Saint Bernard Parish Public Library

What Saint Bernard Parish Public Library does

The St. Bernard Parish Public Library is a single-location public library system operating as a political subdivision of the St. Bernard Parish Government in Louisiana. Headquartered at 3121 E. Judge Perez Drive in Meraux, LA, the library serves the residents of St. Bernard Parish (including Braithwaite and Jackson Barracks) with free access to physical and digital collections, public computing resources, meeting facilities, and community programming. The library is governed by a Library Board of Control and directed by Lauren Clement; the current board includes Scott Richoux (President), Justin Frank (Vice President & Ex-Officio, appointed May 2025), and Chad Kelley (Treasurer), alongside additional board members.

The library's core technology stack consists of third-party public library infrastructure rather than proprietary systems: the TLC Delivers catalog and circulation platform, CIPA-filtered public workstations, 24/7 free WiFi, and a suite of digital lending platforms integrated via the statewide Louisiana library consortium — Overdrive/Libby and Cloud Library for ebooks/audiobooks, Gale Virtual Reference, Britannica eBooks, World Book, eBookshelf, Tumblebooks, and HomeworkLA.org tutoring. Educational and workforce services include Mango Languages, Learning Express, UniversalClass, and Gale Courses. A new 25,000 square foot facility — with 95 parking spaces, a 100-person meeting room, study rooms, and quiet reading areas — reached substantial completion on March 31, 2025, after approximately 509 days of delay versus the original February 16, 2025 target, with an approximate total project budget of $13.99 million ($12.9M spent as of April 2025).

The library's revenue model is fundamentally non-commercial. Primary funding flows from a parish tax millage administered through St. Bernard Parish Government, supplemented by modest transaction-based income from overdue fines (10¢/day, capped at $5/item), printing (10¢ B&W, 50¢ color), faxing, damaged material fees, card replacement ($5), and commercial meeting room rentals ($60/hour). Additional support comes from monetary donations and memorial gifts. Core services — library cards, collections access, computers, WiFi, and non-profit meeting space — are free to parish residents. Distribution is direct: walk-in service at the Meraux location plus self-serve online catalog and digital platform access. Marketing is minimal, relying on the mysbpl.org website, a Facebook page, and referral partnerships with parish government, schools, and the State Library of Louisiana.

Name

Saint Bernard Parish Public Library

Legal name

St. Bernard Parish Library

Website

https://mysbpl.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The St. Bernard Parish Public Library is a single-location Louisiana parish government library system serving St. Bernard Parish residents from its Meraux, LA headquarters with free physical and digital collections, public computing, educational platforms, meeting space, and community programs funded by a parish tax millage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (519210)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Digital lending platform
• Community meeting spaces
• Educational reference databases
• Public internet access

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Tax Funding: Primary funding through parish tax millage as a public library system
2. Library Fines and Fees: Overdue fines (10 cents/day, max $5/item), damaged item fees (cost + $7.50 processing), printing fees (B&W 10c/page, color 50c/page), fax fees (10c/page + $1 processing), replacement card fee ($5)
3. Donations and Memorial Gifts: Accepts monetary donations and memorial gifts for purchasing books, audiobooks, movies, and funding programs
4. Meeting Room Rental: Non-profit community groups free; commercial groups $60/hour rental fee

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Saint Bernard Parish Public Library provides free public library services to St. Bernard Parish residents, including access to physical and digital collections (books, DVDs, audiobooks, eBooks), public computers with CIPA-compliant internet filtering, free WiFi, printing/copying/faxing services, meeting and study rooms, and educational databases. Operated as a political subdivision of St. Bernard Parish Government and funded primarily through parish tax millage.

