Planned replacement of the HVAC system at the Callaway County Public Library in Fulton requires the temporary closure of the building so the contractor can remove the old system and install the new one. The library has contracted with Teel Mechanical Service, Inc., out of Fulton to do the project. The library will close March 30, and work is expected to last 90 days.
A temporary library location will open at Churchill Plaza, 1855 N. Bluff Street near Walmart. The opening date will be dependent on how soon library materials can be moved and set up in the plaza space. There will be a small browsing collection, and patrons can pick up holds and return materials.
Due to the smaller facility, the library won’t be able to offer all of the services usually available. Seating will be limited, public access computers will not be available and the library won’t be able to process passports. Library classes and events will be scheduled at other locations in town.
“We want to thank Churchill Partners, LLC property management for their willingness to work with us so we can continue providing library services to our community,” said Sara Henry, Callaway County Public Library manager. “We hope to see everyone continue to come through our doors and hope they will find the alternate space convenient.” Henry reminds patrons that they can also use the Holts Summit Public Library or the digital branch, www.dbrl.org.
The library’s open hours will remain the same: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. During the closure, people can reach the library and get connected to Fulton staff by dialing 1-800-324-4806.
Part of the cost of the project will be covered by the funds donated through a generous gift from the Helen Forsee estate and the Keckeley Endowment. Helen’s bequest is the single largest gift in the history of the Callaway County Public Library and the Daniel Boone Regional Library Foundation. Helen Forsee was a lifelong resident of Callaway County until her passing in 2022. The Julia R. Keckeley Endowment Fund produces and accumulates income to be used for the benefit of the Callaway County Public Library.
The Callaway County Public Library has been in the same location since 1912. The original two-story brick and stone masonry section of the building that faces Market Street was one of the libraries built with funds provided by Andrew Carnegie in the early 1900s. In 1987, an addition included a new ground-level entrance on the south side of the building and expanded the building size to 10,700 square feet. In 2004, a renovation included the addition of a south entrance vestibule with automatic doors that expanded the building size to 10,966 square feet. Preservation work and remodeling projects have occurred over the years.
For updates, visit our project updates page or the library’s Callaway County/Holts Summit Facebook page.