Lake Charles Community Area Information

Libraries

Founded in 1944, the Calcasieu Parish Library system (337-475-8798) has been expanded to include one main library and thirteen branches throughout Calcasieu Parish, with over 370,000 volumes of which 330,802 are books, books on tape, CD’s, and videos in circulation.  Recordings, slides, maps, and art prints comprise the balance of the collection.

The library system now has public access to the Internet and a Homepage on the worldwide web:  http:\\grok.calcasieu.lib.la.us\

Reference services get top priority in the Calcasieu libraries. If information cannot be located in the parish library collections, every effort will be made to refer an individual to an appropriate source or to request publications from the state library.

A specially designated Genealogy Collection is available for use within the parish system.  Also, there are special children’s services coordinated parish-wide by the various branch managers.

Within Lake Charles are the Carnegie Downtown Branch, the South City Central Branch, and the Epps Memorial Branch.  The other Calcasieu parish libraries are in Bell City, DeQuincy, Hayes, Iowa, Maplewood, Moss Bluff, Starks, Sulphur, Vinton, and Westlake.

Located in the McNeese State University campus is the Lether E. Frazar Memorial Library (475-5716), the depository for the State of Louisiana and Federal Government publications.  It contains over 244,000 volumes, 848,000 government publications, and 216,023 microfilms.  Approximately 2,000-plus periodicals are added each year.  Non-students may become “Friends of the Library” and pay a small yearly fee to have the priviledge of checking out books.  Other services include receptions of artists’ paintings and exhibits that occur four or five times annually.