Lebanon-Laclede County Library
🏢 Laclede County · Lebanon, Missouri
Lebanon-Laclede County Library
Sitting right on old Route 66 in the heart of the Ozarks, the Lebanon-Laclede County Library is one of the few public libraries in America with a free museum inside it — the Route 66 Museum sits at the end of the hallway, past the gift shop.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 8am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 8am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 8am–8pm |
| Thursday | 8am–8pm |
| Friday | 8am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–4pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 915 S Jefferson Ave, Lebanon, MO 65536
Phone: (417) 532-2148
Website: lebanon-laclede.lib.mo.us
Plus Code: 8699M8CV+RM (Lebanon, MO)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Lebanon-Laclede County Library
The Lebanon-Laclede County Library traces its roots to 1896, when the local Shakespeare Club gathered 50 books in a cabinet kept at the home of Mrs. Mary Wallace. Volunteers moved that cabinet from store to store before it landed in the Laclede County Courthouse in 1920. A library tax passed in 1938, and the Lebanon Public Library opened on June 6 of that year with Charlotte Bass as librarian; a dedicated building followed at 135 Harwood in 1951. The city and county libraries merged in 1961, later expanding into the multi-county Kinderhook Regional Library before taking its current name, Lebanon-Laclede County Library, in 2000. The collection moved to its present home at 915 South Jefferson Avenue in 2004. Today the library shares its catalog through the statewide Missouri Evergreen consortium, so a Lebanon card borrows from member libraries across Missouri.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Home of the free, self-guided Route 66 Museum — vintage service-station, diner and roadside-nostalgia displays with a local Route 66 focus, plus a Route 66 Passport stamp stop
- Grew from the 1896 Shakespeare Club (50 books) through a 1938 library tax, the 1961 city-county merger and the multi-county Kinderhook Regional Library era
- Kinderhook Treasures Gift Shop on site, with proceeds supporting the library
- Member of the Missouri Evergreen consortium — one card borrows from libraries statewide
- Local history & genealogy collection with Laclede County historical and probate records, microfilm and FamilySearch access
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Lebanon cardholders can stream, download and research free through Missouri's shared collections:
📚 Services
- Free, self-guided Route 66 Museum inside the library (guided tours for groups by arranging with the museum manager a week ahead)
- Kinderhook Treasures Gift Shop
- Local history & genealogy: Laclede County historical records, probate records, microfilm and FamilySearch access
- Scan, copy and fax services
- Test proctoring by appointment
- Public computers, internet access and printing
- Free Wi-Fi throughout the building
- Meeting rooms available for community use
- Outreach services to the community
- Interlibrary loan and material requests through Missouri Evergreen
🎸 Programs
- Storytime for young children
- Lego Club
- PAWS for Reading — children read aloud to a therapy dog
- Teen events and activities
- Adult and community book clubs
- 100 Years of Route 66 and related museum programming
📍 Other Missouri Public Libraries
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Route 66 Museum really inside the library, and is it free?
Yes. The Lebanon-Laclede County Library houses a free, self-guided Route 66 Museum at the end of the library hallway, past the Kinderhook Treasures Gift Shop. It focuses on the history of Route 66 with a strong local emphasis, including vintage service-station and diner displays. Admission is free during library hours; large groups or tour buses can arrange a guided tour by contacting the museum manager at (417) 532-2148 about a week in advance.
How far back does the Lebanon-Laclede County Library go?
The library began in 1896 as the Shakespeare Club, a 50-book collection kept in a cabinet at Mrs. Mary Wallace's home. After stints in local stores and the Laclede County Courthouse, a 1938 library tax funded the Lebanon Public Library, which opened on June 6, 1938. The city and county libraries merged in 1961, later formed the Kinderhook Regional Library, adopted the current name in 2000, and moved to 915 South Jefferson Avenue in 2004.
What can I do with my Lebanon-Laclede County Library card at other libraries?
The library is part of the Missouri Evergreen consortium, a shared catalog covering libraries across the state. That means your Lebanon card can be used to request and borrow materials from Missouri Evergreen member libraries, and you can place holds on items far beyond the Lebanon collection through the shared catalog.
Does the library help with local history and genealogy research?
Yes. The library maintains a local history and genealogy collection that includes Laclede County historical records, probate records and microfilm, and it offers FamilySearch access for family-history research. Staff can also help with test proctoring, scanning, copying and faxing for researchers working on-site.
📜 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 offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
📅 This library has meeting & community rooms. See how library meeting rooms work — booking, policies and fees — and find other libraries with meeting or community rooms meeting rooms by state.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.
