Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1493068
By Karen Rice McDonald County Reconnection For over 35 years McDonald County Library has been a resource for history and more to the residents of the region. The library serves a county population of 23,000. The main library, built in 1984, is located in the center of Pineville. There are two branches, one in Noel, which opened in the late 90's, and the newest facility in Southwest City, opened in 2011. "The library has been a staple of McDonald County for years," Hazel Sheets, Director of the McDonald County Library said. "People in the area know they can trust us and come to us for the information they are searching for." And from the start, the library set out to specifically be a resource for local history. History The biggest "little library" in the state started out with humble beginnings. Before the present library was built in 1984, the Pineville public school occupied the land at its location. In 1947, the Missouri State Library Service brought the Bookmobile to families of McDonald County. The Bookmobile service continued for nearly 30 years. The Bookmobile traveled to each county town once a month, making 63 stops to local schools and nearby stores. By 1959, the Bookmobile was the main source of distribution of books to library patrons. After being housed in a small room of donated books, the library moved into the two-story home that once belonged to the late Judge James A. Sturges. The old Sturges house in Pineville was built in the 1880s and was the home of the McDonald County Library from 1952-1984, until the new library building was built. In 1983, a fundraising effort was made throughout the county, for donations that would be used for a new library building. The McDonald County School System sold the Library the property to build on for $1, with stipulations that a library would be built on the land or it would revert back as school property. A state grant, which also had stipulations, required the librarian at the time, Mrs. Zella Mae Collie, to find an architect who would come up with a design and build the library within the year or they would lose grant funding of $90,000. She was successful. In fact, Mrs. Collie started an extraordinary genealogy collection for the Library. It is one of the best local and regional history and genealogical departments in the State of Missouri. It contains collections of census records, obituaries dating back to the 1800s, inscriptions from McDonald County Cemeteries, school annuals dating back to 1926, as well as a very well-kept collection of newspaper clippings for easy access. Over the years, the library has expanded to reach more of the County. The Noel Community Library, established in 1981, was eventually adopted as a branch of the McDonald County Library on September 11, 1997. The Anne Croxdale Memorial Library, built in 2010, opened to the public in 2011. Located on Main Street of Southwest City where the gas station, Croxdale Motor Station, was once located. The beautiful library has a "Wall of Honor" featuring "Legacy Bricks" that are engraved with inscriptions honoring the person or family who purchased the brick. The bricks used in the making of the "Wall of Honor" were salvaged from the old Southwest City school by Dr. Dewy Collingsworth, and were sold for $100 apiece to contribute to the building project. The McDonald County Library system would not be possible without the dedication of many individuals. In honor of these individuals and Zella Mae Collie, the library will strives to continue to help collect, protect, and preserve the rich history of McDonald County. The vast archive in the Pineville branch houses not only the history of the county but that of the local families. Over the decades, local residents have continued to contribute to what is now an impressive collection of information. "The library's extraordinary genealogy collection is one of the best local and regional history and genealogical departments in the State of Missouri," Hazel said. "It contains collections of census records, obituaries dating back to the 1800s, inscriptions from McDonald County Cemeteries, school annuals dating back to 1926, as well as a very well-kept collection of newspaper clippings for easy access." Student resource The library also works hand- in-hand with the McDonald County School District to make sure students have an opportunity to keep learning during the summer months. In the spring, the library starts promoting its Summer Reading Program with the help of the school district. "We try to fill in the gap and let students know that when the school doors close for summer, the library's doors remain open to them," Hazel said. "We have books, take-and-make projects, computers and lots of things for them to do during the summer months." The summer reading program at the McDonald County Library even includes prizes and incentives for students who participate. All they have to do is fill out their reading log and fulfill the required number of books to read based on their age level. "Local businesses from McDonald County are very generous," Hazel added. "They help supply gift cards and money that we use to award these studious boys and girls." Growth and improvements The library is always looking for ways to grow and provide a better experience for patrons, and the community continues to support the library's ambitions with funding. The Pineville location completed a remodel in 2020 that features new, energy- efficient lighting, new tiling and flooring and, for the children's area, new bookshelves. Recently the library was able to provide an outdoor seating area complete with electricity and Wi-Fi capabilities. The library was also able to upgrade outdated technology with 18 new computers for patrons and staff. A new microfilm machine was added and seen as an important addition to the library's efforts to be a good resource for local history. "We have an impressive collection of McDonald County newspapers dating back all the way to the 1800s," Hazel explained. "Our microfilm machine allows us to catalog every paper and make them easily accessible to researchers who now don't have to wade through the delicate original copies." The library offers many online resources such as HeritageQuest, Brainfuse-VetNow, Missouri Libraries 2 Go, and much more. The library even offers fishing poles for check out! For more information on their online resources and hours for the three branches visit www.mcdonaldcountylibrary.org. McDonald County Library: Research your family tree, or even check out a fishing pole! 8 2023