How a small parish library redefined what public service looks like
On a Tuesday afternoon in Reserve, Louisiana, a family might walk into their local library and leave with a custom t-shirt they printed themselves, a stack of books, and a movie for the weekend. Teenagers show up after school not because they have to, but because they’re excited to design next quarter’s programming on the Teen Advisory Board or play Xbox with friends in the gaming room. A community member can step into a private telehealth room and see a doctor. These are activities they’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere in the parish, and they’re completely free.
This is what a library looks like when it’s found its footing in a changed world. And increasingly, it’s what libraries have had to become. The institution many of us grew up with had a clear and bounded identity: rows of books, quiet corners, maybe a computer lab. Over the past few years, that identity has buckled under the realities faced by the communities libraries serve: the economic pressure, the gaps in public services, the loss of third spaces. How libraries respond to that pressure looks different everywhere, shaped by the communities they’re in, the resources available to them, and the people leading them.
At St. John the Baptist Parish Library in southeast Louisiana, Executive Director Andrea Tullos and her team have spent the past several years building toward that vision. When the library system opened their newest branch – a30,000 square foot state-of-the art facility complete with a demonstration kitchen, a podcast room, a sensory garden, and more – they knew their programming and services had to match the moment. We partnered with their team to develop their 2024–2027 Strategic Plan, a process that brought together staff, board, and community voices to define what the library system is and where it’s headed. The result is a library system that the parish now recognizes as a true community connector: a trusted, free, welcoming institution that other organizations actively seek out as a partner. We sat down with Andrea to hear what that process looked like and what’s already changed.
Can you share a bit about your background and what led you to a career in libraries?
I have a BS in Finance from LSU and later went on to get my MLS at NC Central University in North Carolina. Before falling in love with libraries I had four very different careers – finance, management, sales, & non-profit work. Libraries allowed me to blend the best of those worlds. Providing public facing community spaces & ongoing educational opportunities to help others grow and be their best – and doing this for all ages and all backgrounds. Libraries are the great leveler. My work makes me smile on the daily as I watch others enjoy our libraries and services.
What brought you to the St. John Parish Library and what continues to motivate you about serving St. John Parish specifically?
I believe that divine intervention brought me back to St. John Parish. I am a River Parish-grown south Louisiana gal. I grew up in St. Charles parish and attended high school in St. John at St. Charles Catholic High in Laplace, where I met my husband and made profound memories. When I was approached about coming ‘home’ to serve in this role, I could not imagine a greater ask. After 20 years serving in Orange County Library NC, I saw this as a great opportunity to come back to my roots, to provide a community I care about with the experience I had gained in libraries. The communities in St. John have had their fair share of economic challenges and shifts in demographics. When we have a graduate from our Excel High School Diploma program, or a family come and engrave their names on wood coasters in our Makerspace, that motivates me that we are here serving and broadening the community’s experience. Our free databases, arts and crafts programs, Spanish learning classes, makerspace equipment, and of course, books, create a more meaningful touch point for our customers.
“Providing a space for people to connect, create, learn, and experience is our primary role.“
When people think about libraries, many still picture shelves of books and quiet reading rooms. From where you sit, how would you describe what libraries are actually being asked to be today?
From my seat, I see our libraries morphing to meet the changes in our world. Providing a space for people to connect, create, learn, and experience is our primary role. How you create that comes down to providing many facets of appeal. The right environment that is aesthetically pleasing so that it is not just a place to pick up an item or make a copy, but a destination place you want to come to and hang out. Providing the right staffing personalities that bring their own creativity, experience and knowledge. Providing thoughtful materials and databases. Our databases can be accessed from anywhere, as long as you have your active library card. And then providing fun and engaging programming. We provide various arts and crafts activities, have teen hang-outs, gaming competitions, activities in the makerspace like creating specially designed t-shirts in the sublimation printer and of course storytimes for toddlers and so much more.
What are some of the biggest challenges public libraries are facing right now, especially in smaller or more geographically distinct communities like St. John Parish?
There are many challenges for public libraries that are political and financial. We have had book challenges across the United States – some decisions on whether to keep or remove have resulted in Library Directors losing their jobs. In addition, the majority of public libraries are funded through taxes, both sales and property taxes. And of course most individuals would like to limit how much they are taxed, so that is always a challenge. In our community, public transportation is a major challenge.We have members who would benefit greatly from using the library, but can not easily get there. When a public library is part of a neighborhood, it can really change the use and activities of the community it serves.
“When a family of 4 is trying to pinch pennies, a visit to the library can provide hours of fun, including bringing home a movie to watch, books to read and maybe a ‘grab and geaux craft’ for the kids to make.”
At a time when communities are stretched and public services are under pressure, why do you believe libraries are still essential?