Product overview

The St. Bernard Parish Public Library operates as a single-location public library system offering physical and digital resources to the St. Bernard Parish community. The library provides traditional catalog and circulation services for physical materials (books, DVDs, audiobooks), alongside an extensive digital platform encompassing eBooks, audiobooks, and educational databases through partnerships with Overdrive/Libby, Cloud Library, Gale, Britannica, and World Book. Educational services include eLearning resources through Mango Languages, Learning Express, UniversalClass, and Gale Courses. Core patron services include public computer access with internet filtering (CIPA-compliant), free wireless internet, printing/copying/fax services, and meeting room facilities. The library recently completed construction of a new 25,000 square foot facility featuring expanded meeting spaces, study rooms, and enhanced technology infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Library Catalog and Circulation Service Online and in-branch catalog and circulation system (TLC Delivers) that allows St. Bernard Parish library cardholders to search, reserve, and borrow physical and digital materials including books, DVDs, and audiobooks. Includes dedicated Main, Kids, and Low Bandwidth catalog views for patron access.
• Public Computer Access Walk-in use of library-provided computer workstations featuring Microsoft Office software and CIPA-compliant Child Internet Protection Act filtering. Includes accessibility accommodations such as larger monitors for visually impaired patrons. Public computers shut down 15 minutes before closing.
• Free Public Wireless Internet Access Free wireless internet (WiFi) access for the public, available on-site 24/7 and compliant with CIPA internet filtering requirements. Wired/public computer access remains available during library operating hours.
• Printing, Copying, and Faxing Services Patron printing, photocopying, and fax services provided at the library. Black and white printing is 10 cents per page; color printing is 50 cents per page; faxing is 10 cents per page plus a $1 processing fee plus 10 cents for the confirmation page.
• Meeting and Study Room Reservations Reservable meeting and study room facilities at the library for community groups, non-profit organizations, and commercial entities. Non-profit community groups are free; commercial groups pay $60 per hour. Reservation process is first-come, first-served, with non-profit guidelines applying.
• Free Tax Preparation Assistance (VITA / AARP) Coordinated free in-person tax preparation assistance offered at the library through United Way's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and AARP Tax Aide, serving low-income residents and seniors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Provides access to eBooks and eAudiobooks statewide through Overdrive/Libby and Cloud Library platforms
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• State Library of LouisianacoreTechnology or IntegrationState-level library system providing access to statewide resources, databases, and interlibrary loan programs. The St. Bernard Parish Library participates in statewide digital media initiatives and shares access to licensed databases including Gale Legal Forms and other Louisiana-specific resources.
• St. Bernard Parish GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary local government partner providing tax millage funding and oversight. Library operates as part of the parish government structure.
• St. Bernard Parish SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership providing students access to library resources, homework help, and coordinated programs including summer reading initiatives.
• Social Security AdministrationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpress program allowing patrons to create accounts, apply for benefits, and access Social Security services at the library location.
• United Way - VITA ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree tax preparation assistance through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program for low-income residents.
• AARP Tax AideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree tax preparation assistance for seniors through AARP Foundation Tax Aide program.
• Overdrive/LibbycoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital media lending platform providing ebooks and audiobooks to library patrons through the Libby app.
• Cloud Library (OCLC)coreTechnology or IntegrationDigital content platform providing ebooks and audiobooks to Louisiana library patrons statewide.
• Gale (Cengage Learning)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides online courses, legal forms, virtual reference resources, and career preparation tools through library subscription.
• LearningExpress LibrarycoreTechnology or IntegrationInteractive learning platform providing skill practice, test preparation, career resources, and eBooks for students and adults.
• HomeworkLA.orgcoreTechnology or IntegrationFree online tutoring and academic resources for Louisiana K-12 students and adult learners, with live tutor access.
• World Book EncyclopediacoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline encyclopedia and educational reference resources for students and patrons.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lafayette Public Library: Louisiana parish-level public library providing physical and digital collections, public computers, and community programming; comparable single-parish governance and millage-funded model.
• New Orleans Public Library: Urban Louisiana public library system with multiple branches and similar statewide consortium access; serves a comparable population with catalog, digital lending, and community programming functions.
• East Baton Rouge Parish Library: Louisiana parish public library system of comparable scale; provides traditional and digital lending, community programming, and meeting facilities to a single parish — directly comparable governance and service model to St. Bernard Parish Library.
• Caddo Parish Library: Northwest Louisiana parish public library offering traditional and digital services with similar parish-level tax funding; directly comparable in structure and service breadth.
• Calcasieu Parish Public Library: Southwest Louisiana parish library system with catalog lending, digital resources, and community meeting spaces; functionally equivalent to St. Bernard Parish Library at similar parish scale.
• Jefferson Parish Library: Neighboring Louisiana parish public library system offering catalog access, digital lending, and community programming; operates multiple branches within a single parish — closely mirrors St. Bernard Parish Library's funding model and service mix.

Broad incumbents

• Overdrive (Libby): Dominant digital lending platform serving public libraries globally and a core technology partner of St. Bernard Parish Library; operates across the same library market with vastly broader scale.
• Hoopla Digital: Digital library lending platform providing ebooks, audiobooks, music, and video to public library patrons; competes for library digital-content budgets alongside Overdrive/Cloud Library used by St. Bernard.

Emerging players

• TLC (The Library Corporation): Provider of the TLC Delivers integrated library system actually used by St. Bernard Parish Library for catalog and patron management; direct technology peer for ILS infrastructure.
• BiblioCommons: Library discovery and catalog platform serving public library systems; competes with TLC Delivers (used by St. Bernard Parish Library) for the library technology stack.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mysbpl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-bernard-parish-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Saint Bernard Parish Public Library