Institutional Member Spotlight - Mississippi Valley Library District
December 2, 2024
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Our latest Institutional Member Spotlight is on the Mississippi Valley Library District. The library district is located in Collinsville, Illinois, and consists of three facilities: the Collinsville Library, the Fairmont City Library, and the Blum House.
Library's History
The Collinsville Study Club (now the Collinsville Women’s Club) formed a Library Committee on October 15, 1915. On June 1, 1916, the first library opened on the second floor of City Hall with 121 donated volumes, with the first librarian appointed two months later. After building-hopping a few times, a library building was constructed in 1936-1937 and dedicated in August 1937. This building remains a part of the Collinsville Memorial Library to this day. Two additions in the 1960s and one in the 1980s expanded the building to its present size.
The library became a district in 2004. A few years later, library services were extended to the Village of Fairmont City, with the library purchasing an American Legion Hall in 2008 to convert into the Fairmont City Library.
In addition to the two library branches, the MVLD operates a rental facility: the historic Blum House. The Collinsville Historical Museum also resides on the Collinsville Memorial Library’s campus, having originally been housed in the library since 1967 until its own building was constructed in 2006.
The Mississippi Valley Library District’s name comes from the district’s location in the Mississippi River valley, as well as because the western edge of the district abuts the Mississippi River.
Mission Statement
The Mississippi Valley Library District provides materials and services to meet the personal, intellectual, educational, and recreational needs and interests of members of its communities.
Patrons Served Annually
125,113 people visited our branches in FY2024.
Departments
Administration, Adult Services, Circulation, Maintenance, Technical Services, Youth Services.
Staff Member Who’s Worked Here the Longest
Leslee Hamilton, our local history & genealogy librarian, has been with the library for 29 years.
Newest Staff Member
Georgia Gillson, one of our clerks, started on September 23, 2024.
Why did you become an ILA Institutional Member?
The library became an institutional member so that we could participate in the Fund for Illinois Libraries, which allows us to pursue grant funding that would otherwise be unavailable to the library. We’ve also appreciated receiving a complimentary copy of the iREAD Resources Guide and becoming members of LIRA. We’re investigating the Amazon Business Prime affinity program.
Best thing about being an ILA Institutional Member
There are so many benefits to take advantage of!
Fun Facts about the Library
The library received the 2017 LibraryAware Community Award for its work in the Fairmont City community.
- For the past nine years, a fully functional bank branch has been located in the Fairmont City Library. The only bank service available in the community prior to the bank branch’s installation was an ATM. Based on the library’s service model, the bank staff are bilingual in English and Spanish. At the time of its opening, the bank branch was the only fully bilingual banking facility in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
- The library was also integral to the restoration of a county transit bus route to serve the community, the installation of fiber optic cable service in the community, and the addition of a reliable internet service provider for all residents.
Popular Events/Programs
- The Back to School Bash combines games and activities with back-to-school prep. Families receive school supplies, health screenings, and haircuts while playing carnival-style games.
- Visitors at Collinsville’s Fall Festival make it a point to trick-or-treat at stations set up throughout the library for our annual Halloween Walk. Library staff decorate the library top-to-bottom with a different theme (this year's theme was genres).
- Every spring the Fairmont City Library collaborates with the Village of Fairmont City and local organizations to hold a community Easter parade ending at the library, followed by Easter egg hunts on the library’s lawn. Food trucks, music, and booths from local organizations round out the festive day. Preparing over 5,000 eggs is a lot of work, but the joy on the kids’ faces is priceless!
Favorite Event
Our favorite events are those that allow us to extend our services by working with other organizations, such as:
- Bilingual AARP Tax Aide
- Helping people connect with the Mexican Consulate when its representatives are in the area
- “Community Helper” storytimes with local police and fire departments
- NACA homebuyer’s workshops
- Free concert series in collaboration with the Collinsville Parks and Recreation Department
iREAD Summer Reading Programs
Latest Library JobLine Listings
