Boone-Madison Public Library
🏢 Boone-Madison Public Library System · Madison, West Virginia
Boone-Madison Public Library
Boone County's first public library — housed in a dollar-purchase 1918 Beaux-Arts bank building listed on the National Register of Historic Places — serves 21,000 coalfield residents from its historic Main Street home in Madison, West Virginia.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 8am–4:50pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–4:50pm |
| Wednesday | 8am–4:50pm |
| Thursday | 9am–4:50pm |
| Friday | 8am–4:50pm |
| Saturday | 9am–12pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 375 Main Street, Madison, WV 25130
Phone: (304) 369-7842
Website: bcplwv.org
Plus Code: 86CW357H+J3 (Madison, WV)
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📖 About Boone-Madison Public Library
Boone-Madison Public Library opened in 1974 as the first public library in Boone County, West Virginia — a coalfield community that had relied on a voluntary Women's Club reading room in the 1920s and WV Library Commission bookmobiles through the 1970s before finally getting a permanent home. The library occupies a landmark 1918 Beaux-Arts bank building at 375 Main Street, purchased from a relocating bank for one dollar, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 (NRHP #07000779). Today the system operates four locations serving over 21,000 Boone County residents, with the main branch in Madison anchoring a county seat that served as a gathering point for some 20,000 marching miners during the 1921 Mine Wars. Beyond circulating books, the library provides free access to genealogy databases (Fold3, HeritageQuest, Newspaper Archive), digital downloads through WV Reads/OverDrive and hoopla, public computers, and Wi-Fi.
⭐ What makes this library special
- 1918 Beaux-Arts bank building on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #07000779) — purchased by the library board for one dollar in 1974
- Boone County's first and only public library system, founded 1974; now operating four locations (Madison HQ, Barrett-Wharton, Coal River, Whitesville branches)
- Genealogy hub: Fold3, HeritageQuest Online, and Newspaper Archive databases, plus monthly Boone County Genealogical Society meetings on-site (first Thursday, 6:30pm)
- Free digital downloads with WV Reads (OverDrive/Libby) and hoopla — no waitlists on eBooks, audiobooks, films, and music
- Located in the county seat where ~20,000 striking miners rallied during the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain — local coal-country history resources on site
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Boone County cardholders access eBooks, genealogy records, and streaming media free through West Virginia's statewide digital services:
📚 Services
- Free public library card for Boone County residents
- Book, audiobook, and DVD circulation
- Public computers with internet access and free Wi-Fi
- Online catalog via West Virginia Library Network
- Genealogy research assistance and dedicated databases
- Interlibrary loan (West Virginia Library Network member)
- Three branch locations: Barrett-Wharton (Wharton), Coal River Branch (Racine), Whitesville Branch
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytime
- Summer Reading Program (children, teens, and adults)
- Boone County Genealogical Society monthly meetings (first Thursday, 6:30pm)
- Digital literacy and computer skills classes
- Job search assistance workshops
- STEM programming for youth
📍 Nearby Libraries in Southern West Virginia
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Madison · Browse all West Virginia libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How did Boone County end up with its first public library in a bank building bought for a dollar?
In 1974, after decades without a permanent library — the Women's Club of Madison had run a voluntary reading room in the 1920s that dissolved around World War II, and the WV Library Commission had filled the gap with bookmobiles in the 1960s and 1970s — a local bank relocated to a new building and sold its 1918 Main Street property to the Boone-Madison Library Board for one dollar. That three-story Beaux-Arts brick building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places (2007) and remains the library's main branch today.
What genealogy resources can I use to research Boone County or coal-country ancestors?
The library provides free access to Fold3 (military records and primary historical documents), HeritageQuest Online (census, family histories, local records), and Newspaper Archive (digitized papers including the Coal Valley News, published in Madison since 1925). The Boone County Genealogical Society also meets at the library on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30pm.
What are the main branch hours, and are the branch libraries open different hours?
The Madison main branch is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 8am–4:50pm; Tuesday and Thursday 9am–4:50pm; Saturday 9am–noon; and closed Sunday. The three branches — Barrett-Wharton (Wharton, 304-247-6530), Coal River Branch (Racine, 304-837-8437), and Whitesville Branch (304-854-0196) — each have their own schedules; call or visit bcplwv.org for current branch hours.
Can I borrow digital books or stream movies without visiting the library?
Yes. Any cardholder can use WV Reads (West Virginia's statewide OverDrive consortium) through the free Libby app to borrow eBooks and audiobooks, and hoopla for instant, no-waitlist access to eBooks, audiobooks, comics, films, and music — all free 24/7 with your Boone-Madison library card, from any device.
📜 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.
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