Before 1960 | 1960’s | 1970’s | 1980’s | 1990’s | 2000’s | 2010’s | 2020’s

The Beginning: Before 1960

          Scenic Regional Library’s legacy traces back to the early 20th century, when community groups in Franklin, Gasconade, and Warren Counties began creating libraries to foster learning and provide access to books. These efforts started in the 1920s and 1930s with Washington, Missouri, which lead the way in 1924 by establishing a tax-supported municipal library—the first in the region. Union followed in 1935 with a non-tax-supported library founded by the local PEO chapter, while New Haven opened a volunteer-run library in 1937. In Pacific, the Twentieth Century Club organized a library in 1938, later becoming Franklin County’s second tax-supported library in 1953.
          Warren County made its mark in 1940 when voters approved a one-mill tax levy to establish the Warrenton Municipal Library. The Hermann Library opened four years later by a community group, staffed by volunteers from local women’s organizations and funded by donations. In August 1947, the Missouri State Library announced a bookmobile demonstration of library service in Gasconade County and Franklin County. In April 1948, efforts to pass library taxes in Franklin County and Gasconade County fell short, but momentum for public libraries continued to grow. Later the same year, the Hermann Municipal Library was created.
          During the 1950s, volunteer-run libraries proliferated across the region. The Evergreen Garden Club opened a library in St. Clair in 1952, while the Owensville Community Library was later established in 1954. The Missouri State Library received numerous requests from schools, parent-teacher associations, clubs, and other groups in Franklin County about initiating another demonstration of library service, including bookmobile services. This ambitious project began in June of 1957 and encompassed Franklin, Warren, and Gasconade counties. Operating out of the Union Public Library in the Municipal Auditorium and the L’Ouverture school building, the demonstration was led by two librarians: Lillian DesMarias, who served as the bookmobile librarian, and Lucy Lomax, acting as a consultant.
          Over the course of ten months, the project achieved remarkable success, circulating 27,000 items in Gasconade County; 22,000 in Warren County; and 46,000 in Franklin County. This overwhelming demand set the stage for a significant milestone in regional library development. In May 1958, Franklin County voters approved a county library district tax by a resounding 3-to-1 margin. The chair of the county library committee was Hamilton Brightwell.
          Lucy Lomax resigned from the Missouri State Library to become a Franklin County head librarian in January 1959. Several staff members from the demonstration transitioned to the new county system, including Karl Schink as bookmobile driver, Eleanore Lewis as bookmobile clerk, and Jeanette Schroeder as secretary. New hires included Meta Ann Vitt as bookkeeper and Opal Schellhardt. Librarians of the New Haven, St. Clair, and Union libraries, as non-tax-supported libraries, automatically became part of the Franklin County Library District and were placed on the county library payroll.
          In March 1959, Pacific’s municipal library, which had been tax-supported since 1953, officially joined the Franklin County Library District.
          The Franklin County Library Board promptly began preparing for future regional expansion. During the interim period between the successful tax vote in Franklin County and the subsequent tax votes in the other two counties, the newly formed Franklin County Library Board took measures to ensure uninterrupted service following the end of the State Library. A bookmobile was selected and ordered, and a contract was signed with the Missouri State Library to borrow a bookmobile and utilize Federal Funds to maintain service to Gasconade and Warren Counties until April 1959.
          In April, Gasconade and Warren Counties’ voters approved the establishment of their own library districts, each supported by a one-mill tax. The chairs of the county library committees were Ben C. Ridder in Gasconade County and Ethel O. Joost in Warren County. Following the election, Owensville’s community library became part of the new Gasconade County Library District.
          On May 20, 1959, the Franklin, Gasconade, and Warren County library districts united to form Scenic Regional Library. The name was chosen over alternatives like Cascade Regional Library and Missouri Valley Regional Library, and the new system was governed by a rotating presidency among the three counties.
          The inaugural Board of Trustees brought together representatives from each district. Franklin County’s Board included Oscar E. Burke as president, Marshall Jackson and vice president, and Dorothy Ann Bebermeyer as secretary-treasurer. Gasconade County’s Board was led by Joseph E. Murray as president, while Warren County’s board was headed by Ethel O. Joost.
          In June 1959, the new bookmobile arrived, offering books, phonograph records, View Master discs, and pamphlets. It even screened 16mm films during its summer stops, further broadening the library’s cultural offerings. On August 5, 1959, Warrenton Public Library, which had been tax-supported since 1940, officially joined the Warren County Library District.
          By the end of the decade, Scenic Regional Library had become a unifying force in the region, transforming fragmented volunteer efforts into a robust, tax-supported system that served communities both large and small. These early efforts laid the foundation for a library system that would grow to become a vital resource for generations to come.

