Ouachita Parish Public Library

What Ouachita Parish Public Library does

Ouachita Parish Public Library (OPPL) is a tax-supported public library system headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana, founded in 1916 and currently operating ten branch locations plus a bookmobile across Ouachita Parish. It serves a population of approximately 156,325 residents and workers, circulating over one million items per year through a combination of physical collections (books, DVDs, audiobooks, art prints), digital resources (e-books, streaming video and music via cloudLibrary, Hoopla, Kanopy, and Freegal), and specialized offerings including the Library of Things lending program and the Joseph Bennett McGuire Genealogy Room. The library's technology infrastructure is built on the EBSCO Stacks platform, delivering a 24/7 online public access catalog and the OPPL iLibrary mobile application for iOS and Android.

Its business model is fundamentally that of a public-sector institution rather than a commercial enterprise. Primary funding flows through public tax revenue allocated by the Ouachita Parish Police Jury, supplemented by state library aid, competitive grants (National Endowment for the Humanities, Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, Union Pacific Foundation), modest transactional revenue from fines, printing, copying, faxing, and meeting room rentals, and contributions from the Friends of the Ouachita Public Library nonprofit through monthly book sales. Core library card services are free to parish residents and workers under a freemium pricing model, with Trail Blazer reciprocal cards extending access to residents of 12 additional Louisiana parishes. The library operates as a hub for community programming across age segments, including story times, summer reading challenges (continuous since 1948), test preparation support, and free proctoring services.

Recent strategic activity includes a March 2025 groundbreaking for a new Main Branch building scheduled to open in 2026, the October 2024 launch of the statewide Check Out Louisiana State Parks pass program in partnership with the State Library of Louisiana, and ongoing development of digital and experiential offerings. The library is governed by a Library Board of Control appointed by the Ouachita Parish Police Jury, with Nancy Green serving as Acting Library Director since 2021 following Robin Toms's tenure from 2010 to 2021.

Name

Ouachita Parish Public Library

Legal name

Ouachita Parish Public Library

Website

https://oplib.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ouachita Parish Public Library is a tax-supported public library system founded in 1916, operating 10 branches and a bookmobile in Monroe and West Monroe, Louisiana, serving 156,325 residents with physical and digital collections, genealogy resources, and community programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Library lending programs
• Community education resources
• Digital media lending
• Genealogy research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Monroe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Tax Funding: As a public library system, primary funding comes from public tax revenue allocated through the Ouachita Parish Police Jury and potentially state funding.
2. Fines and Fees: Revenue generated from late fines ($0.25/day per item), replacement fees for lost/damaged materials, printing ($0.10 B&W, $1.00 color), copying, scanning, faxing, and meeting room rentals.
3. Friends of the Library Book Sales: Monthly book sales conducted by the Friends of the Library nonprofit organization. Revenue supports library programming. Prices: Hardbacks $0.50, Paperbacks $0.25, Children's books $0.10.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Ouachita Parish Public Library is a public library system that lends physical materials (books, DVDs, audiobooks, art prints, Library of Things items) and provides digital media access (e-books, streaming video/music) through 10 branches and a bookmobile serving Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. The library also offers community programs (story times, summer reading, book clubs, computer classes), genealogy and special collections research services, free online tutoring, meeting room rentals, and proctoring services.

Product overview

Ouachita Parish Public Library is a traditional public library system serving Monroe and West Monroe, Louisiana, offering physical collections (books, DVDs, audiobooks, art prints), digital media (e-books, streaming video/music via cloudLibrary, Hoopla, Freegal, Kanopy), and community programs (story times, summer reading, genealogy services, proctoring, meeting rooms, and a Library of Things lending program). The library operates 10 branches plus a bookmobile, built on the EBSCO Stacks platform. Digital content is provided through third-party platforms rather than a proprietary digital product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cattails: The official newsletter of Ouachita Parish Public Library featuring book recommendations, patron stories, and local history