My funny answer is… because the communities are stretched and public services are under pressure. Libraries continue to be a great leveler. When an individual needs assistance, the public library can provide a wealth of information about multiple services, not just a single source. This connector for a small community is a lifeline for individuals. The Library is a trusted resource and it’s free. It’s the only place that some can visit and hang out all day and use the computers and read the newspaper and not have to buy a coffee or sandwich. When a family of four is trying to pinch pennies, a visit to the library can provide hours of fun, including bringing home a movie to watch, books to read and maybe a ‘grab and geaux craft’ for the kids to make. Libraries continue to bring people together, which makes the library a key connector during hard times.
You recently went through a strategic planning process to help clarify priorities and direction. What about the library, the community, or the approach made that process unique?
St. John Library did not have a Strategic Plan to really focus their priorities. My goal was to have a true North Star for the staff and community to understand our role, our services and resources. How we accomplished this made it fun, inclusive, creative and understandable. The approach from Trepwise felt like just the right amount of ‘stretching’ for our staff. Every staff member participated in this plan, and are the authors of many of the priorities, goals and action items. Polly and Jacqueline made it a point to ask the Director and Assistant Director to take a step back and allow the staff to percolate ideas. And boy did they. As the front line staff, their input was invaluable to meet the concerns and needs of our community.
“ Partnering with our schools, with our health care community, tourism commission, agriculture and creative groups helps us grow our community access.”
The 2024–2027 Strategic Plan describes the library as a “community connector.” What does that actually look like in practice for St. John Parish? Where do you see the library fitting within the broader network of services and institutions in the parish?
In St. John Parish, a community connector describes the adjacency that we provide to like-minded activities and resources. Partnering with our schools, with our health care community, tourism commission, agriculture and creative groups helps us grow our community access. If community members only are familiar with one small facet of resources (such as my children in school), having other partners available at a school aged event broadens our reach and enriches their lives with other resources. I see the library continuing to host and be that ‘special’ place where you run into friends, make new friends and learn more every time you visit. Over the past two years I have seen our library community grow exponentially. Most of this growth is due to the new state of the art facility with many building amenities and services, like our Makers space, pod cast room, telehealth room and gaming room. But this enjoyment of our services at one branch have led into the community engaging with our services in many new ways across the parish.
“Our library has started to be the first institution ‘asked to the table’ to participate in regional conversations, programs, and events… That is a big step in the right direction.”
Since completing the planning process, what are a few changes or early wins you’re most proud of, especially things the community might already be feeling or seeing?
Our TAB (Teen Advisory Board) is up and running and the teens actually come in and participate. That has been really cool to watch. Our library has started to be the first institution ‘asked to the table’ to participate in regional conversations/ programs / events. The Chamber, the Tourism Commission, the School System are all requesting our presence in their events. That is a big step in the right direction. Our ‘Community Connections’ volunteers who lead programs have also taken off. The focus of quality programming is a mainstay and leads most of our daily activities.
How do you make sure community voices continue to shape decisions over time, not just during planning moments?
Part of our plan included that we should provide multiple opportunities for input. After attending a program, suggestion boxes at the libraries, outreach in the community, and others. All of our staff are still encouraged to come up with new ways to reach out and do something different. Which means, we are constantly given new ways to make a difference. I hope that the culture we created will demand that we should not be complacent. There has been an emphasis on hiring and training effective and engaging staff. Their goals should continue to encourage us to reflect the community and their interests.
“All of our staff are still encouraged to come up with new ways to reach out and do something different… I hope that the culture we created will demand that we should not be complacent.”
If other communities were trying to strengthen their libraries, what lessons from St. John would you want them to consider?
Pivot is one of the words that every staff member at St. John Libraries has heard and used. Where things start, may not be where they end. It usually takes a good pivot to bring about something better and possible change. Take risks on out-of-the-box ideas and creative avenues. Sometimes our staff offer up new processes that are not typically public library tried and true ideas. Take that risk, give it a try. It might make a difference in how the staff engage with others which makes their worklife more enjoyable. Invest in your staff. Encourage your staff to further their education, personal development or learn new activities. We are only as good as the whole, meaning all the parts need to be able to bring their best. I sit back sometimes in awe of the gifts and talents that our staff have brought to our community through their work at the library. Who knew we would end up with puppeteers, master crafters, excellent gamers, Tik Tok producers, master gardeners, language teachers, and so much more. Unlocking their ‘fun’ at work brings about joy to everyone who participates and it is contagious.
What stands out most about St. John isn’t any single program, but rather the foundation beneath all of them: a genuine, grounded understanding of what the community needs. Building that foundation is harder than it sounds, and it’s exactly the kind of clarity that a good planning process is designed to surface. Tullos and her team are proof that you don’t always need to reinvent your mission. Sometimes you just need a clearer picture of how to carry it out.
If you’re looking to build that kind of clarity for your organization, we’d love to help. Visit us at www.trepwise.com/get-in-touch.
