Ascension Parish Library

What Ascension Parish Library does

Ascension Parish Library is a publicly funded library system operated by the Ascension Parish government in Gonzales, Louisiana, established in 1960 and currently led by Director John Stelly. The system serves the residents of Ascension Parish through five physical branches (Gonzales Main, Donaldsonville, Dutchtown, Galvez, and the newly opened St. Amant Library & Community Center) plus a bookmobile outreach service, and as of 2025 supports 100,467 active cardholders with 781,211 items circulated annually and 302,777 in-person visitors.

Its core offerings span traditional library lending (physical books, media), a 24/7 digital library accessible through third-party platforms (cloudLibrary, Libby, Freading, Kanopy, Freegal), and a growing set of experiential services including Makerspaces with 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC mills, and woodworking equipment; recording studios with editing suites; a teaching kitchen; and VR/gaming facilities. The system also runs the Library of Things (non-traditional items such as telescopes, ukuleles, birding kits, and seed collections), Education eCards that auto-provision digital access for all Ascension Public Schools students and teachers, and educational programs including Excel Adult High School and 1000 Books Before Kindergarten.

The business model is government-funded: primary revenue comes from parish tax allocations, with supplementary income from modest user fees (printing, copying, faxing) and donations/grants from organizations including Friends of the Ascension Public Library, Methanex, Nutrien, and United Community Bank. Library cards are free, no late fines are charged, and distribution relies on physical branches, a bookmobile, and self-serve digital channels — a structure that prioritizes community service over revenue maximization and that constrains any growth trajectory to what parish funding and grant cycles can support.

Name

Ascension Parish Library

Legal name

Ascension Parish Library

Website

https://myapl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ascension Parish Library is a publicly funded, five-branch public library system in Gonzales, Louisiana, serving 100,467 cardholders with physical and digital collections, makerspaces, recording studios, adult education, and bookmobile outreach since 1960.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Library lending programs
• Community education programs
• Digital library access
• Adult literacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Gonzales

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: Government-funded public library system serving Ascension Parish residents. Primary funding from local tax revenues and government allocations.
2. Library Services (Fee-based): Modest fees for printing ($0.10 black/white, $0.25 color), copying, and faxing services.
3. Donations and Grants: Community donations from organizations including Friends of Ascension Public Library, Methanex, Nutrien, and United Community Bank support programs and services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ascension Parish Library is a publicly funded library system providing free access to physical and digital collections, educational programming, and community services across five branches and a mobile bookmobile in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. Core offerings include books and media lending, a digital library, makerspaces, recording studios, a teaching kitchen, VR/gaming facilities, research databases, online learning platforms, adult education (Excel Adult High School), early literacy programs (1000 Books Before Kindergarten), and free community meeting spaces.

Product overview

Ascension Parish Library operates as a five-location public library system with a mobile bookmobile, offering traditional print collections alongside a comprehensive digital library. The core offerings include physical lending (books, movies, audiobooks), a Library of Things lending non-traditional items like telescopes and board games, and creative spaces including Makerspaces, Recording Studios, Teaching Kitchen, and VR/Gaming facilities. Digital services span ebooks/audiobooks via CloudLibrary, Libby, and Freading; streaming video through Kanopy and Medici.TV; music via Freegal; and extensive research databases through Gale and EBSCO platforms. The library also provides educational programs including the Excel Adult High School diploma program, 1000 Books Before Kindergarten early literacy initiative, and a Summer Reading Program tracked through Beanstack. Additional services include a Seed Library, Education eCards for local students, meeting room reservations, and computer/printing facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Library of Things: Collection of non-traditional items including telescopes, birding equipment, adventure passes, and seeds that cardholders can check out.
• Excel Adult High School
• Beanstack Reading Challenge

