| Columbia Public Library | |
| Type: | Public library system |
| Established: | 1922 (CPL), 1954 (DBRL) |
| Service Area: | Columbia, Missouri and surrounding towns |
| Annual Circulation: | 2,110,378 (2021)[1] |
| Parent Organisation: | --> |
| Publictransit: | Go COMO |
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. 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.
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.