1960s

          As a new decade dawned, Scenic Regional Library was quickly marked by organizational growth and service expansion. At the time, the library served a population of 51,572 according to the 1960 census.
          In February of 1960, Lucy Lomax helped establish the Library Services Center, becoming its first president. This organization enabled libraries across the region to pool their book orders to secure better vendor discounts while also offering cataloging and processing services. It became the second such cooperative in Missouri, serving nine public and regional libraries.
          Scenic Regional began with 15,000 books, a collection inherited from the Missouri State Library demonstration project and the various city libraries. By the end of the library’s first year, nearly 9,000 books were added. In the summer of 1960, the library hosted its first summer reading program for children.
          In July 1961, Scenic Regional joined the Missouri Film Cooperative, which allowed it to lend 16mm films to organizations and schools.
          The new library system also expanded its professional staff. Gertrude Zimmer, who served as assistant director from 1960 to 1963, was responsible for managing bookmobile and children’s services. She later advanced to become the director of the Dunklin County Library and the Ozark Regional Library. Martha Maxwell joined as a reference librarian in 1961 and subsequently served as assistant director. In 1965, she left to coordinate the Southeast Missouri Federated Library Service and to lead both the Cape Girardeau Public Library and the Jefferson County Library.
          In 1964, discussions began about merging Scenic Regional with the newly formed St. Charles County Library, created by voters that April. However, this proposal was delayed until Scenic Regional could increase its tax levy to 20 mills. In 1964 and early 1965, the library’s Board of Trustees discussed this levy, but the proposal was eventually abandoned due to an ongoing financial crisis at the Warren County schools.
          In September of 1965, Sallie Henderson, later Hancox, joined the library as a children’s librarian, marking the beginning of her long and impactful career. Air conditioning was installed in the branches in 1966, although the New Haven branch opted for window screens. By September of 1967, the library signed a reciprocal agreement with the St. Charles County Library, expanding resource-sharing opportunities.

1970s

          The 1970s brought further development in services, infrastructure, and policies. In February 1970, Scenic Regional joined the Missouri LAGERS retirement system, offering new benefits to its employees. By 1971, residents in Gerald expressed interest in a branch, an inquiry that would be revisited several times over the next two decades until a volunteer library was established in the community in the mid-1990s.
          The Hermann Municipal Library joined the Gasconade County Library District in 1972 and became Scenic Regional’s seventh branch. In 1974, the Board of Trustees considered consolidating the three county library districts into a single district under new legislation but ultimately tabled the measure indefinitely.
          Lucy Lomax, who had directed the library since its formation, retired on January 1, 1975. During her tenure the collection grew from 15,000 to 120,292 books and annual circulation rose from 142,566 to 355,257. Sallie Henderson (later Hancox) was soon promoted to director, with Ken Rohrbach stepping into the assistant director role.
          The library adopted a maternity leave policy in 1975. In 1976, the library installed copy machines at the Warrenton, St. Clair, and Hermann branches for public use and purchased a carousel slide projector for programming. That same year, Scenic Regional began directly receiving and investing tax funds from Warren and Gasconade Counties. Previously, the counties had managed the funds without paying interest. Franklin County continued manage and invest the library’s funds until 2015.
          In 1978, Scenic Regional became an inaugural member of the newly established St. Louis Regional Library Network, enhancing its resource-sharing capabilities. The same year, the library withdrew from the Library Services Center and contracted with Baker & Taylor for book processing and cataloging. Additionally, the Washington Public Library approached Scenic Regional about merging after a second tax measurement failed to build a municipal complex, which would have included a library.
          The decade of expansion and engagement concluded with a creative moment when Scenic Regional held a contest to name its new bookmobile. Out of over 5,000 entries by elementary school students, 8-year-old Scott Lange of Wright City offered the winning name: “Mr. Good Books.”

