🏢 New Orleans Public Library — New Orleans, Louisiana

Alvar Library

A single-room WPA gem in the heart of Bywater, the Alvar Library opened in 1940 and has survived demolition threats and Hurricane Katrina to remain one of the neighborhood's most intimate cultural spaces.

📖 About Alvar Library

The Alvar Library is a small, single-room branch at 913 Alvar Street in the Bywater neighborhood, between the Mississippi River and St. Claude Avenue. Built by the Works Progress Administration, it opened in 1940 and still carries the Art Deco details of its Depression-era origins. The building has weathered more than one existential threat: in 1977 a neighborhood association president famously chained himself to it to protest a proposed demolition, and community advocacy has kept it open ever since. During Hurricane Katrina in 2005 it took on roughly a foot of water, and it reopened on June 25, 2006, after renovations. Today the intimate, historic space hosts author talks, writing workshops, storytimes, and performances, serving as both a library and a beloved gathering spot for Bywater residents.

⭐ What makes this branch special

• A Works Progress Administration building that opened in 1940
• Intimate single-room branch with original Art Deco details
• Saved from demolition by community advocacy — including a 1977 chain-in protest
• Reopened June 25, 2006 after Hurricane Katrina flooding

📱 Free with a New Orleans Public Library Card

Any Louisiana resident can get a NOPL card free and unlock:

📍 More New Orleans Public Library branches

← All New Orleans libraries  ·  All Louisiana →

❓ Frequently Asked Questions