Tangipahoa Parish Library
🏢 Tangipahoa Parish Library System · Amite City, Louisiana
Tangipahoa Parish Library
The flagship of a six-branch parish library system founded in 1944, Tangipahoa Parish Library's award-winning Amite City headquarters anchors downtown with nearly 20,000 sq ft of public space — including a children's wing centered on a signature 'Discovery Tree' sculpture and one of southeast Louisiana's most complete parish genealogy collections, open since 1954.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday | 10am–3pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 204 NE Central Avenue, Amite City, LA 70422
Phone: (985) 748-7151
Website: tangilibrary.com
Plus Code: 862FPFHR+CR (Amite City, LA)
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📖 About Tangipahoa Parish Library
The Tangipahoa Parish Library has served the parishes of southeastern Louisiana since 1944, when a one-year demonstration project backed by the Louisiana State Library Commission simultaneously opened branches in Amite, Hammond, Independence, Kentwood, and Ponchatoula. Voters made it permanent in April 1945 with a parish-wide property tax — one of the earliest such library levies in Louisiana. The Amite headquarters relocated to its current two-story, 19,948-square-foot building on NE Central Avenue in November 2012, designed by Holly & Smith Architects and honored with both an AIA Baton Rouge Rose Award and an IIDA Delta Regional Chapter Award of Excellence. The children's section anchors around a distinctive 'Discovery Tree' sculpture that the AIA jury praised as 'so cleverly stylized that it avoids all cliché.' Upstairs, the Genealogy and Local History Department — established in 1954 — holds rare ledgers from B. Stern's Department Store (1901–1920), registers from the 1860s-era Yelvington Hotel, military records, historical photographs, and parish documents unavailable anywhere else in the region.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Award-winning 2012 headquarters by Holly & Smith Architects (AIA Baton Rouge Rose Award; IIDA Award of Excellence) — 19,948 sq ft, two-story, with rooftop terrace
- Genealogy & Local History Department (est. 1954) on the second floor: Ancestry Library Edition on-site, HeritageQuest remotely, B. Stern's ledgers 1901–1920, and Yelvington Hotel register from the 1860s
- Children's section features the 'Discovery Tree' sculpture; programs span Baby & Me (ages 0–18 months) through Adventure Club (grades 2–5)
- Free computer classes at the Amite branch: Computer Basics, Microsoft Office, Web Skills, Digital Security, and Resume Building
- Mobile hotspot lending for adult Tangipahoa Parish residents; Check Out Louisiana state-park day passes available at the branch
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Tangipahoa Parish cardholders stream, download, and research free through the library's digital collections:
📚 Services
- Free library cards for Tangipahoa Parish residents; e-cards for online access
- Public desktop computers (ages 10+, two-hour sessions) with free Wi-Fi
- Printing (B&W $0.15/page, color $1.00/page), copying, faxing ($1.00/page)
- Mobile hotspot lending for adult parish residents
- Genealogy research assistance (second floor, Mon–Fri 10am–5:30pm, Sat 10am–3pm; phone ext. 204)
- Meeting room reservations
- Ask a Librarian chat support via LibraryH3lp
- Check Out Louisiana: free day pass to any Louisiana state park or historic site
- Free computer classes (Amite branch): Computer Basics, Microsoft Office, Web Skills, Digital Security, Resume Building
🎸 Programs
- Baby & Me — six-week lapsit storytime for ages 0–18 months
- Toddler Time — six-week interactive program for ages 18 months–3 years
- Story Time — weekly sessions with stories, rhymes, crafts, and finger plays for ages 3–7
- Adventure Club — after-school and Saturday activities for grades 2–5
- Teen Zone — weekly creative and social activities for teens at all branches
- Genealogy classes for beginners: Ancestry.com, HeritageQuest, and burial-records research
- Sewing and crocheting groups at multiple branches
- Summer Reading Program (June–July)
- Annual Free Book Festival (October)
📍 Nearby Libraries in Southeast Louisiana
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Amite City · Browse all Louisiana libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Genealogy Department inside the Amite headquarters, and what unique materials does it hold?
Yes — the Genealogy and Local History Department occupies the second floor of the Amite branch and is open Monday–Friday 10am–5:30pm and Saturday 10am–3pm (call ext. 204). It holds primary sources unique to the region: B. Stern's Department Store ledgers (1901–1920), an 1860s Yelvington Hotel register, historical railroad and harvest photographs, church histories, cemetery guides, school yearbooks, and African-American community records. Ancestry Library Edition is available free on-site; HeritageQuest and the African-American Heritage database are accessible remotely with a library card.
How did Tangipahoa Parish get its public library in the first place?
The library began in July 1944 as a one-year demonstration project funded by the Louisiana State Library Commission and championed by local civic leaders and the Police Jury. Five branches — Amite, Hammond, Independence, Kentwood, and Ponchatoula — opened simultaneously, with Loranger following in January 1945. On April 24, 1945, Tangipahoa voters approved a parish-wide property tax to make the library permanent — one of the earliest such library levies in Louisiana.
What is the 'Discovery Tree,' and why did the 2012 Amite building win architecture awards?
When the Amite headquarters moved to its current 19,948-square-foot building on NE Central Avenue in November 2012, architect Holly & Smith designed a children's section anchored by a large sculptural 'Discovery Tree' — praised by an AIA jury as 'so cleverly stylized that it avoids all cliché.' The building's linear form navigates a narrow downtown site using textured brick and charcoal sheet metal, earning both the AIA Baton Rouge Rose Award and an IIDA Delta Regional Chapter Award of Excellence.
Can I borrow a mobile hotspot from the Tangipahoa Parish Library to use at home?
Yes. Adult cardholders (18+) who are Tangipahoa Parish residents may borrow a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot device from the library. Contact the Amite branch at (985) 748-7151 for availability and loan terms, or see program details at tangilibrary.com.
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