brought many moments of joy, including one December when a complete set of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events was for sale for $25.
“A man said he wanted to buy the collection, but he wasn’t going to take it. So, if a child showed interest in the books, he asked that we give the whole series to them,” Prout recalled. “Later, a mother was very excited about giving the books to her son for Christmas. Since they were for a child, she was told that the books had been paid for and she could just take them. She replied that she really appreciated the kindness of a stranger, and she wanted to pay for them too, as a gift to the Library.”
Both Morse and Hester said they love watching people’s faces light up when they spot a book from their childhood for sale at the Art Market.
“People are always telling us about their favorite books and what they meant to them, and how excited they are to pass them along to their children or grandchildren,” Morse, a retired kindergarten teacher, said. “It’s truly wonderful, every time.”
For Hester, volunteering with the Friends is a way to stay connected with her friends, neighbors, and her Library.
“We’re here at Latter Library at least once a week and it’s something I always look forward to,” she said. “We had to stop going to the art market for a long time because of COVID, but we’re back now and I’m so happy we were able to start up again.”
The Friends are also responsible for dozens of the Little Free Libraries around the city. Every year on Give NOLA Day, they visit each one to stock them full of new books and other goodies. In addition to the monthly art market sale, the Friends run two other shops: The Carriage House Bookshop, located behind Milton H. Latter Memorial Library on St. Charles Avenue, and another inside Algiers Regional Library.
All proceeds from the Friends’ book sales benefit the Library. Heather Riley, director of public services, said the Library is forever grateful for everything the Friends do to support the New Orleans Public Library.
“The Friends take action for the Library every day, and we will never cease to appreciate their hard work and advocacy,” Riley said. “Especially longtime volunteers like Cindy, Carol, and Linda, who have worked countless hours – for free – to ensure that we’re able to serve our communities to the best of our abilities – their efforts are truly inspiring and do not go unnoticed. The Friends are so deeply important to our success, and we are lucky to have a team of such dedicated individuals who love the Library as much as we do, and who make it their personal mission to help us be better.”
The Friends of the New Orleans Public Library will hold their annual Really, REALLY Big Used Book Sale at Latter Memorial Library on April 20. Members will get an exclusive first look from 10-11am, and the sale will be open to the public from 11am-2pm. Visit friendsnola.org for details on becoming a member.
In compliance with Louisiana Revised Statute 25:225, the New Orleans Public Library now requires guardians to approve materials children can access.
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and to celebrate, we’re taking a look through our City Archives & Special Collections to honor the history and heritage of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the New Orleans area.
Celebrate Free Comic Book Day, Saturday, May 4th, with the New Orleans Public Library. Visit any Library location to get a free comic and check out our collection of graphic novels and manga. Plus, enter our raffle to win a selection of new graphic novels – winners announced on May 13.
Monday – Thursday 10am – 6pm
Friday – Saturday 10am – 5pm
Sunday Closed
Monday – Thursday 10am – 7pm
Friday – Saturday 10am – 5pm
Sunday Closed
