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Park Hills Public Library

Library Mission & History

The mission and history of the Park Hills Public Library.

The Park Hills Public Library Mission Statement

The Park Hills Public Library's mission is to provide a variety of learning resources, information services , and programs that support, educate and improve the quality of life of the members of our community. The Park Hills Public Library will always seek new and effective ways to better serve our community and continue the path of literacy and lifelong learning.

Our goal is to strengthen our community by providing and maintaining an inclusive public resource that welcomes every member of the community. We believe in the freedom to read, the power of working together, respect and compassion, and that a safe, non-judgmental environment provides the ability to learn, grow, and prosper.

Library History

In 1934 the "Flat River" Public Library was first started as a F.E.R.A. Project-the government , for a time, furnished the services of two people as librarians, the Flat River school board furnished space in the Domestic Arts Building and the Flat River citizens furnished books and funds for additional books.

Starting with between 200 -300 books, 50 of which were given to the library by the St. Louis Public Library, the library grew to a point where it included, in addition to magazines, 2500 volumes.

For the first two years of its life the library was carried on by various projects and some of the time the two librarians, Mrs.P.G. Keith and Mrs. Clyde Cunningham worked without any pay. 

On December 7, 1936, under Mayor McGraw, the city, by Ordinance 53 took over the library at the request of the library group . It was  at that time a nine member board was formed.

In 1967 and new library was constructed at 8 Wood St. On January 1, 1994, the towns of Flat River, Elvins , Rivermines, and Esther consolidated to form the town of Park Hills and the library was renamed The Park Hills Public Library. It stayed at the same location until  2008 when the State of Missouri donated the former Employment Office building at 16 S. Coffman St. for use as a new library. The new library hosted a ribbon cutting at this new location on October 6, 2008.