1980s

          The 1980s marked a period of modernization concerning developments for Scenic Regional Library, both in services and infrastructure. At the turn of the decade in 1980, the library introduced library cards for the first time. Previously, books were checked out manually by recording the patron’s name and address on a book card and stamping due dates. The new cards displayed the patron’s name and a unique number stamped on a metal slug, which worked with a charging machine. This charge was part of a broader effort to safeguard patron privacy, following the library’s adoption of its first privacy policy in 1978.
          An unsuccessful attempt to pass a tax measure in all three counties was made in April 1981; despite this, the library continued to enhance its services.
          In 1983, the library established a gift and memorial fund, which served as the repository for donations until Friends of the Library groups were formed decades later. The following year, in 1984, the library published its first annual report for the public.
          By the mid-1980s, Scenic Regional had become the largest user of the Missouri Film Cooperative, borrowing over 1,700 items in 1984 alone. In July of 1986, the library began circulating VHS tapes to those 18 years and older, acquired through the Cooperative, as it transitioned from film to videocassette packages.
          In February 1985, the first patron complaint about a book was recorded in the Board of Trustees minutes. A Warrenton patron objected to Captain Ichabod Paddock, Whaler of Nantucket due to its references to the devil and witchcraft. That same year, the City of Washington initiated discussions with Scenic Regional about a possible merger with the Washington Public Library.
          The library continued to adopt new technologies during this period. In 1986, it purchased a cassette copier to store original cassettes and circulate duplicates, preserving its collection. Donations enabled the acquisition of microfilm reader-printers for the Hermann branch in 1985 and the Pacific branch in 1987, improving access to archived materials.
          A major turning point came in 1986, when Meta Vossbrink bequeathed the library $491,000. Combined with a $298,000 Library Services and Construction Act grant and the donation of 1.3 acres of land by Oliver and Corrine Taetz, these funds enabled the construction of a 10,700 square-foot facility along Highway 50 in Union. Though completed in 1991, the project began in the late 1980s and reflected the library’s continued growth.

1990s

          The 1990s marked a period of technological upgrades, policy changes, and expansions for Scenic Regional Library, as it embraced modernization and addressed evolving community needs.
          In 1990, the library added a fax machine through a statewide grant program offered by the Missouri State Library. By September 1991, the library acquired a CompuSystems computer equipped with Dac Easy accounting software for the business office. Later that year, a Sanyo VCR was purchased to check VHS tapes for damage.
          Before the transition to automation, the library managed overdue accounts manually, maintaining a list of blocked patrons due to unreturned materials referred to as the “blacklist.” In April 1991, the Board of Trustees expanded a previous smoking ban in public areas to include all parts of library buildings and the bookmobile. The same month, after 30 years of participation, the library withdrew as a full member of the Missouri Film Cooperative.
          By 1993, fax machines were introduced at library branches to enhance reference services. However, that year also brought a setback when the St. Charles City-County Library ended its reciprocal borrowing agreement with Scenic Regional, citing its comparatively low tax rate.
          The library celebrated its 35th anniversary in 1993-1994 with a logo contest, won by Kay Adams. In 1994, Scenic Regional automated its circulation system, implementing LISTEN, a platform developed by the St. Charles City-County Library. Although the system was operational, full branch automation was not achieved until 1996, and inter-branch requests continued to be submitted on paper until later LISTEN upgrades.
          In 1995, controversy arose when the Board of Trustees decided to exclude artwork depicting semi-nude women from an art exhibit at the Hermann branch. Opponents claimed the decision amounted to censorship, but the Board upheld its decision. That same year, the library signed a reciprocal borrowing agreement with the Missouri River Regional Library, followed by agreements with Heartland Regional Library and Ozark Regional Library in 1996.
          Significant progress in employee benefits came in 1996, when the library began offering health insurance to full-time employees through the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan.
          In November of 1997, Scenic Regional joined MOREnet, introducing dial-up internet access to patrons for the first time. This membership included access to an online database featuring 2,600 magazine and journal titles. Internet speeds improved steadily in the years that followed. By December 1998, patrons were allowed to use web-based email platforms—including Yahoo Mail—on public computers.
          Meanwhile, in 1997, the Sullivan Municipal Library Board approached Scenic Regional to discuss a potential merge. Later in the decade, in April 1999, Warren County voters approved a 10-year, 4-mill bond levy for the construction of a new library branch. The resulting 9,000-square-foot facility in Warrenton opened in September 2001, reflecting the library’s commitment to expanding its reach and improving facilities.

