It’s unusual for employees today to spend their entire careers at the same business or organization. But that’s exactly what Frances Bush and Idenia Thornton have done. With 50 years of service and counting under their belts at the Columbia Public Library, they are the longest-serving employees — and perhaps the closest friends — on staff.

“It’s been a long time,” says Frances about working at the library. “It doesn’t feel like it, though.”

The library is hosting a free concert June 1 featuring Justin Roberts and The Not Ready for Naptime Players. After Daniel Boone Regional Library director Melissa Carr retired in January 2018, the DBRL Foundation established the Melissa Carr Literacy Through The Arts Fund. For the second year, monies from this fund are helping to bring in a popular children’s performer to kick off Summer Reading. Last year, the guest performer was Laurie Berkner.

Justin Roberts and The Not Ready for Naptime Players will perform at the Missouri Theatre, 203 South Ninth Street, Columbia, MO at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 1. Tickets are free and can be requested through www.dbrl-justin-roberts.eventbrite.com.

The One Read reading panel of community members from Boone and Callaway Counties narrowed the list of more than 160 book suggestions for the 2019 One Read title to two top contenders. Between April 15-May 3, the public can cast their vote for either “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century” by Jessica Bruder or “Sourdough, or Lois and Her Adventures in the Underground Market” by Robin Sloan.

Ballot boxes will be set up at the Daniel Boone Regional Library locations in Ashland, Columbia, Holts Summit and Fulton, on the bookmobile and at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Columbia. People can also vote online at oneread.org. The winning title will be announced May 29.

The new Holts Summit Public Library opened March 5. Since its opening, the library has been busy. Within the first month, 273 new people signed up for library cards and more than 3,200 items circulated, surpassing a 2018 monthly average of 850 items checked out through the Holts Summit bookmobile and Library-To-Go lockers. In addition, 42 children attended the “Royal Tea Party,” 51 youth attended the “STEAM Fair” and 84 people came to “Animal Tales Presents: Born to Be Wild.”

The new Book Rover will be on display in front of the Columbia Public Library Wednesday, April 17, so stop by and see it up close from 5-6 p.m., rain or shine. There will be a ribbon cutting at 5:15 p.m.

Like the library’s other two bookmobiles, Book Rover is fitted out with library materials to take to community centers and events in Mid-Missouri. Since it is a smaller vehicle, it will be better able to visit a broader number of locations, which includes licensed child care centers in Ashland, Columbia and Fulton.

The Holts Summit Public Library is now open! Stop by to borrow books, movies and music, and use the public computers and free Wi-Fi.

A ribbon-cutting and open house will be held on March 20. Visitors will be able to meet with library staff and enjoy refreshments while exploring the newest addition to the community.

The new Holts Summit Public Library will open its doors Tuesday, March 5 at 3 p.m. in Summit Plaza. People will be able to come in to borrow books, movies and music, and use the public computers and free Wi-Fi.

For now, the library will be open 20 hours a week: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 3-6 p.m., Wednesday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Learn what our medical community is doing locally and around the world to prevent disease from ravaging communities near and far. Join us at the library for a series of “Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World” events, presented in partnership with the American Society of Microbiology.

The Daniel Boone Regional Library will be opening a library facility in Holts Summit in 2019. Plans have been in the works for several months and were finalized with the signing of an agreement for the library to occupy a 7,200 square feet space in the Summit Plaza in Holts Summit.