McDonald County Library
🏢 McDonald County Library · Pineville, Missouri
McDonald County Library
Nicknamed "the biggest little library in the state," the McDonald County Library in Pineville, Missouri has grown from a single donated room in 1942 to a 1984 main building at 808 Bailey Road — home to one of the finest local genealogy departments in Missouri and a collection that includes, uniquely, fishing pole checkout.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 8am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 8am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 8am–6pm |
| Thursday | 8am–6pm |
| Friday | 8am–6pm |
| Saturday | 9am–1pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 808 Bailey Rd, Pineville, MO 64856
Phone: (417) 223-4489
Website: mcdonaldcountylibrary.org
Plus Code: 8687HJW8+RF (Pineville, MO)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About McDonald County Library
The McDonald County Library serves the roughly 23,000 residents of McDonald County in Missouri's Ozark foothills near the Arkansas border, with a main branch in the county seat of Pineville and two additional branches in Noel and Southwest City. The library's origins trace to 1942, when a donated room of books first opened to county residents. A bookmobile launched in December 1947 and traveled the county for nearly three decades. In 1952 the library moved into the historic Sturges House, an 1880s two-story home once belonging to Judge James A. Sturges, and remained there until 1984 when a purpose-built main building opened on former school property at 808 Bailey Road. Today the main branch holds 42,257 volumes and circulates roughly 98,000 items per year. Its genealogy and local history department is recognized as one of the strongest in Missouri, supplemented by EBSCO Host, HeritageQuest, and Brainfuse databases. The library has also become locally famous for letting cardholders check out fishing poles alongside books.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1942 — more than 80 years of service to McDonald County in the Missouri Ozarks
- One of the best local genealogy and regional history departments in the state of Missouri
- Current building opened 1984; formerly housed in the 1880s Sturges House in Pineville
- Fishing pole checkout — among the library's distinctive "Library of Things" items
- Three-branch system: main branch Pineville, plus Noel (1997) and Southwest City (2011)
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
McDonald County Library cardholders can borrow and research digitally through the library's subscriptions and Missouri's statewide resources:
📚 Services
- Public computers with internet access, printing, copying and free Wi-Fi
- Genealogy and local history department — one of the strongest in Missouri
- Fishing pole checkout and other Library of Things items
- Interlibrary loan
- Microfilm reader for historical research
- Meeting and study room access
- Reference assistance for adults and children
🎸 Programs
- Children's and youth programming including 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
- Homeschool programs
- ABCmouse for early learners
- Adult programs and community events
- Summer reading
📍 Nearby Libraries in Southwest Missouri
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Pineville · Browse all Missouri libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the McDonald County Library's genealogy collection special?
The library's genealogy and local history department is recognized as one of the best regional genealogy collections in Missouri. It includes in-library access to HeritageQuest and Ancestry databases for census records, vital records and historical newspapers, as well as a dedicated microfilm reader. The Ozarks region has rich but sometimes hard-to-find records, and the library's staff can assist with local family history research.
Can I really check out fishing poles at the library?
Yes — the McDonald County Library offers fishing pole checkout as part of its "Library of Things" collection. It's one of the features that has earned the library its unofficial nickname of "the biggest little library in the state." Contact the library at (417) 223-4489 for current availability and loan terms.
Does the library have other branches besides Pineville?
Yes, the McDonald County Library system operates three locations. The main branch is at 808 Bailey Road in Pineville (the county seat). The Noel Community Library was adopted as a branch in 1997, and the Anne Croxdale Memorial Library in Southwest City opened in 2011. All three branches share the same library card and catalog.
What were the library's earlier homes before the 1984 building?
The library started in 1942 as a single room of donated books. In 1952 it moved to the historic Sturges House, an 1880s two-story Victorian home in Pineville once belonging to Judge James A. Sturges. The library remained there for more than 30 years before moving to the current purpose-built building at 808 Bailey Road in 1984.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
🧰 This library lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
📚 This library has study rooms. See how library study rooms work — booking, time limits and quiet vs group rooms — and find other libraries with study rooms libraries with study rooms by state.
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