T H E M I SS I O N O F T H E B O L I VA R C O U N T Y L I B R A RY S Y S T E M I S T O S E RV E P E O P L E O F A L L A G E S A N D

D I V E R S E B A C K G R O U N D S P R O M O T I N G E A S I LY A C C E SS I B L E I N F O R M AT I O N, M AT E R I A L S , S E RV I C E S , A N D P R O G R A M S D E S I G N E D T O M E E T T H E C O U N T Y ’ S

E V O LV I N G E D U C AT I O N A L , R E C R E AT I O N A L , A N D C U LT U R A L N E E D S.

W W W. B O L I VA R . L I B . M S. U S

BOLIVAR COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM

Established 1958

Brief History

“Bring Cleveland Up-to-Date ----- The D.A.R. asks your cooperation. March 18th, a house-to-house canvass will be made to solicit books and members for a Public Library. Adult membership $1.50; children $.50. Mrs. R. B. Johnson, Regent; Mrs. R. N. Somerville, Chairman.” (1917)

First Library was in a room at the Methodist Church

Early libraries were established in Rosedale, Merigold and a Carnegie Building in Mound Bayou

HISTORY

Established as a Library System by the Board of Supervisors in November 1958 Governed by a 5 member administrative board

appointed by the Board of Supervisors

First there were branches and a bookmobile that served the communities Some branches have advisory boards

Cleveland Library Commission Rosedale Advisory Board Shelby Advisory Board

HISTORY

First Director was LePoint SmithSince 2000

Mound Bayou Public Library opened in the St. Gabriel Mercy Center in 2002

Benoit Public Library was expanded and remodeled with the assistance of the Friends of the Library in 2004.

After the Gunnison Public Library was burned, along with city hall, a new building to house the library and city hall was built by the city. The library was reopened in 2005.

History

The Field Memorial Library in Shaw was burned twice and after fund raisers by the citizens and the city of Shaw, a store front library was opened in 2005.

Thema Rayner Memorial Library in Merigold was remodeled with funding from the city in 2007.

R.T. Hollingsworth Library in Shelby renovated the meeting room with a grant from the Department of Archives and History and the Citizens of Shelby.

Robinson-Carpenter Memorial Library in Cleveland received a renovation and new roof in 2008 with funds from the City of Cleveland.

ROBINSON-CARPENTER MEMORIAL LIBRARY

Hours:

Monday – Thursday

9:00 – 6:00

Friday

9:00 – 5:00

Saturday

9:00 – 1:00

662-843-2774 (phone)

662-843-4701 (fax)

BENOIT PUBLIC LIBRARY

HOURS:

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday

1 :00 – 5:00

662-742-3112 (phone/fax)

ROSEDALE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Hours:

Monday – Wednesday

10:00 – 5:00

Friday

12:00 – 5:00

662-759-6332 (phone/fax)

GUNNISON PUBLIC LIBRARY

HOURS:

Tuesday and Thursday

1:00 – 5:00

662-747-2201 (phone/fax)

FIELD MEMORIAL LIBRARYSHAW

HOURS:

Monday and Wednesday

10:00 – 5:00

Thursday

1:00 – 5:00

662-754-4597 (phone/fax)

THELMA RAYNER MEMORIAL LIBRARY

MERIGOLD

HOURS:

Tuesday and Thursday

1:00 – 5:00

662-748-2105 (phone/fax)

MOUND BAYOU PUBLIC LIBRARY

HOURS:

Tuesday and Thursday

1:00 – 5:00

662-741-3255 (phone)

DR. ROBERT T. HOLLINGSWORTH PUBLIC

LIBRARYSHELBY

HOURS:

Monday and Wednesday

10:00 – 5:00

Friday

12:00 – 5:00

662-398-7748 (phone/fax)

SERVICES

• Books, Magazines, CDs, Books on Tape, Videos, Newspapers

ONLINE RESOURCESMAGNOLIA Ancestry PlusOxford American

Afro-AmericanLearning Express

Free Public Access Computers

Faxing Black and White and

Color Print and Copies

Free Use of Meeting Rooms

Free loans of materials from other libraries

SERVICES

Story Hour

Summer Library Program

Teen Advisory Group

Programs for all ages

Special Programming at Branches

Membership as a Dancing Rabbit Library

Funding

Mississippi Library Commission $125,543 (20%)

Bolivar County $289,200 (47%)

Cleveland $125,647 (20%)

Rosedale $10,800 (2%)

Shaw $16,000 (3%)

Shelby $17,000 (3%)

Miscellaneous $32,900 (5%)

Total $617,090

Mississippi Library CommissionBolivar CountyClevelandRosedaleShawShelbyMiscellaneous

EXPENDITURES

Personnel $400,425 (65%)

Utilities, Supplies, Computer Maintenance $182,898 (30%)

Materials $34,000 (6%)

Total $617,323

Personnel

Utilities, Supplies, Computer Main-tenance

Materials

•SMALL JOB AND BUSINESS CENTER INFORMATION

•MORE PROGRAMS FOR THE PUBLIC

•BOOK CLUB OR LUNCHEON WITH BOOKS

The Future