Central Branch

The first Central Branch Library opened in 1940 and was located in the W.R. Edwards Store across from Central School. The branch was closed in February, 1944, because the store needed additional space. In 1945, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board erected a building on the Central School grounds for the branch and public library service was resumed in November, 1945.

In the late 1960's, the library began searching for a suitable piece of property for the construction of a new Central Branch.

In 1971, L.W. Eaton constructed a building adjacent to his shopping center at the corner of Hooper and Sullivan roads for the purpose of leasing it to the city as a branch library. The building, located at 13505 Hooper Road, was opened as the Central Branch Library on April 10, 1972. The library purchased the 2,604 square-foot building in 1982.

The newest facility, was designed to accommodate the Central community with a book collection of 100,000 volumes and seating for 125 patrons. The library contains public computers, meeting room for 100, which can be divided into two separate rooms for library programming, and a special Storytime room for children.

Free wireless Internet access is available at this branch.