As negotiations between the mayor-president and the East Baton Rouge Parish Library come to a close, residents may not see the changes in the Library’s programs and offerings they feared would occur.

Last month, Mayor-President Sid Edwards declared dedicated Library funds were to be moved to the general fund. The proposal wasn’t well received by the library or the residents of Baton Rouge, with hundreds showing up to the Metro Council meeting where the proposal was discussed.

In response to the backlash, the mayor-president and the library announced the Thrive! Baton Rouge plan last week, which will maintain the Library’s millage tax while providing a one-time rededication of Library funds to a parish general fund.

The millage tax funds hundreds of events, programs and resources at the Library many residents don’t know about, with some of the resources being potentially useful for LSU students.

One resource the Library offers is Kanopy, a free streaming service with hundreds of films and television shows. Kanopy has thousands of films with a selection that changes every couple of months. The service offers BBC programming, A24 movies, Oscar winners and blockbuster hits. Housing some of the oldest black-and-white and foreign films to more recent well-known films like “Gladiator,” there is seemingly something for everyone on Kanopy.

Libby is one of the most-used apps the Library offers. It gives residents access to hundreds of thousands of books, audiobooks and magazines spanning all genres and available in multiple languages. All a resident needs to access the app is their name and their library card number. The same goes for Craftsy, an app with thousands of instructional videos on crafting.

Residents can also use Classica, an app with free recordings of concerts, symphonies and operas, through their free Libby account. Artistworks is also available; similar to the other apps, anyone can watch videos that instruct about music. The app teaches all genres from classical to rock and has downloadable pages to aid learning.

Reading and learning resources don’t stop there. The library also gives residents free access to comics through Comics Plus and books through TeenBookCloud and Novelist. Residents can also access the instructional Mango app, where they can learn over 70 languages.

The library doesn’t just give residents access to online apps and resources; it’s home to hundreds of events each year, like movie nights, visits from the Baton Rouge Symphony and yearly comic conventions and Maker Faires.

There are also tech labs at five library locations with 3D Printers, Cricut cutting machines, a recording studio and more. These studios, called Makerspaces, are free and available for all to use like the library’s other resources.

The library aims to create community and forge friendships by hosting multiple clubs and reading groups that meet throughout the year. From the Fantasy Lovers’ Club to the Curious Minds Club, there is space for many to engage with others in the topics they love.

The library also holds classes teaching creative journaling, LinkedIn and programs like Microsoft Excel. It even gives lessons to help people pass their drivers test.

The Career Center at the library is designed to help residents grow their skills, plan for their career, perfect resumes, practice for interviews and find jobs. Staffed with trained professionals, the Career Center is available to help anyone with their planning for the future.

For those who need homework help, the library is a place to find both online assistance and in-person tutors. They also have literacy programs to encourage and help children learn to read and write. There are even resources for small businesses at the library with information on how to start a business to help with getting their name out there.

Like other libraries, the EBR Library also has a wealth of information, especially catalogues and stored information. Something special about the Library is their free genealogy database which houses information that would otherwise cost Baton Rouge residents hundreds of dollars to obtain.

The library provides access to career aids and free information and resources to use whenever with their library card. For those who don’t already have a library card, they can go down to any of the 14 locations with their ID and proof of their address to get a card and start using all of the resources the library has available.