Jefferson Davis Parish Library — Elton Branch
🏢 Jefferson Davis Parish Public Library · Elton, Louisiana
Jefferson Davis Parish Library — Elton Branch
The Elton Branch of Jefferson Davis Parish Public Library traces its roots to 1927 — the earliest continuous library presence in this southwest Louisiana town of roughly 1,000 residents. Its modern facility, opened September 18, 2006, on land donated by American Bank in memory of Harold J. Callis, serves a community with deep ties to the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, whose name for the historic library support club — Em-Mok-La, meaning 'friends' — captures the branch's role as a gathering place for Elton and the surrounding prairie.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 11:30am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 11:30am–6pm |
| Thursday | 11:30am–6pm |
| Friday | 9am–3pm |
| Saturday | 10am–2pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 813 Main Street, Elton, LA 70532
Phone: (337) 584-2640
Website: jdplibrary.org
Plus Code: 8629F8J3+GP (Elton, LA)
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Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
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📖 About Jefferson Davis Parish Library — Elton Branch
The Jefferson Davis Parish Public Library Elton Branch is part of a four-branch parish system headquartered in Jennings, the parish seat 26 miles to the south. Library services in Elton date to 1927, with Mrs. Day Farley serving as the first librarian. The current 2006 facility at 813 Main Street was made possible by a land donation from American Bank in honor of Harold J. Callis, Chairman of Community Bancorp of Louisiana. Elton is home to the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, one of the federally recognized Native American nations of the Gulf South, and the branch once hosted the Em-Mok-La (a Koasati word meaning 'friends') library club that supported and promoted community activities. Jefferson Davis Parish itself became Louisiana's 64th and last parish to establish a public library demonstration program in 1967, and the full system — now including branches in Elton, Lake Arthur, Welsh, and a Bookmobile — has grown to provide digital resources, museum passes, mobile hotspots for loan, and statewide library databases to southwest Louisiana residents.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Library presence in Elton dates to 1927, with the current modern facility opening September 18, 2006 on land donated by American Bank
- Serves a community that includes the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana — one of the Gulf South's federally recognized Native American nations
- The historic Em-Mok-La ('friends') library support club embedded the branch deeply in Elton's civic identity
- Part of a four-branch Jefferson Davis Parish system that also operates branches in Jennings (headquarters), Lake Arthur, Welsh, and a Bookmobile
- Museum Pass Program lets cardholders reserve free passes to Louisiana museums and cultural sites
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Jefferson Davis Parish cardholders can borrow, stream and research free through the system's digital collection:
📚 Services
- Public computers, printing & free Wi-Fi
- Mobile Hotspot lending for home internet access
- Museum Pass Program — free passes to Louisiana museums
- Bookmobile outreach to remote communities in Jefferson Davis Parish
- Interlibrary loan through the Jefferson Davis Parish Library network
- Kids Corner and homeschool resources
- Talking Books & Braille Library services for patrons with disabilities
🎸 Programs
- Children's programming and Kids Corner activities
- Summer Reading Program
- Homeschool support resources
- Job assistance and financial literacy workshops
- ASL learning resources through ASLDefined
- Community events
📍 Nearby Libraries in Southwest Louisiana
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How long has there been a library in Elton, and when did the current building open?
Library services in Elton trace back to 1927, when Mrs. Day Farley became the first librarian. The modern branch facility at 813 Main Street opened on September 18, 2006, on land donated by American Bank in memory of Harold J. Callis, Chairman of Community Bancorp of Louisiana.
What is the Em-Mok-La and what does it have to do with the Elton library?
Em-Mok-La is a Koasati (Coushatta) word meaning 'friends.' It was the name of a community library support club organized to promote activities that benefited the Elton library and the broader community. The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana has historically had a presence in and around Elton, and the club's name reflected that cultural connection.
What are the Elton Branch Library's hours?
The branch is open Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The branch is closed on Sundays.
Can I borrow a mobile hotspot from the Jefferson Davis Parish Library?
Yes — the Jefferson Davis Parish Public Library system lends mobile hotspot devices for checkout, giving patrons in Elton and across the parish a way to access the internet at home. Ask at the Elton branch or the Jennings headquarters for availability and loan terms.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.