Gueydan, La. - After six months of renovations, the Gueydan library has opened its doors once again. The library was temporarily closed to facilitate building improvements, including mold clean up, window fixing, refreshing the book collection, waterproofing the building, and replacing the push bar on the front door.
With the reopening, nearby residents like two-year-old Jude can once again check our books and partake in library activities.
“I love books and if I teach him to come to the library, he will love books too,” Jude’s Grandmother Sheryl Blanchard said.
Sheryl often visits the library with Jude in hopes of enriching his life with books and bonding with her grandson.
“I love spending time with him and coming to the library is something we can just do together,” she said.
Branch Manager Angie Touchet LeBlanc, who worked at the library for 25 years, says the reopening is more than just an upgrade, it’s an opportunity for residents in this rural area to attend their beloved library once again.
“This community needs a library. Not everybody has the internet or is able to get internet. We’ve done so much more at the library than what we’ve ever done before and these rural areas are far away in the country, so they would have to travel far if each community didn’t have a library,” LeBlanc said.
Sheryl says she’s excited to flip through the new book collection with Jude.
“It’s very important to have one (library) close by. It’s more convenient if you just want to pop in for story time or just come get books and you can take them home with you and it’s not a long trip,” she said.
