Meet Sam LeBlanc: Library Facilities Administrator
March 30, 2026
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The New Orleans Public Library is pleased to introduce facilities administrator Sam LeBlanc, who stepped into the position in early March.
Staff Recommendations: Succeed in School with your Library Card
It’s that time of year again — summer is winding down and school is back in session. Whether you’re in kindergarten, college, or an independent adult learner, the Library has tons of resources to help you thrive this school year.
With so many ways to use your Library card to succeed in school, choosing which resource to use when may be a bit daunting, but lucky for you — we’re here to help! Check out some staff favorites below, or explore all of our homework and learning tools on the Student Success page of our website.
Maria Vatranis, Best Buy Teen Tech Center Coordinator
As the coordinator of the Best Buy Teen Tech Center — an interest-based learning environment for 13-18 year-olds located on the second floor of Main Library — Maria regularly helps students connect with resources to help them in school. Two of her favorites are Homework Louisiana and History Reference Source.
Accessible to all Louisiana residents with a Library card, Homework Louisiana is a comprehensive educational tool offering one-on-one, online tutoring in all subjects, for K through college level, by real instructors and educators.
“Just like the description says, ‘Get on-demand expert help in the subject of your choice—no appointment necessary.’ When I was a student, I was always too anxious to ask for help but if this existed when I was still in school, I’d have used it. I always recommend this resource.”
Powered by EBSCO, this research database contains full-text journals, magazines, reference books and thousands of primary source documents.
“Instead of scrambling to find reliable sources online, just use your Library card. With an internet connection and a internet ready device, you can access everything you need right through the library’s online resources.”
Robin Goldblum, Head of Adult Learning & Education Programming
Robin Goldblum organizes programming for adult learners across the New Orleans Public Library system and loves to share resources that can be used through all levels of education, including one of her favorites, Mometrix eLibrary.
Mometrix eLibrary offers study materials for over 1,400 different standardized exams including high school, college, and graduate school admissions exams, and certification exams for teachers, nurses, civil service, and many other career paths.
Study materials include study guides with instructional videos, interactive flashcards, and interactive practice tests.
“I like Mometrix because it makes studying—and big goals like passing an exam—feel doable. Whether you’re a student, a parent, or an adult learner, it’s designed to support your journey. It offers guides, flashcards, and practice questions for almost any exam, and, best of all, you can study on your own time, at your own pace.
Mometrix helps take the stress out of studying by breaking things into manageable steps and giving you the confidence to keep moving forward.”
Aimé Lohmeyer, Head of Outreach
Since 2016, Aimé has been heading the New Orleans Public Library’s efforts to bring services outside Library buildings and spread the word about Library resources. She regularly visits classrooms and summer camps for Library card sign-up drives and information sessions, where she talks about all types of perks of having a New Orleans Public Library card, like access to Brittanica Library.
With content delivered at four distinct levels, Library cardholders can conduct research, work on special projects, or explore their unique interests through Brittanica Library.
This online encyclopedia and atlas is a fun educational, interactive way to explore the world. With thousands of articles and videos and customizable results based on age group and grade level, Britannica Library is a fantastic resource for all learners.
“I love Brittanica Library! As an interactive encyclopedia, it is scalable by age/reading level, and returns results in a variety of formats so no matter how a student learns best, there will be results that work well for them, e.g. videos, articles, interviews, etc.
Also, the Atlas function is really fun, zooming in on countries, learning facts about them, and more.”
Morgan Hanrahan & Shunequika Gilmore, Early Literacy Programming Librarians
Librarians Morgan Hanrahan and Shunequika Gilmore are part of a team of librarians planning, hosting, and developing early literacy programs across the New Orleans Public Library system. Every week, they help put on a variety of free events for families that focus on the five five building blocks of literacy: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing. In addition to their in-Library programming, our early literacy team helps connect families with online reading resources, like ABC Mouse.
ABC Mouse:
ABC Mouse is a global education initiative whose goal is to help children build a strong foundation for future academic success by providing a comprehensive and engaging online curriculum to assist early learners to succeed in preK, kindergarten, and early elementary school.