Products and services

• Digital Library 24/7 access to ebooks, audiobooks, movies, magazines, and streaming content through platforms including CloudLibrary, Libby, Freading, Kanopy, Freegal, and Medici.TV for cardholders.
• Library of Things Non-traditional lending collection including telescopes, ukuleles, board games, birding kits, cake pans, pickleball sets, mahjong sets, and museum adventure passes for cardholders.
• Makerspaces Creative spaces equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC mills, woodworking equipment, sewing machines, and Brother ScanNCut devices for hands-on making and learning.
• Recording Studios Audio recording facilities with editing suites for podcast creation, music recording, and multimedia content production available for patron use.
• Teaching Kitchen Culinary education space offering hands-on cooking classes and demonstrations that preserve local food traditions and build practical kitchen skills.
• Virtual Reality and Gaming VR experiences and gaming facilities for immersive entertainment and educational applications available to patrons.
• Research Databases Subscription-based research resources including Gale databases, EBSCOhost, Ancestry, Fold3, HeritageQuest, academic journals, newspapers, and specialized subject databases.
• Online Learning Platforms Self-paced educational resources including Creativebug (craft videos), LinkedIn Learning, Gale Courses, Mango Languages, and Homework Louisiana tutoring services.
• Bookmobile Services Mobile library services bringing books, media, and library resources to community centers, senior facilities, and neighborhoods throughout Ascension Parish.
• Excel Adult High School Adult education program helping residents earn their high school diploma, with 10 graduates celebrated in 2025.
• 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Early literacy program encouraging families to read 1000 books to children before kindergarten through tracking and incentives via Beanstack.
• Seed Library Complimentary seed collection allowing cardholders to pick up vegetable, fruit, herb, and flower seeds during spring/summer and fall/winter growing seasons.
• Summer Reading Program Annual reading incentive program for all ages featuring Beanstack tracking, prizes, performer events, and grand prize drawings.
• Education eCards Digital library cards for students and teachers using school-issued ID numbers, providing access to digital resources aligned with grade levels.
• Meeting Room Reservations Bookable community spaces at all locations for meetings, study sessions, and events available to patrons.
• Computers and Printing Public computers with internet access, Microsoft Office, Wi-Fi, scanning, copying, and printing services at all locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 302,777 annual visitors across five locations
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ascension Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation eCard partnership providing all students and teachers with automatic digital library access using school-issued ID numbers. Supports academic research, homework help, and curriculum resources.
• State Library of Louisiana - Check Out LouisianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating library in statewide program allowing cardholders to check out free passes to Louisiana museums and state parks.
• Adventure Pass Partner OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseums and nature centers offering free admission passes to library cardholders through the Adventure Pass program.
• Friends of the Ascension Public LibrarycoreOthersNon-profit volunteer organization established in 2019 supporting library programs through fundraising, book sales, and community advocacy. Provides Summer Reading Program prizes.
• Mary Bird Perkins Cancer CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner providing mindful chair yoga sessions for cancer survivors and caregivers at library locations.
• Louisiana Small Business Development CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic development partner providing business marketing workshops and entrepreneurship support at the library.
• Healthy AscensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity health partner providing nutrition education programs including 'Eating the Rainbow' cooking demonstrations.
• The Ocean Adventure (Karen and Wayne Brown)minorOthersMarine science educators providing educational presentations on polar bears, ocean exploration, and marine life for library programming.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• St. Tammany Parish Library: Adjacent Louisiana parish library system with multiple branches and a bookmobile. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and statewide context to Ascension Parish Library.
• East Baton Rouge Parish Library: Large Louisiana parish library system serving East Baton Rouge Parish; comparable in mission (public library services) and geography (neighboring Louisiana parish), with a similar mix of physical branches, digital lending, and community programming.
• Lafayette Public Library: Public library system serving Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. Comparable as a same-state Louisiana public library offering physical collections, digital resources, makerspace-style programming, and community partnerships.
• Livingston Parish Library: Neighboring Louisiana parish library system with multiple branches and similar community-library mission; useful regional comparable for branch-level operations and circulation benchmarks.

Emerging players

• Fayetteville Free Library: Public library widely credited as a pioneer of the modern library makerspace/Fab Lab model. Comparable to APL's investment in makerspaces, recording studios, and teaching kitchens as differentiated experiential services.
• Chattanooga Public Library: Nationally recognized for its 4th-floor makerspace and creative-learning programming. Comparable in non-traditional library services (3D printing, recording, maker education) and in treating the library as a community innovation hub.

Others

• OverDrive (Libby): Digital lending platform used by APL via the Libby app. Comparable as a technology/infrastructure partner that powers APL's digital circulation; not a direct competitor but a key vendor shaping the digital library experience.
• Kanopy: Library-focused streaming video service available through APL. Comparable as a digital content provider enabling library cardholder access to streaming media; an indirect ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• Beanstack: Reading-challenge and engagement platform used by APL for the Summer Reading Program and 1000 Books Before Kindergarten. Comparable as a SaaS ecosystem partner that supports APL's community engagement programming.

Broad incumbents

• Harris County Public Library: One of the largest U.S. county library systems with extensive branch network and digital services. Comparable as a public library operator running multi-branch physical plus digital lending at scale, though substantially larger than APL.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPLjVsYOZqCuNm5-NhWmKUg
• Facebookfacebook.com/myaplibrary
• Instagraminstagram.com/myaplibrary
• Xx.com/myaplibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ascension-parish-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Ascension Parish Library