Columbia Public Library facts for kids
The Columbia Public Library is the main public library for the city of Columbia, Missouri. It's not just a single building; it's also the main office for the larger Daniel Boone Regional Library (DBRL) system. This system helps share books and resources across different areas.
Contents
About Your Library
The Columbia Public Library is a super important place for learning and fun in Columbia, Missouri. It's where you can find tons of books, movies, music, and even computers to use. It's also the central hub for a bigger library family called the Daniel Boone Regional Library system.
The Daniel Boone Regional Library Family
The Daniel Boone Regional Library system helps people in Boone and Callaway counties get library materials easily. Besides the main Columbia Public Library, this system includes:
- Callaway County Public Library
- Southern Boone County Library
- Holts Summit Public Library
Libraries on Wheels: Bookmobiles
The DBRL system also has two special libraries that travel around! They are called Bookmobiles.
- The Big Bookmobile visits towns like Auxvasse, Hallsville, Harrisburg, Rocheport, and Sturgeon. It also stops at places within Columbia, such as Grindstone, North County Shopping Center, and North Rangeline.
- Bookmobile, Jr. is a smaller version that visits specific neighborhoods in Columbia, including Bear Creek, Blind Boone, and Columbia Square Apartments. These bookmobiles make sure everyone can borrow books, even if they can't get to a library building.
Library-To-Go Lockers
To make borrowing even easier, DBRL offers "Library-To-Go" lockers. These are like special lockers where you can pick up books, CDs, DVDs, and audiobooks you've asked for online. You just use your library card to open the locker! You can find these handy lockers in Holts Summit and Hallsville.
A Look at Library History
The library system started a long time ago in 1959. It was created when the libraries from Boone, Howard, and Callaway counties joined together with the Columbia Library. The main Columbia Public Library building you see today isn't the original one from 1959. The old building was taken down, and a brand-new one was built in the same spot on Broadway in 2002.
How Many People Visit?
The Columbia Public Library is the biggest library in the DBRL system. Lots of people use it!
- In 2009, the Columbia Public Library had over 734,000 visitors.
- In 2018, the entire DBRL system had over 715,000 visits.
- The number of items borrowed (called "circulation") is also huge! In 2018, people borrowed more than 1.4 million items from the Columbia Public Library alone.
