By Robert Kenneth Wright
As voters consider the property tax renewal funding Ouachita Parish Library Services, a longstanding promise remains unfulfilled: addressing the inadequate Carver-McDonald Library serving the Renwick/Booker T. community.
Unlike other branches, the Library Board doesn’t even own this facility. Since 1971, Carver has operated in a small building owned by the Monroe City School Board. Before that, it existed only because the Colored Chamber of Commerce—led by visionaries like Ibra January, B.D. Robinson, and Joseph Pendleton—raised funds when the Library Board refused to build a “Negro” library. Mrs. Odalie Robinson McDonald became its first librarian, thus the namesake Carver-McDonald Library.
As a former Library Board member who grew up using Carver, I witnessed concerning patterns. Monthly circulation reports consistently showed Carver having low usage statistics, which Police Jury President Shane Smiley cites as justification for inaction. Yet this creates a self-fulfilling prophecy: without adequate space, resources, or modern accommodations, community engagement remains limited.
One heartbreaking example was the disposal of complete JET and Ebony Magazine collections—irreplaceable historical artifacts sacrificed due to space constraints. These weren’t just periodicals but tangible pieces of our shared heritage that deserved preservation.
The Board officially voted to address Carver after completing the Main Branch’s remodel and 18th Street Library renovation. This commitment appears in Board minutes. However, backroom dealings subsequently redirected focus to purchasing the old Stein Mart building instead, likely delaying Carver improvements indefinitely. This betrayal of the process prompted my resignation.
This tax vote presents a dilemma. Voting against it threatens all library funding. Voting for it should obligate the Police Jury to honor the Board’s recorded commitment to Carver before undertaking other expansions. If the Board’s decisions can be so easily overruled, what purpose does it serve?
The Renwick/Booker T. community must increase library utilization to strengthen the case for improvements. But regardless of usage statistics, a promise was made. After decades of waiting, it’s time for the Carver-McDonald Library to receive the investment it deserves.
I made a pledge to Mr. Robert Tanzy (former Librarian) and the late Mr. Ervin “Peter” Turner (former Police Jury) that I would fight for Carver.
Either on the Board or not, I still advocate for it. Our community’s history and future readers deserve nothing less.
