ST. MARTIN PARISH — With updated libraries in both St. Martinville and Breaux Bridge, the Parks community is pushing for a modern, spacious library of its own. The effort to bring a new library to Parks is gaining momentum as the community advocates for a facility that can meet the growing needs of its residents.
Kevin Hypolite, a St. Martin Parish native, believes the new library would be an asset for local children, offering updated information, equipment, and resources to help further their education. "This would be good for the kids to have, updated information, updated equipment, more tools to help further their education,” he said.
Although Hypolite grew up in Breaux Bridge, he has heard firsthand accounts of the shortcomings of the current library. “I have friends that use the library here, and it is small. But now that Parks is growing, you have people moving into town, more kids in Parks now, and I think a bigger library would make sense,” he added.
Despite the library board’s approval for an upgrade, Charlar Brew, director of the St. Martin Parish Library, explained that the parish council now has the final say on construction and upgrade decisions. Brew also noted that they have been unable to find legal documentation of ownership for the current building. "The council has to decide, and it is the council’s decision to decide if we can build a Parks branch library or not," Brew said.
Parks Mayor Kevin Kately is optimistic about the upcoming council meeting, where he, Brew, and community members will present their case for a new library. Kately emphasized that the need for more space has become critical. “It needs to be upgraded. We need more space. We have so many things and activities that happen in Parks inside the library, but we don’t have any space for the kids to come,” he said.
The idea of a new library in Parks has been under discussion for several years. With the recent millage renewal passed—allocating 70% of funds for a new jail and 30% for the library system—Brew believes the time to act is now. “There are still funds remaining, and those could be used to build a branch in Parks,” she said.
Parks City Council member Yvonne Narcisse voiced the community’s frustration, stating, "We’ve been asking for about eight years now. We want action."
The meeting to discuss the future of the library will take place on Tuesday, February 18th, at 5 p.m. at the St. Martin Parish Government Office and is open to the public.
