Thursday, November 02, 2023

The Denham Springs-Walker Branch Library, the largest, most innovate branch in the Livingston Parish Library system, was named a top-three finisher in Baton Rouge Parents Magazine’s 2023 Family Favorites contest.

Located near the border of Livingston Parish’s two most populated cities, the Denham Springs-Walker Branch was voted runner-up in the “Favorite Library Branch” category.

More than 119,000 votes were cast in this year’s Family Favorites contest, according to Baton Rouge Parents Magazine.

“We are thrilled and honored to receive this incredible recognition,” said Livingston Parish Library Director Michelle Parrish. “The Livingston Parish Library prides itself on being about more than books and delivering a wide variety of services to our patrons and community. There isn’t a better representation of that in our system than the Denham Springs-Walker Branch.”

The Denham Springs-Walker Branch officially opened in 2006, the first of five state-of-the-art branches built in the system from 2006-12.

The branch covers nearly 30,000 square feet and includes a computer lab, study rooms, resting and reading areas, two meeting rooms, virtual reality, 3D printing and scanning, a Career Center, courtyards, two large parking lots, a gaming area, a children’s area, and more.

It also boasts the Livingston Parish Library system’s largest physical collection, with nearly 110,000 items in circulation.

To better serve a growing population, the Denham Springs-Walker Branch underwent a major expansion that was completed in 2017. This expansion included the addition of a meeting room for library programs, a separate meeting room for patrons, study rooms, and a new computer lab for the public.

That same year, the branch unveiled its Idea Lab, a technological space that provides access to 3D printing, 3D scanning, virtual reality, and more.

In 2022, the Denham Springs-Walker Branch unveiled its latest addition: the Career Center. In this space, the public can get assistance in researching career opportunities, exploring online and print resources, and utilizing skill-building exercises that can greatly improve their chances of success in their endeavors.

Along with résumé building, mock interviews, and in-depth skills training sessions, the Career Center also guides small business owners and prospective entrepreneurs in accessing beneficial planning tools.

From January 2018 through September 2023, more than 800,000 million people visited the Denham Springs-Walker Branch – or around 400 a day. More than 1 million items were checked out in that same time period.

The Denham Springs-Walker Branch is also the site for the Livingston Parish Library’s annual Comic Con event, which is Livingston Parish’s largest celebration of comic books, movies, television, and pop culture.

“First of all, I want to thank everyone who took the time to vote for our Library,” said Scott Kleinpeter, manager of the Denham Springs-Walker Branch. “Having the satisfaction of our patrons and community means we’re doing our job. Secondly, I want to thank our staff here at the Denham Springs-Walker Branch. They make this library what it is, and without their dedication, professionalism, and love for what they do, this recognition would not be possible.”

For the contest, readers nominated their top choices in a variety of categories. After that, the top five nominees in each category moved to the voting round. Voting took place over the months of July and August.

For more information on this contest, visit www.brparents.com/package/2023-family-favorites.

To learn more about what the Livingston Parish Library system has to offer, visit www.mylpl.info.