The Richland Parish Library can date itself as far back as 1915, when the ladies of the Lambda Kappa Club of Rayville envisioned having a library that would service Richland Parish.
This group got permission from the parish school board to keep the school library opened during the summer months. The response was so enthusiastic that in 1924 the club asked for use of a room in the school solely for the use as a town library, and permission was granted.
In 1925 the Carnegie Foundation had given a grant to the State of Louisiana to develop public libraries. This grant resulted in the Louisiana Demonstration Project.
The dreams of a parish library would then become the intense brainchild of the Lambda Kappa Club. That first meeting that got the ball rolling was held in the home of Judge Carey Sr. and Mrs. Innes Morris Ellis. Others attending were Gussie Calhoun, Dr. John C. Calhoun, Robbie Binion, Laurelle Calhoun, Dr. and Mrs. H. P. Corry, Roy Walters, Mrs. E. E. Keebler, Robert Ray Rhymes, Ruth Whatley and Lillian Morris.
With the town library already in place, the Lambda Kappa Club met the requirements for a parish library. The group opened their library in that room of the Rayville School on April 15, 1926, having received one thousand books from the Louisiana Library Commission, now the State Library. They operated a 52-hour workweek service.
From April to December 31, 1926, the library received a total financial support of $1,479.88 from the Town of Rayville, the Richland Police Jury and other sources that included cake walks, movie nights and square dances. The book collection grew to over 2,100 books.
The original Library Board appointed by the Police Jury were: Mrs. E. A. Baker of Mangham, Mrs. D. A. Whitfield of Crew Lake, Mrs. F. G. Hulse of Delhi, Mrs. R. R. Rhymes (Ms. Nonnie Roark Rhymes), Mrs. Carl Earle, both of Rhymes, Mrs. R. E. A. Jones of Rayville, Mrs. F. B. Hatch of Buckner and Mr. J. A. Ball of Alto.
One year and one day later, on April 16, 1927, the Mississippi River levee broke at the Mounds Landing just north of Greenville, Mississippi, flooding all the delta land on both sides of the river, having finally given way on April 21. It would take months for the waters to recede.
Fortunately, Mr. Robert Ray Rhymes had donated the funds to build a new permanent brick structure to house the newly formed library. This building would sit on the northwest corner of the school property where the original Presbyterian Church had stood.
Completed in early 1927, the Nonnie Roark Rhymes Memorial Building was officially dedicated in May of 1927. Ms. Nonnie had died on January 1, 1927, before the completion and never got to see the beautiful new red brick building dedicated in her memory.
Even though the entire delta region would eventually be covered in floodwaters, this did not deter the determination of the first library board, the Lambda Kappa ladies, the executive committee or the first librarian, Mrs. Lillian Morris.
It is noted that Ms. Lillian, at more than 60 years of age, would don her rubber boots, paddle her boat to work faithfully to open the library facilities, which were still housed in the school building until May of 1927. She retired in 1930 and died in 1947 in New Orleans.
In 1935 the library struggled along financially until the State Library stepped in to take charge, reorganize and conform the board to state law. This gave the library a real boost, with financial assistance, two trained librarians and later a bookmobile.
Seven branches were established in the parish: in the Mangham Town Hall, in Neal McEachern’s Store in Delhi, in the Post Office at the L. B. Archibald Store in Archibald, in the Post Office at Holly Ridge, in the Woffard Store in Start, in the Post Office at Alto and in Arnant’s Store at Dunn. By 1937 there were 17 branches scattered throughout the parish. These were located in patrons’ homes.
In 1946 the Rayville Branch, housed in the Rhymes Memorial Building, was expanded to more than twice its original size.
A bookmobile service began in 1949, making 713 miles that first year. By 1957 the total jumped to 35,218 miles, and in 1967 the total mileage was 61,600. The bookmobile was named the Richland Traveling Library and proudly displayed its name on the side of the vehicle.
By the years 1958 into 1959, the many branches of the library service had been reduced, with official branches being Mangham, Holly Ridge, Delhi, New Light Community and the Dunbar Community (Rhymes-Rosenwald School site).
On April 1969 parish voters approved a two-mill tax for the construction of new facilities in Rayville, Mangham and Delhi. The Rayville branch was dedicated on December 5, 1971, and the Delhi branch on December 6, 1971, followed by the Mangham branch on December 12, 1971.
These beautiful modern buildings are fully operational today for our benefit and the education of future generations.
