ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


4 6 4 /C & R L  N ew s

M e rc a n tile  L ib ra ry  form s p a rtn e rs h ip  w ith  
U n iv e rs ity  o f M isso u ri-S t. Louis

The St. Louis Mercantile Library has an
nounced a partnership with the University o
Missouri (UM)-St. Louis that w ould greatly in
crease public access, use, and visibility, as well
as ensure the preservation of the Mercantile’s
historic collections and art treasures.

The Mercantile Library and all of its col
lections will move to the UM-St. Louis cam­
pus within the next two years. The Mercan­
tile will be housed as a distinct entity in a
wing o f the Thomas Jefferson Library, the
cam pus’ main library.

U nder the partnership agreement, UM-St.
Louis will:

• renovate a 40,000-square-foot, two-story
addition to the main library to h o u se the
Mercantile’s collections;

• acquire additional research materials to
update and build the core collections o f the
Mercantile;

• provide electronic conversion for the
Mercantile’s catalog records, giving access to
its collections via UM's integrated online li­
brary system and w orldwide via the Internet;

• provide technological and fiscal su p ­
p o r t fo r p r e s e r v a tio n  a n d  u s e  o f  th e
Mercantile’s collection;

• establish a Center for Transportation
Studies, which will have close ties with the

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The Mercantile Library’s current reading room  as it appeared 
at the turn o f the century. The art collections o f the old building 
w ill be m oved into new  quarters at UM-St. Louis.

Mercantile’s extensive Barriger Collection in rail­
ways and Pott Collection in inland waterways;

• link the collections and cam pus aca­
dem ic program s through faculty incentives 
and fellowships in areas o f study w hich rely 
on the Mercantile’s collections, particularly 
through increased support for the existing UM- 
St. Louis Center for the Humanities and the 
Center for Transportation Studies. In addition, 
UM-St. Louis plans to establish up to tw o en ­
dow ed professorships in areas related to the 
collections, using assets transferred from the 
association.

Founded 150 years ago, the Mercantile Li­
brary was the first library established west of 
the Mississippi and is the oldest cultural insti­
tution in St. Louis. It has b een  seeking o p ­
portunities to realize its vision of increasing 
use w hile preserving collections for about 
three years.

“After an extensive strategic planning ef­
fort, our board determ ined the best way to 
achieve our vision was through a partnership 
with another local educational or cultural in­
stitution,” said Ruth Bryant, president of the 
Board. “After months of research and careful 
consideration, w e selected UM-St. Louis be­
cause it provided us with the greatest number 
of opportunities to increase use and preserva­

tion of our collection.” UM-St. 
Louis chancellor Blanche M. 
Touhill said, “As a historian and 
researcher, 1 have a deep love 
and respect for the Mercantile 
Library and its treasures.”

In a related move, the cur­
re n t ex e cu tiv e d ire c to r an d  
chief librarian o f the Mercan­
tile Library, John Hoover, has 
b een  nam ed associate director 
o f libraries for special collec­
tions and director o f the St. 
Louis Mercantile Library at the 
University o f Missouri-St. Louis. 
All other Mercantile Library em ­
ployees have also becom e em ­
ployees o f UM-St. Louis.—John 
Hoover, M e rc a n tile Library, 
a n d  Joan Rapp, UM-St. Louis