The Bossier Parish Library System was first discussed by the PTA of Bossier High School in 1940 and the Bossier Parish Police Jury approved the formation of the Library on a “demonstration” basis. This was funded by the State Library of Louisiana for one year. At the end of that year, the Police Jury approved the library on a permanent basis with the passage of a one-half millage sustaining tax in June of 1941. The first branches were located in Bossier City, Haughton, Plain Dealing and the parish seat, Benton. The agreement reached between the Parish and the State Library was for the State Library to furnish all books in the Parish Library’s possession, as well as with a bookmobile and other equipment. The Parish tax was used to maintain and expand library services.
Located in the parish seat, the Benton library opened in 1940, serving as the main Bossier Parish Library headquarters. Parish librarian Elisabeth Williams, who served as parish librarian from 1940 until her retirement in 1967, worked from the Benton library. In 1959, the Benton library moved from its original building, which was the old post office, to more modern quarters down the street. This location proved to be too small when library usage increased in the late 1980s, so the building was expanded in 1987 to provide a dedicated children’s area. A new Benton Branch was constructed and opened in 2006.
The mission of Bossier Parish Library is to open doors to ideas and information by providing access to an array of materials, programs, and technologies that inform, educate, and entertain. The vision of Bossier Parish Library is to be Bossier Parish's leading source of information and learning to enable the community to imagine, explore, and discover the world.
The cache container is a magnetic key holder on the north end of the parking lot.