2000s

          The 2000s were a transformative decade for Scenic Regional Library, marked by technological advancements, new partnerships, and significant challenges.
          In 2001, the library’s LISTEN system was upgraded to a web-based platform, allowing patrons to place holds online for the first time. That same year, the library was awarded a Gates Foundation grant, which provided ten new computers along with printers and essential software, significantly enhancing public access to technology.
          Also in 2001, Scenic Regional entered into its first reciprocal agreement with the Washington Public Library. This arrangement allowed Scenic Regional patrons living in Washington to use the Washington Public Library without purchasing a library card. In return, Scenic Regional paid 25 cents per item borrowed by its patrons from the Washington Public Library. This agreement, modeled after similar arrangements in the St. Louis metropolitan area, was the result of discussions dating back to 1991.
          To comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), the library began filtering internet access for the public in July 2002. That same year, the library added CD audiobooks to its collection. Later in 2003, a small collection of music CDs joined the catalogue.
          In April 2004, Scenic Regional launched its first website—establishing a new era of online presence—and also began circulating DVDs. In 2005, the library contracted for statewide courier service two days per week for interlibrary loans through the Get Connected program. Additionally, the library agreed with Delivery Express to put this courier service into effect in late 2005 to increase the number of deliveries each week to the branches. Before this, the library’s assistant director had been tasked with making branch deliveries each week.
          October of 2007, library trustee Joy Dufrain was awarded the Missouri Library Association’s Virginia G. Young Outstanding Service Award. Public wireless internet access was introduced in 2007, as well, followed by the addition of OverDrive in March 2008, providing patrons with access to eBooks and eAudiobooks.
          Sallie Hancox, who had served as the library’s director for 33 years and contributed 43 years of service overall, retired in 2008. During her tenure, the library’s annual circulation increased from 355,257 to 535,317, and the collection grew from 120,292 to 263,988 items. She was succeeded by Ken Rohrbach, who took on the role of director.
          In 2008 and 2009, the library faced significant challenges in Washington, Missouri. Washington Mayor Dick Straatman publicly opposed Scenic Regional Library at City Council meetings and in the Missourian, criticizing the taxes collected by the library in Washington. The disputes centered around the Law of 1965, which defined the boundaries for the Washington Public Library. Efforts to introduce legislation to change the law were unsuccessful. However, tensions eased when Ken Rohrbach and Washington Public Library Director Nell Redhage negotiated a service agreement, which was approved in July 2009. This agreement included several key elements: the Washington Public Library migrated to the LISTEN system and shared an online catalog with Scenic Regional; the per-item fee under the reciprocal agreement was increased to 35 cents; Washington Public Library patrons gained access to Scenic Regional’s digital resources; and Scenic Regional funded courier service to the Washington Public Library. These measures significantly improved cooperation between the two libraries and diminished local conflicts.
          Meanwhile, Scenic Regional faced a prolonged legal battle stemming from a lawsuit filed in the late 1990s by Jack Koehr, a retired St. Louis judge. The suit alleged that several political subdivisions in Franklin County, including the Franklin County Library District, had overcharged taxpayers by improperly rounding their tax rates, despite the rates being certified annually by the Missouri State Auditor. Initially, the Franklin County Library District prevailed in court, but Judge Koehr continued to file additional lawsuits. While other political subdivisions settled, Scenic Regional’s case dragged on. In 2009, after more than a decade of litigation, the court ruled against the library. Consequently, Scenic Regional was required to repay $1 million in property taxes between 2010 and 2013.

