Ray County Library
🏢 Ray County Library District · Richmond, Missouri
Ray County Library
Serving Ray County since 1946, this community anchor in downtown Richmond was built by local determination — founded by the Richmond Business and Professional Woman's Club and now housed in a warmly renovated former grocery store on Lexington Street.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Thursday | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Friday | 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM |
| Saturday | 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 215 E Lexington St, Richmond, MO 64085
Phone: 816-776-5104
Website: raycountylibrary.missouri.org
Plus Code: 86F872GG+Q8 (Richmond, 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 Ray County Library
Ray County Library opened in 1948 after county voters approved a one-mill tax in April 1946, with early operations running out of the County Surveyor's office at the courthouse. The library grew steadily, adding public computers in 1994 and eventually moving in 2004 into its current home — a thoughtfully renovated former C&R Grocery at 215 E. Lexington St. The library's mission is to 'Inform, Inspire, Enrich,' and it fulfills that promise through free access to physical and digital materials, genealogy archives covering local family histories and cemetery records, laptop and hotspot lending, and programs for every age. As the sole public library in Ray County, it serves as a vital civic hub for Richmond and the surrounding rural communities.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1946 by the Richmond Business & Professional Woman's Club — one of Missouri's grassroots county libraries
- Current building is a 2004 adaptive reuse of a former C&R Grocery on downtown Lexington Street
- Genealogy collection includes local family histories, marriage records, cemetery indexes, and funeral home records in a temperature-controlled archive
- Laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots available for checkout — extending digital access beyond the building walls
- Missouri Evergreen consortium member: borrow from hundreds of Missouri libraries on one card
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Your free Ray County Library card unlocks eBooks, audiobooks, genealogy databases, language learning, and research tools — available 24/7.
📚 Services
- Free library cards for Ray County residents
- Public computer workstations with internet access
- Wi-Fi hotspot and laptop lending
- Printing, copying, and faxing
- Genealogy research assistance and archival collection
- Interlibrary loan via Missouri Evergreen consortium
- Meeting space for community groups
🎸 Programs
- Toddler Storytime and Preschool Storytime (weekly, year-round)
- Pop-Up Storytime at community locations (e.g., Lawson Park)
- Kid Zone STEM activities for school-age children
- Adult Book Club
- Summer Reading Program (all ages, June–August)
📍 Nearby Libraries in Northwest Missouri
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ray County Library offer genealogy help for researchers who cannot visit in person?
Yes. Researchers unable to visit can submit a remote request by email to services@raycountylibrary.missouri.org or by mail to PO Box 644, Richmond, MO 64085. The collection includes local family histories, marriage and census records, cemetery gravesite data, and funeral home records, with fragile materials stored in a temperature-controlled archive.
Can I borrow a laptop or Wi-Fi hotspot from Ray County Library?
Yes — the library lends both laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots, making digital access available even for patrons without broadband at home. Ask at the circulation desk for current availability and loan periods.
What is Missouri Evergreen and how does it expand my borrowing options?
Missouri Evergreen is a statewide resource-sharing consortium. Your Ray County Library card gives you borrowing privileges at hundreds of participating Missouri libraries through a single unified catalog at ray.missourievergreen.org — dramatically expanding the titles available to you.
What children's programs does the library offer during the school year?
Weekly Toddler and Preschool Storytimes run throughout the year. The library also hosts Kid Zone STEM activities for school-age children and a Summer Reading Program every June through August for all ages.
📜 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.
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