City Archives & Special Collections - New Orleans Public Library

09/16/2026

This event is free and open to the public. We would love to see you as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the HDLC, share about the department's history and display materials from their collection.

09/11/2026

Do you have a question, need guidance or want to schedule an appointment?

09/10/2026

We are one week away from the HDLC Open House. Can't wait to see you as we celebrate this anniversary and learn more about the history of the HDLC. Join us anytime between 11:00 am - 1:00 pm for the event.

09/01/2026

09/01/2026

SAVE The Date! Join us to get a peek into the Historic District Landmarks Commission Collection and learn about how they have helped protect New Orleans' Architectural History for 50 Years.
New Orleans and C*D HDLC

08/26/2026

Our hearts are with Dolly Parton’s family, friends, and fellow fans. Dolly is held in high regard by libraries, having launched the Imagination Library in 1995. What began as a program for preschool children and their families in East Tennessee to receive a specially selected book each month turned into an international organization that has gifted more than 332 million books to more than 3 million children. Dolly’s love of reading even spread to New Orleans, with our friends partnering with the Imagination Library to give New Orleans children the gift of books.

As our executive director, Emily Painton, said of Dolly’s passing, “We drape our libraries in a coat of many colors today as we mourn literacy’s greatest champion.”

Rest in peace, Dolly.

08/18/2026

New Exhibit: Watching America Grow: New Orleans Celebrates America's 250th explores the city’s unique role in the American story, beginning long before the founding of the United States. Through documents, photographs, artifacts, and commemorative materials from the collections of the New Orleans City Archives & Special Collections, the exhibition highlights how New Orleans has witnessed and shaped 250 years of American history. As a cornerstone of the nation’s development, New Orleans has helped shape what makes America distinctive while maintaining an identity all its own. Discover the stories and milestones that connect local history to the broader American experience and reveal the city’s enduring role in the nation’s past. See the exhibit online or on the 3rd Floor of the Main Library

Watching America Grow: New Orleans Celebrates the 250th Birthday of America explores the city’s unique role in the American story, beginning long before the founding of the United States. Through documents, photographs, artifacts, and commemorative materials from the collections of the New Orleans...

08/17/2026

Calling all New Orleans music insiders! Today is the LAST DAY to apply to help us curate the next class of Crescent City Sounds artists.

Crescent City Sounds is a free Library-built music streaming platform and the only service to feature exclusively New Orleans-based artists. We’re gearing up for our fifth round of music submissions, and we need your help.

With a goal of creating a music hub that accurately reflects New Orleans’ diverse music scene, we need curators from ALL music backgrounds and perspectives.

If you’re interested, fill our our curator application before midnight on August 17 and tell us why you should help find the next great New Orleans album.

Use the link in our bio or visit crescentcitysounds.org for details!