It is a fun, gamified way, that kids thoroughly enjoy, to learn and build those very important early literacy and math concepts, and more.
“We love that all of the games are interactive and research-based to help children prepare for school. I always recommend ABC Mouse to our first-time-to-school families or back-to-preschool families. Especially because most parents know about it but don’t realize they can access it at home for free with their library card!” — Morgan Hanrahan
“Plus, the program adjusts to the child’s progression by automatically advancing them to higher levels as they complete activities, so it’s a fantastic way to build on foundational reading skills.” — Shunequika Gilmore
Rachell Turner, Outreach Associate
Rachell Turner is a Library associate working with our outreach team. As a former teacher, Rachell loves recommending Creativebug to teachers as they get ready for a new year in the classroom.
Creativebug:
Creativebug is an online library of crafting videos covering everything from the fiber arts to papercrafts. There are classes for all skill levels and ages taught by experts in the field, and they are commercial-free.
Monthly subscriptions start at $5 a month, but with a New Orleans Public Library, you can unlock unlimited access to thousands of classes for free.
Expert instructors provide step-by-step guides, making it easy to learn new skills and get inspired. Perfect for crafters of all levels, Creativebug offers endless creative possibilities at no cost with your Library card.
“As a former teacher I’m recommending Creativebug for current teachers. Maybe you need to make an outstanding bulletin board for your classroom? Grab some paper and start cutting and folding your way to the best board in the hallway! Stumped for ideas for Fun Friday activities in the classroom? Incorporate some quality kids’ crafts or STEAM projects into your day!
There is definitely something for every teacher and student on Creativebug.” — Rachell Turner
Kelly Jones, Outreach Librarian
As an outreach librarian with a background in youth programming, Kelly is tuned in to the many Library resources that can help students, parents, and teachers throughout the school year, including one of her favorites, Kanopy.
Kanopy
This free streaming video service hosts over 30,000 selected independent, foreign language, classic, and documentary films, as well as KanopyKids, a collection of movies and shows for kids available in public libraries only.
New Orleans Public Library cardholders get 36 “tickets” to use every month. Most film cost two tickets, and content under 30 minutes cost one ticket per view. Depending on the length, episodic content costs between two and five tickets.
However, the ticket system does not apply to KanopyKids, where streaming is unlimited.
“Kanopy is a great streaming service that often has titles other platforms don’t. They have robust world cinema and documentary categories, plus they offer classic cinema, instructional videos, and a collection of titles curated for kids.” — Kelly Jones
Kids titles feature titles like “Reading Rainbow,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” “Franklin,” and more.
Looking for more support for students?
In addition to the many digital and electronic resources available to students of all ages, the Library offers academic support in countless other ways, including:
- Welcoming spaces
- Free Books and Materials
- Computers and WiFi
- Take Home Tablets
- Afterschool Programming at all Library Locations
Are you a Teacher?
The New Orleans Public Library offers outreach services to teachers looking to connect with the Library, both in-person and virtual, throughout Orleans Parish. From school and class visits to community meetings, neighborhood events, and festivals, we can customize our presentations, programs, and activities to accommodate any and all ages, multiple formats, and entertaining or educational needs.
To request Library outreach at your school or event, fill out this form.
Don’t miss out on all the great ways the Library can help your classroom thrive! Subscribe to our educator newsletter to keep up with the dozens of programs, resources, teaching tools, and fieldtrip opportunities we offer throughout the school year.
Reading Buddies Encourages Teens to Pass Their Love of Reading to the Next Generation
March 24, 2026
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Reading Buddies at the New Orleans Public Library aims to inspire the next generation of readers and writers through peer-to-peer mentorship.
St. Joseph’s Day Altars: A New Orleans Tradition
March 18, 2026
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Celebrated each year on March 19, St. Joseph Day honors the patron saint of workers and families. But in New Orleans, the tradition takes on a life all its own through the creation of St. Joseph Day Altars.
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