Fines for New Orleans @ Natrona County Public Library

By Hilery Walker, Community Relations Coordinator

January 25, 2006

February will be full of fundraising and festivity at your Natrona County Public Library!  Beginning February 1, NCPL will begin its Fines for New Orleans program, a fundraiser to benefit New Orleans Public Library.  All collected fines during the month will be matched with grants from the Friends of the Library and the Natrona County Public Library Foundation to make a substantial contribution to New Orleans Public Library rebuilding efforts.

New Orleans Public Library (NOPL) was founded in 1896 and, prior to Hurricane Katrina, circulated almost a million items annually.  Of the library’s twelve branches, the hurricane destroyed six buildings and severely damaged another two.  In the past four months, NOPL has been able to open five branches for limited use.  David Winkler-Schmidt, Coordinator of Children’s Services for NOPL, stated that “our needs are quite extensive—Katrina destroyed many of our collections not to mention equipment, carpeting, computes and essential items.  We’re in pretty bad shape, but our outlook is a positive one and it has to be.  So many New Orleanians depend on our library as their primary information resource center, and we refuse to fail them at their darkest hour.” 

In October 2005, Natrona County Public Library joined 20 other American libraries to participate in the Adopt-A-Library program aimed at helping libraries devastated by Hurricane Katrina.  If you would like to make a private donation to help New Orleans Public Library rebuild, please make checks payable to the Natrona County Public Library Foundation and indicate “New Orleans Public Library” in the memo portion of the check.

An easy way to take part in Fines for New Orleans is to pay your fines on late library items during February.  If you pay your fines in full or make a private donation on any Mardi Gras Tuesday (every Tuesday in February), you’ll receive a string of festive Mardi Gras beads!  Fines for New Orleans will end with a bang during the library’s own Fat Tuesday celebration on February 28.  Make plans to join us for traditional King Cake from First Street Bakers and live music with Ju Ju Jazz at noon.

The celebration doesn’t stop at the library, however.  Mardi Gras festivities will continue through the evening on February 28 during the third annual Mardi Thaw, a fundraiser for Wyoming Medical Center Foundation.  A portion of the proceeds from this swinging evening event will be donated to New Orleans Public Library.  This year’s Mardi Thaw will begin at 5:00 PM in the basement of the First Interstate Bank Parking Building (located at 1st and Wolcott) and will feature Cajun-style food from local vendors, live jazz and door prizes.  Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased at the library. 

Drop by your Natrona County Public Library this February to join in the festivities and help a library in need. 

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