Located in the southwest corner of the
Joplin Public
Library
300 Main
Joplin, Missouri
64801
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.
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.
