The Louisiana Division is located on the third floor of the Main Library. The Division collects, through purchase and gift, resources relating to the study of Louisiana and its citizens. Other areas of interest include the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico, and the South. Included are books by or about Louisianians; city, regional, and state documents; manuscripts, maps, newspapers, periodicals, microfilms, photographs, slides, motion pictures, sound recordings, video tapes, postcards, and ephemera of every sort. The Genealogy Collection contains books, periodicals, microfilms, and CD-ROMs with emphasis on the Southeast United States, Nova Scotia, France, and Spain.

The Louisiana Division also houses the City Archives, the official repository of the records of New Orleans municipal government. The Division also holds the records of the Orleans Parish civil (1804-1926) and criminal courts (1830-1932). Other Special Collections maintained by the Division are the Rare Vertical File, the Carnival Collection, the Louisiana and New Orleans Photograph Collection, the Map Collection, the Menu Collection, the Postcard Collection, the Manuscript Collection, and the Rare Book Collection. Two descriptive guides to specific subject areas have also been published and are available for purchase within the Division or by mail from the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library. They are Genealogical Materials in the Louisina and City Archives of the New Orleans Public Library (1998) and Researching the History of your House (or other Building) in New Orleans, 2nd ed. (1986).

Most books, state and city documents and microfilms may be used without restrictions within the reading room. Louisiana Division materials do not circulate. Special Collections can be used only after completion of a registration form and the presentation of proper identification and credentials. Researchers who require access to such materials are advised to make an appointment to meet with the archivist or librarian in charge of an individual collection.

The Louisiana Division is open for use during regular Main Library hours (10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Monday through Thursday and 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Friday and Saturday). Patrons interested in using Special Collections material after 4:30 PM (or at any time on Saturday), should contact the Division ahead of time to confirm availability and to arrange for items to be held.

The Louisiana Division houses two unique indexes to New Orleans newspapers:

Louisiana News Index

An index to Louisiana-related articles appearing in New Orleans newspapers. Thorough coverage is as follows:

1804-1811; 1814-1815 (Louisiana Gazette only)
1840-1872 (German language newspapers only)
1860-March, 1866
1890-October, 1892
1920 (January-March)
1930-July, 1933
1940-March, 1941
1946-1963

Louisiana Biography and Obituary Index

An index to obituaries in New Orleans newspapers and to biographical information in selected Louisiana books. Obituaries are most thoroughly indexed for the following periods:

1804-1811; 1814-1815 (Louisiana Gazette only)
1849-1857 (German language newspapers only)
1858-1972

An online version of the Obituary Index is in progress. To access the online index, link HERE.

For information on additional projects to index New Orleans obituaries, link HERE.

Obtaining Copies

Most of the Division's printed and microfilmed materials may be photocopied on the public copier and reader-printers located near the Louisiana reference desk. The Division may, at its discretion, refuse to allow copying of individual items when there is danger that they may be damaged in the copying process. In general, photocopies of items from the Division's Special Collections can be made only by staff. For information on requesting digital copies of photographs or other visual material, please link here. For information on obtaining copies of bound newspapers and other oversized materials, please contact the archivist at (504) 596-2610 or iwainwri@gno.lib.la.us.

Photocopies of exact references in books, periodicals, and microfilms can be made by the Division at a cost of $2.00 per page. If you do not have exact references, the Division offers limited, fee-based searching; link here for further information on our search and copy services. All photocopying is subject to the restrictions of the Copyright Law and of the owners of master negatives for microfilm.

All requests for photocopies or other information should be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

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Revised 3/12/2007