Boonville Branch Reopens on 707 Third Street

NEWS RELEASE–SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

Thanks to the generosity of donors who “adopted” pieces of furniture for the Library’s new home on the Historic Kemper Campus, spaces in the building are now more comfortable for Library patrons to enjoy.  During the last week of August, a number of furnishings were delivered and installed, which were part of the items ordered for the Library’s move to its new home.  Other pieces are due to arrive in mid-September and early-October.

The Upper Level Lounge now has a square table with four upholstered armchairs, two upholstered swivel lounge chairs with a camp table between, a special bookcase and an enhanced service cart, which will soon have coffee available for patrons.  In the southwest section of the Upper Level, a computer desk has been added to the Research/Genealogy/Reference area and the nearby Writers’ Nook now has a desk, chair, and study lamp beneath a wall bookshelf that will house information about writing and publishing.

Additions on the Lower Level include an upholstered low seat bench with attached table at both the East and the West entrances.  The Discovery Center now has an upholstered five-section seat bench that will allow parents a comfortable place to watch the interaction of children engaged in a multitude of different projects.

“We would not have been able to add these special features to the Library’s new home without the tremendous support of individuals and organizations ‘adopting’ these pieces,” explained Mary Pat Abele, Chair of the Boonslick Regional Library (BRL)—Cooper County Building & Expansion Committee. “The comments from the public have been very positive and somewhat overwhelming,” she added.

The Library Building & Expansion Committee has a list of additional pieces of furniture that are available to be “adopted,” as well as creative artistic embellishments for the Children’s Area, each entrance to the building, and areas throughout the Library. “We moved the Library at our first opportunity so it could relocate to its new home as soon as possible, but we’re not done yet,” explained Mary Pat Abele.

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Fundraising continues to complete essential needs of the Library.  “We continue to raise funds for signage, both on the interior as well as for significant signage around the exterior of the building,” she explained. Fundraising efforts also include covering expenses for the conservation/restoration of the portrait of Mrs. Thomas Nelson by George Caleb Bingham, the addition of end caps on the Upper Level bookshelves, completing the Memorial Tree and Memorial Hall on the Lower Level, sandblasting and painting the fire escape, landscape improvements, and artistic embellishments throughout the building.  “We’re hoping to accomplish as much as we can by the Grand Opening that is being planned for this Fall, but we need to raise additional funds to finish this wonderful project.”  Anyone who can help is encouraged to do so.

Tax-deductible donations can be sent to the BRL Cooper County Fund (a 501(c)(3) fund, Federal Tax ID #20-3506448), 707 Third Street, Boonville, MO  65233.  Questions about “adopting” furnishings, memorials, and other gifts should be directed to Mary Pat Abele at 660-888-1611 or marypatabele@gmail.com.  “There is no way we could have accomplished what we have so far without the continued support and assistance from our wonderful community, as well as from our friends near and far.  Everyone’s support is greatly appreciated!” she added.

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The wait is over! Boonslick Regional Library’s Boonville branch will resume library services at our new location on 707 Third Street on August 3rd at 9 AM. We are excited to show you our new library building!

For the week of August 3rd, the Boonville branch will have special hours:

9 AM to 5 PM on Monday-Friday
CLOSED on Saturday, August 11th

Normal hours will resume on Monday, August 13th.

See you soon!

LIBRARY BEGINS MOVE ON JULY 6

BOONVILLE, MO – The Board of Trustees of the Boonslick Regional Library (BRL) is pleased to announce that the Cooper County Branch of the Library in Boonville, which is currently located at 618 Main Street, will begin the “Big Move” to its new home at 707 Third Street on the Historic Kemper Campus on Monday, July 6.  The Library has been housed at its current location for 65 years, in a building that previously was a small local grocery store.

The Library will be closed for approximately one month to accommodate the actual moving of books and furnishings, as well as getting everything organized in the spaces of the new building. Cathy Birk, BRL Cooper County Branch Supervisor, shared that online programs and services will still be available during that time. The “Unearth A Story” Summer Reading Program will continue to sign up young readers, up to age 18. All readers in the program will be provided directions so they can continue to record their reading time so that badges, beads, and prizes can be collected at the Library’s new location once it is opened.  The two events planned during July will be held as scheduled—the MU Raptor Rehabilitation Program on July 15 at 3 pm and storyteller Will Stuck on July 31 at 2 pm.  Both events will be held at the State Fair Community College conference room, in the building next to the Library’s new home on the Historic Kemper Campus.

“We are encouraging the public to come in no later than Friday, July 3, at 5 pm to check out as many books/items as they feel they will need during the month we will be closed,” explained BRL Director Linda Allcorn.  “The items checked out will not be due back until the Library reopens in its new home on the Historic Kemper Campus, and there will not be any fines accessed to anyone,” she added.  “We will not be able to accept any returns at either building while the move is taking place.”

Patrons can also visit the Boonslick Regional Library Outreach Services or the BRL branches in Sedalia, Cole Camp, and Warsaw, as well as access the Library website boonslickregionallibrary.com for downloaded books using the number printed on the back of their library card.

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Both the current building on Main Street and the Library’s new home on the Historic Kemper Campus will be closed to the public to allow the move to be handled efficiently and safely.  The Library has enlisted the help of Tiger Moving Company of Columbia to handle the actual moving of books, bookshelves, and furnishings.  The Library staff will double-check the movers to ensure that the books in each collection are kept in order and marked accordingly as they are removed from the current bookshelves, moved, and reshelved at the new building.        The moving company will provide all the necessary equipment for the moving project and will handle all packing, marking identification and

designations for delivery, and unpacking the books to place them in their proper shelving at the new location.  Additionally, they will be providing the same treatment for all the contents in the building that are being moved, which, in addition to the books, include office equipment, files, computers, Library Document Station, shelving, tables, chairs, furniture racks, supplies, etc.  The shelving will include approximately 100 shelving units.  The shelving units will need to be unloaded of books, then disassembled and reassembled for reuse at the new location. The collections of books/items to be moved is approximately 43,000 pieces.

Volunteers, who will be coordinated by Mary Pat Abele, Chair of the Building & Expansion Committee, will assist where needed but will not be asked to do any heavy lifting.

Fundraising continues as donations are encouraged from individuals, businesses, corporations, and organizations who want to “adopt” pieces of furnishings or to help in a general way where funds are needed most.  Interior “wayfinding” signage, as well as exterior signage, is still needed, along with the development of Memorial Hall on the Lower Level with the center display of a Memorial Tree to recognize those who have been remembered by memorial donations to the Library.  Many artistic embellishments of the spaces throughout the building have been planned as funding permits.  Sand-blasting and painting the exterior fire escape on the west side of the building, which was omitted from the construction/renovation project to reduce the overall cost, still needs to be completed.

Tax-deductible donations can be sent to the BRL Cooper County Fund (a 501(c)(3) fund), 618 Main Street, Boonville, MO  65233.  Questions about “adopting” furnishings and other gifts should be directed to Mary Pat Abele at

660-888-1611 or marypatabele@gmail.com.  The continued support and assistance from the community, as well as from friends near and far, are greatly appreciated!