2010s

          In 2010, Neil Kruel was hired to redesign the library’s logo. By September, the new logo was officially approved by the Board of Trustees. Until the 2010s, the library’s branches were referred to as “service centers.”
          In 2011, Ken Rohrbach retired after an impressive 40-year career with Scenic Regional, during which he served as branch coordinator, assistant director, and director since 2008. Following his retirement, Assistant Director Vivienne Beckett was promoted to director but resigned in 2012. That same year, Steve Campbell was hired as the new library director, which began a period of transformation for the system.
          The library launched its first newsletter, and Facebook pages for each branch, in 2013. The Scenic Regional Library Foundation was established the same year, receiving its 501 (c)3 nonprofit status. Under the Foundation’s leadership, Friends of the Library groups were formed in each community between 2014 and 2015, fostering deeper local support and engagement.
          In 2014, Scenic Regional joined the Missouri Evergreen Consortium, which allowed member libraries to share resources through a unified catalog. Library staff actively demonstrated the consortium’s benefits and worked to recruit additional member libraries. That same year, voters approved a tax measure to increase the library district’s levy from one mill to two mills in Warren, Franklin, and Gasconade Counties. It was the library’s first tax increase in 55 years and enabled it to significantly expand service hours, outreach, programs, and digital resources.
          In 2015, the library districts of Warren, Franklin, and Gasconade Counties consolidated into a single district with the approval of the respective county commissions. This consolidation merged the libraries’ bank accounts, dissolved the county library boards after 56 years, and transferred library funds from Franklin County to Scenic Regional’s control. The same year, the Sullivan Municipal Library’s Board of Trustees voted to merge with Scenic Regional, becoming its eighth branch. In recognition of these efforts, the Missouri Library Association awarded Scenic Regional Library the Library of the Year in October 2015.
          The library also pursued legislative action in 2015, introducing a bill to amend the consolidated library law. The goal was to allow a trustee to represent the Crawford County portion of the former Sullivan Library District. The bill was signed into law in 2017, and Leonard Butts, former president of the Sullivan Municipal Library Board and an advocate for the merger, was appointed as the first trustee for the Crawford County area on the Scenic Regional Library Board.
          In 2016, Scenic Regional created a staff Intranet and added the Ralph Gregory Library’s genealogy and local history collection to the online catalog. Between 2015 and 2017, the library partnered with the State Historical Society of Missouri to digitize over 300,000 pages of local historical newspapers prior to 1965—a project funded entirely through grants.
          A long-standing bequest from Augusta Louise Smith came to fruition in 2016. Ms. Smith had bequeathed 653 acres in Warren County in 1968, with the stipulation that the investment income could be spent by her heirs, but the principal would transfer to the library upon their passing. After legal challenges in the 1970s, the court ruled in favor of Scenic Regional, and in 2016, the library received $241,000 from the land sale proceeds. These funds were allocated to the library’s building projects in Warren County.
          Between 2018 and 2019, Scenic Regional undertook a $22-million systemwide building project, which modernized and expanded its facilities. New buildings replaced branches in Union, Owensville, Pacific, Sullivan, and New Haven, while the Warrenton and St. Clair branches were expanded and renovated. Additionally, the library constructed a ninth branch in Wright City, increasing accessibility across its service area. Self-check machines were placed in each new branch via grant funding.
          In the fall of 2019, the library hosted its first community read event through a Federal NEA Big Read grant. The featured book, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, inspired community-wide discussions and programs. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the library continued the tradition by hosting annual community reads in subsequent years.

2020s

          The 2020s brought significant changes and challenges for Scenic Regional Library, shaped by the global COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing expansion efforts. The library district continued to grow, serving a population of 147,730, according to the 2020 Census.
          In 2020, after 63 years of service, the library ended its bookmobile program, a decision influenced by the pandemic. During the initial outbreak, the library closed for ten weeks, from March through May, to ensure public and staff safety. In 2021, the library converted to RFID, and security gates were added at all locations.
          The library acquired a 25,000-square-foot vacant building in Hermann. Of this, 11,000 square feet were leased to the Hermann Area Hospital for a new clinic, while the remaining space was renovated to include a new Hermann branch, storage, and additional tenant space. The multi-use facility officially opened in May 2022.
          The library’s broader building project, which spanned multiple years, doubled its overall square footage from 44,000 to 88,000 square feet. This included the addition of a ninth branch in Wright City. In August 2022, the Hermann branch also became home to a 2,000-square-foot art gallery, operated by the Scenic Regional Arts Council, further enriching the library’s cultural offerings. Additionally, self-check systems were added at the Hermann and New Haven branches in 2022.
          The library’s Board of Trustees demonstrated remarkable longevity and dedication throughout this period. By October 2024, Franklin County Library Board member John Cheatham had served for 38 years, while Diann Wacker, representing Gasconade County, served for 33.5 years before retiring in January 2021. Warren County Library Board members John Barry and Joy Dufrain both marked over 33 years of service, having attended their first meeting in July 1991. Karen Holtmeyer, also from Warren County, celebrated 31 years and 3 months on the board by November 2024, having been appointed in August 1993.
          This decade has highlighted Scenic Regional Library’s resilience and adaptability, ensuring its continued role as a vital community resource and cultural hub.