LISNews: Librarian Blog Since 1999

In a $650 million plan unveiled by Jazz trumpeter Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Public Library yesterday, officials announced plans for a library system that truly reflects the city's identity. They include a jazz-themed branch housing early recordings (alright) and a culinary branch based on the city's unique cuisine (yum).

"We don't just want to have a library system," said Mayfield. "We want it to be us. We want it to be our style, our identity."

The plan will be spread over more than two decades but will begin in the next two years with the construction of the jazz branch, which will cost about $10 million, $2 million of which will come from the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, Mayfield said.

The rest of the money will come from private donations and fundraisers, as well as storm recovery money from the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the city and the state, he said.