The Library's mission is to provide the people of Louisville
and Jefferson County with the broadest possible access to knowledge, ideas, and
information, and to support them in their pursuit of learning.
The newly remodeled and expanded Shawnee Branch features a
new 6000 square foot addition, 41 touch-screen computers, a large collection of
works by African-American authors, new spaces for children and teens, a
computer learning lab, two study rooms, and a large meeting room available to
the community.
There are no fees charged for meeting room use.
History:
Since the 1860's there has been a library at the 3900 block
of West Broadway.
The first building was constructed of red brick and was
built on land donated by Mr. Henry Garr. It served as a community meeting house
and a library for with books donated by people in the neighborhood. After a
controversy concerning ownership of the building, the citizens successfully
sued to continue to use the site as a library. The second building was a frame
building which opened to the public on February 10, 1922. In 1937, the flood
which ruined so much in the City of Louisville filled the library with water up
to the eaves of the building, ruining the collection and seriously damaging the
building itself. The third building which was constructed by the W. P. A. of
red brick and stone is the one which stands now.
To be of genuine service to its community, a library needs
to be much more than bricks, books, meeting rooms, or staff. Over the years,
the Shawnee Branch has presented programs and story hours for children as well
as programs for adults. The Derby Fever program, held each April before the
Kentucky Derby, is a special event that many West End patrons look forward to
each year. In July of 1999, the Shawnee Branch opened a Computer Learning
Center and began offering free computer classes to the public.
The Shawnee Branch has been central to the educational
enrichment of the West End for many years. With new projects like the Computer
Learning Center, enhanced information sources through access to electronic
databases and the Internet, and the continuation of the "old
faithful" reading emphasis, it will continue to be an important resource
for our neighbors on West Broadway and throughout Jefferson County.
On September 10, 2011, the Shawnee Library re-opened after
an extensive 8-month expansion and renovation project. The project included a
new 6,000 square foot addition and renovation of the original 73-year-old
library. The new library provides state-of-the-art technology, more study
space, new teen and children’s areas, and more public computers.