It all began at the Bienville Parish Library Ringgold Branch. Branch manager Naomi Wyatt began the patron appreciation program to acknowledge the community’s men and women who support the library by utilizing its services. It quickly became a systemwide patron appreciation program!

Each time a patron visits the library, his or her name is registered for a drawing. At the end of the week, a name is drawn, and that individual is our — Patron of the Week! We show our gratitude with a picture displayed in the library and with their permission on social media.

History of the “Library Patron”

In the old days, becoming a library patron was by invitation only, and you went through a heavy vetting process to become a “patron”. You needed a sponsor and only after a stringent review by other members of the library, and sometimes, a “substantial” monetary donation, were you given access to read the books that were part of the library’s private collection.

Bienville Parish Library Patron

Today, the term ‘library patron’ is the only holdover from the early days of private town libraries. Most property owners in Bienville Parish are patrons of the library. A portion, called a “mil” (1/10th of a penny equals a mil) of parish property tax dollars go to support things like the Bienville Parish Library system so it can:

• Provide services and resources to the community.
• Purchase books, DVDs, CDs, and laptops with the latest software.
• Offer educational and entertaining programs and events that are free and open to the public.
• Have desktop computers that the public can use to connect to the Internet and access the latest information and documents that help get their business done!

all of this and more is available – because of YOU!

Thank You for Your Support!

Each week when we draw a name of an individual as our Patron of the Week or Month, we acknowledge those things that are unique about him or her. We want our patrons to know how special they are to the library staff. The people who come into the library are the same people we see in town, run into at the grocery store, and see at church. They are our neighbors and friends. With the continued support of our neighbors and Library Patrons, they make it possible to keep our doors open to serve the needs of Bienville Parish residents!

So, when you visit your neighborhood library and see all the wonderful things you can do there… Remember, it’s because of YOU, the people of Bienville Parish, and the patrons of the Bienville Parish Library! The greatest people on earth! We thank you for your continued support of your neighborhood Bienville Parish Library!

---

To report an issue or typo with this article – CLICK HERE