Located in the
Joplin Public
Library
300 Main
Joplin, Missouri
64801
Click on the pictures for larger images
Welcome to the Post Memorial Art
Reference Library!
The Post
Library, an independently endowed private foundation, is located in the
southwest corner of the Joplin Public Library, 300 Main Street, Joplin,
Missouri. Antique
stone statuary
keeps solemn vigil at the arched entrance.
As
visitors pass from the bright and modern public library into the Post Library,
they discover an enchanting place harkening back to days of antiquity.
In 1981, the
Post Memorial Art
Reference
library,
administered and funded by the Post Foundation, opened to the public. Visitors are welcome to
study at an Elizabethan table or to enjoy the
paintings,
sculptures,
and furnishings.
The Post Library
houses a
non-circulating
reference collection. Although this restriction may be an
inconvenience
to some patrons, the books are always available to anyone who wishes to
do research. Library materials may be photocopied. A small portion of
the
collection comprises rare books owned by Dr. & Mrs. Post. The other
books have been purchased since the library opened. In addition, the
library
subscribes to about thirty art-related periodicals.
The Post collection concentrates
on the history of art rather than on techniques for creating art. It
covers
all the visual media, such as painting, drawing, stained glass,
graphic art,
and sculpture. It also encompasses related fields -- gardens,
calligraphy,
antiques and archaeology. The photography section is especially popular
with the library's patrons.
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Other areas of
special
interest
are architecture, historic preservation, and Joplin's historic
buildings.
Library director Leslie Simpson has written several articles, books,
and
documentaries on Joplin's history and its buildings. One of
these, From Lincoln
Logs to Lego Blocks: How Joplin Was Built, is an architectural
survey of Joplin, published by the Post Foundation and available at the
library for $2.00. Two other books on Joplin's history, Joplin
Keepsake Album and Joplin Souvenir Album, published by
G. Bradley Publishing, Inc.,
are available at
First State Bank.
In 2004,
the Post Library collaborated with the Joplin Public Library to publish an
on-line collection of historic
Joplin postcards.
Another
ongoing historic architecture project is the
Historical Guide maintained on the Art of the Four States website.
In 2008,
Ms. Simpson prepared a 300-slide power-point program called
Extreme Makeover: Joplin Edition.
It featured a series of photographs of current locations contrasted with
historic photographs of how that location once looked. Click on the link
for a sampling. Contact the Post Library for information about future
showings of the program.
For
information about homes in the
Murphysburg Historic District, please consult their blog.
Patrons are
welcome to
browse
the
open shelves of the Post Library.
However, due to a shortage of shelf space, many books have been placed in
storage. Upon request, library staff will gladly retrieve stored
materials. The Post collection is indexed in a card catalog in the Post
Library as well as in the Joplin Public Library's
online catalog.
NEWS
BREAKING NEWS!
New book by Leslie Simpson available in the Post Library. Click on the book cover below for more details.
Read Wally Kennedy's
December 11, 2009 article about
the book.
The Post Library
provides a small exhibit space for displaying works by area artists or
collections of antique or decorative objects. These exhibits change
monthly. Visitors should also check out the spooky great hall in October
and the antique Christmas decorations in December.
The
exhibits are also featured on the
Arts of the
Four States website. Please visit this exciting site to see what's
going on in art, dance, music, theater, history, and literature in the Four
State area.
You can
also check out the Missouri Division of Tourism at
www.visitmo.com to see what other
cultural activities Missouri has to offer.
FOR THE
KIDS!!!
Click here for a coloring page based on a
famous painting.
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Address:
300 Main Street
Joplin, MO 64801
417-782-7678
Leslie
Simpson, Director
Email: lsimpson@postlibrary.org
Hours Open
|
Monday
&
Thursday |
9:30
AM -
7:30 PM |
| Tues, Wed,
Fri, Sat |
9:30 AM -
5:30 PM |
|
Open
Sundays 1:00-5:00 PM
Closed Holidays
|
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FREE OF CHARGE
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