Products and services

• Library Card Membership Free library card available to anyone who lives or works in Ouachita Parish, providing access to the library's full collection of physical and digital materials, computers, WiFi, programs, and services.
• Trail Blazer Inter-Library Card Reciprocal borrowing card for residents of 12 other Louisiana parishes in the Trail Blazer Library System consortium (Caldwell, Concordia, East Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Richland, Tensas, Union, West Carroll). Limited to 4 DVDs per card.
• Library of Things Collection Non-traditional lending program allowing patrons to borrow items beyond books, including art prints, park passes, graphing calculators, mobile hotspots, recreational sets, STEM sets, storytime kits, and translator pens.
• Genealogy and Special Collections Services Research services providing access to Ancestry.com Library Edition, Newspapers.com Southeast Collection, Louisiana Digital Library, and a proprietary Obituary Index database with over 200,000 names from northeast Louisiana for genealogy and local history researchers.
• Homework Louisiana Online Tutoring Free one-on-one live online tutoring service powered by Tutor.com, available 2pm-midnight daily for over 60 subjects including K-12, college, test prep (ACT, SAT, GED), and job assistance, accessible with a library card.
• Digital Streaming and E-Media Services Access to e-books, e-audiobooks, streaming video, and music through cloudLibrary (up to 5 items at a time), Hoopla (7 items per month), Kanopy (unlimited streaming including Kanopy Kids), and Freegal Music (5 million+ songs, 5 songs/week).
• Summer Reading Program Annual summer reading program with themed reading challenges, incentives, prizes, and grand prize drawings for children, teens, and adults, running since 1948.
• Meeting Room Rentals Rental of meeting rooms, conference rooms, and piano recital rooms at branches for civic, educational, cultural, and community group use. Pricing ranges from $15 to $50 per booking depending on amenities.
• Proctoring Services Free exam proctoring services provided by library staff for students and certification candidates at the library branches.
• Computer Classes Free computer and technology classes offered at library branches to support digital literacy and technology skill development for patrons of all ages.
• Check Out Louisiana State Parks Program Program allowing library patrons to check out free day passes for admission to any Louisiana state park or historic site through a partnership with the State Library of Louisiana.
• Friends of the Library Book Sales Monthly book sales conducted by the Friends of the Ouachita Public Library nonprofit organization selling donated and discarded library books at low prices to support library programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves population of 156,325 in Ouachita Parish
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• State Library of LouisianacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Partnership to launch Check Out Louisiana State Parks program, providing free day passes to Louisiana state parks and historic sites. Initially launched with 19 library systems and expanded to all 68 library systems statewide.
• Louisiana State ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Provides free park passes for library patrons to access state parks and historic sites. Each pass includes admission for free entry to any Louisiana state park or historic site.
• Lt. Governor Billy NungesserminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2024State-level support for the Check Out Louisiana State Parks program connecting libraries with outdoor recreation opportunities.
• Tutor.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationHomework Louisiana powered by Tutor.com provides free online tutoring from 2pm-midnight daily for over 60 subjects including K-12, college, test prep (ACT, SAT, GED), and job assistance.
• Ancestry.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationAncestry.com Library Edition accessible at all branches with over 31,000 collections and 24 billion records for genealogy research.
• Hoopla DigitalcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital platform offering e-books, e-audiobooks, music, movies, and TV shows. Patrons can borrow 7 items per calendar month with no waiting.
• KanopycoreTechnology or IntegrationVideo streaming platform dedicated to thoughtful and thought-provoking films. Includes Kanopy Kids section with educational content for children. Unlimited streaming available.
• cloudLibrarycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-book and e-audiobook platform allowing up to 5 items at a time with no monthly limits. Available via web and mobile apps.
• Freegal MusiccoreTechnology or IntegrationLegal music download service with access to over 5 million songs. Patrons can download 5 songs per week and keep permanently.
• Trail Blazer Library SystemcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConsortium of 13 Louisiana parishes (Caldwell, Concordia, East Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland, Tensas, Union, West Carroll) enabling reciprocal borrowing services.
• Friends of the Ouachita Public LibrarycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit organization supporting library activities and programs through monthly book sales, volunteer support, and fundraising.
• iREADminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer reading program resource provider for themed reading challenges.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• East Baton Rouge Parish Library: Louisiana parish library system serving a comparably-sized metropolitan parish with multiple branches, digital lending, and genealogy resources — directly comparable to Ouachita in funding model, services, and statewide consortium participation.
• Rapides Parish Library: Central Louisiana parish library system with multi-branch operations and similar digital lending and community programming offerings.
• Shreve Memorial Library: Multi-branch parish library system in northwest Louisiana offering similar physical and digital lending, programming, and community services under a public-tax funding model closely aligned to Ouachita's.
• St. Tammany Parish Library: Suburban-parish library system on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain with comparable multi-branch operations, digital lending, and community programming — a close structural and operational peer.
• New Orleans Public Library: Major Louisiana municipal library system with multiple branches, special collections, and broad digital lending — comparable in service breadth and public-sector funding structure, though serving a larger urban population.
• Lafayette Public Library: Louisiana parish library serving the Lafayette metropolitan area with comparable branch structure, digital resource stacks, and educational programming — a like-for-like public library peer.
• Calcasieu Parish Public Library: Southwest Louisiana parish library system with multiple branches and similar digital resource offerings, comparable in scale and operating model to Ouachita Parish Public Library.
• Jefferson Parish Library: Parish library system in the greater New Orleans metro with comparable scale, branch footprint, and educational programming — comparable as a public-tax-funded Louisiana peer.
• Caddo Parish Library: Northwest Louisiana parish library serving the Shreveport metro with branches and digital resources — a near-substitute peer for Ouachita in funding model and service mix.
• Iberia Parish Library: South-central Louisiana parish library system operating branches and digital resource services under the same statewide consortium and public-tax funding framework as Ouachita.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/OPPLibrary
• Facebookfacebook.com/OuachitaParishPublicLibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oplib
• Instagraminstagram.com/oplib

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ouachita Parish Public Library