Columbia Public Library | |
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Type | Public library system |
Established | 1922 (CPL), 1954 (DBRL) |
Service area | Columbia, Missouri and surrounding towns |
Access and use | |
Circulation | 2,110,378 (2021) [1] |
Other information | |
Public transit access | Go COMO |
Website |
www |
The Columbia Public Library (CPL) is the public library of Columbia, Missouri, and was established as a tax-funded library in 1922. [2] It is the headquarters of the Daniel Boone Regional Library system (DBRL), which serves Columbia and the surrounding areas. [3] [4]
The library was demolished and reconstructed at its current location on Garth and Broadway in 2002. [5] The Columbia Library District merged with the Boone County Library District in 2017. [6] In 2023, Columbia Public Library had 367,482 visits and a circulation of 1,397,283. [7]
Prior to receiving tax support, the library ran on donations and moved across numerous downtown locations. [8] Soon after the Tuesday Club organized in 1899 as a women's literary and culture society, they helped establish, stock, and run a free public library in Columbia. [8] The community narrowly voted down a library tax levy in 1917, [9] but in 1922, the library tax levy won 75% of the vote. [10] 1922 was notably the first chance Columbia women had the right to vote on the issue.
The Daniel Boone Regional Library (DBRL) system was established in 1959 as a joining of the Boone, Howard, and Callaway county libraries with the Columbia Public Library. [11] In 2023, DBRL had a cumulative circulation of 2,847,389, including ebooks, digital audiobooks, and digital magazines. [7]
The Daniel Boone Regional Library system has the following branches:
The system also has three bookmobiles. The largest bookmobile regularly stops in Auxvasse, Hallsville, Harrisburg, Rocheport, and Sturgeon. [12]
CPL experimented with eliminating overdue fines starting July, 1961 for a six-month trial period. [13] The Board of Trustees voted to continue the practice permanently, and the positive results prompted the Board to extend the practice to the Fulton Public Library in 1962. [14] It was common for public libraries around the United States to forgive fines for a brief amnesty period, but the practice of discontinuing late fees did not catch on more widely until the 2010s. [15]
In May 2022, DBRL employees voted 101 – 55 to form Daniel Boone Regional Library Workers United (DBRLWU), AFSCME Local 3311, AFSCME Council 61. [16] This is the first active library workers' union in Missouri. [17] DBRL ratified their first contract in December 2023. [18]
The Urban Libraries Council's Fine Free Libraries Map.