RESERVE — Tammy Houston is adamant about the potential to serve at the Reserve branch of St. John the Baptist Parish Library.

“That branch is really taking off,” she said. “It’s growing. The usage is growing. The patrons are growing. The community is growing. There is a need at the Reserve branch for more computers, for more services and for more library programs geared towards learning.”

Houston, administrative service coordinator for the library system, said those services were especially important to Leroy D. Williams, a near 50-year member of the library board who died March 5 at the age of 75.

Despite his passing, Williams will forever be linked to the Reserve location and the entire library system as St. John Parish Council members passed a resolution Tuesday amending the name of the Reserve branch to The Leroy D. Williams Memorial Public Library.

“Yes, all of those things were very important to Mr. Williams, and we’re going to honor his legacy by ensuring that Reserve, as well as the other libraries in our community will continue to move forward in terms of technology and in terms of materials needed to advance our community as far as education,” Houston said.

Parish President Natalie Robottom said Williams was a dedicated leader who devoted his life to serving the community,  school system and  library system.

She describes Williams as a role model for students and adults.

“Renaming the library after Mr. Williams is a fitting tribute to his lifetime of service on the library board and his contributions to the development and success of the library system,” Robottom said.

According to Houston, Williams and fellow Library Board founding member Norris Millet Sr. served as president and vice president of the Board on rotating two-year terms for decades.

“I’m pretty sure when we opened the Reserve branch, (Williams) was president of the board at that particular time,” Houston said. “It is an honor he does deserve. He was instrumental in getting the library buildings done. He has played such an important role in how we have grown as a system and in the new technology we have.

“We have a top-notch library here. A lot of it is to his credit.”

Houston said Parish Council members started the naming process a few months back and hoped to petition state lawmakers to name the building in Williams’ honor while he was still alive.

A large celebration in Williams’ honor will be planned as part of the library’s name dedication.

Williams was a longtime educator, and education was very important to him, Houston said.

“In terms of us being on course with technology, with reference books, with journals, with databases, with everything that we need to encourage education to facilitate reading, (Williams) was very instrumental in ensuring St. John the Baptist Parish Library provided those particular services to our patrons,” Houston said.