City Archives & Special Collections - New Orleans Public Library

06/11/2026

05/21/2026

Hurricane Season starts June 1. This hurricane tracking map from 1987, would have been marked by people in New Orleans with the track of all the hurricanes that formed that year. Even if somebody had marked this map, there wouldn't have been much to show, that year there were three named hurricanes in the Atlantic basin and only seven named tropical storms total. Lets hope we don't have to mark our maps this year.
For more old hurricane maps: https://archives-nolalibrary.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16880coll74

05/13/2026

For many years, two separate nonprofits have supported the library: Friends of New Orleans Public Library and the New Orleans Public Library Foundation.

Today, we announced our formal merger into one unified organization: the Library Foundation of New Orleans.

The result is a stronger, more efficient partner for our library system.

We have a new name, but our mission stays the same : To ensure that New Orleans has an exceptional library system that meets the diverse needs of the community it serves.

We greatly appreciate the work of the
and its Strategic Restructuring and Mergers Fund for their support.

Thank you for being a part of our next chapter!

05/12/2026

The City Archives & Special Collections holds a large collection of records from the City’s police departments, dating back to 1804. These include administrative records, arrests, reports, newsletters, photographs, and more. New Orleans has experienced many changes in its structure of policing in the city, which are reflected in the records. This can make researching police records difficult. Here, we take researchers through the process of navigating our collection of police records and provide tips on searching and access.
https://nolacityarchives.org/2026/04/30/how-to-researching-police-records/

05/06/2026

It is Hurricane Preparedness Week.
In New Orleans, we know how important it is to be ready for a hurricane. In addition to our batteries, flashlights, food, and water, it is important that we have our personal documents ready as well. In the middle of an emergency, it might be difficult to gather the important papers that you need if you don’t know where they all are. Organizing and updating your documents now will help you during and after an emergency situation. This post will take you through the major documents to collect in anticipation for hurricane season, with tips on storage for family archives, and additional resources to help you prep for hurricane season!

In New Orleans, we know how important it is to be ready for hurricane season. In addition to hurricane kits, it is crucial to have important documents gathered and ready as well. Explore tips from the City Archives & Special Collections to Ready Those Records for the upcoming hurricane season!

05/05/2026

We love our Friends! Contributions to the Friends help the Archives put on Amazing programs like GenFest, get professional supplies for our exhibits and stock our disaster kits.

05/02/2026

It is Free Comic Book Day!
In October 1948, Dave McGuire, City Director of Public Relations, prepared a Report on Comic Books for Mayor desLesseps Morrison and the Commission Council. The report addressed local concerns about the growing national moral panic on comic books and their supposed correlation with juvenile deliquesce. The report discusses the history of comic books and juvenile literature,
as well as efforts by the comics industry to address parents and governments concern, including a precursor to the Comics Code Authority based on the Hays Code used in film production. Includes a "survey" of comics available in mid-20th century New Orleans, policy recommendations, and the hypothetical story of "Little Oscar," a "comic book addict."
You can read the full report here: https://archivesnolalibrary.as.atlas-sys.com/repositories/2/archival_objects/103796