New Orleans Cuts Ribbon at Renovated Children's Resource Center; Mayor Helena Moreno Joins Reopening of 118-Year-Old Library
New Orleans is a city in Orleans Parish, Louisiana. The New Orleans Public Library cut the ribbon at the Children's Resource Center on Saturday, October 3, unveiling a newly renovated space dedicated to early learners and their caregivers. Located at the corner of Magazine St. and Napoleon Avenue, the building opened on January 31, 1908, is one of New Orleans' remaining two Carnegie Libraries and the second-oldest operating library location in the city; it was formerly the Napoleon Branch Library.
When the 118-year-old building closed last May for significant structural repairs, the library returned it to its original purpose as an early learning center, guided by the library's 10-year strategic plan, which identified low early literacy rates as a key community concern. Led by Morgan Hanrahan, the center is staffed by early literacy professionals and serves as the library's hub for early learning, with interactive play areas for babies, toddlers and preschoolers and a curated collection supporting school readiness. Children of all ages are welcome, and the center also holds a small collection of new and popular adult books.
Mayor Helena Moreno helped cut the ribbon, calling the center "a gift to our community." "This project shows our commitment to investing in the future of the children of New Orleans," said Moreno. "It is important to the health and strength of our city, because every child in this city deserves a place where they can discover books, develop a love of reading, use their imagination, and simply be a kid."
City Librarian & Executive Director Emily Painton noted that library leaders first created the Children's Resource Center in the 1990s in response to the same early-literacy need. The reopening was celebrated with an open house featuring music, storytimes, crafts and a firetruck visit.
Source: New Orleans Public Library, via NOLA Newswire, October 13, 2026.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：New Orleans City Hall（1300 Perdido Street），2026年2月摄。ajay_suresh 摄，CC BY 4.0，经维基共享资源。Image: New Orleans City Hall at 1300 Perdido Street, February 2026. Photo by ajay_suresh, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
