The mission of the St. Louis County Library District is to provide the resources and services to enrich individual minds, enhance lives and expand perspectives.
The St. Louis County Library District was established as a political subdivision of the State of Missouri with taxing authority by an election held in April of 1946. The Library District is governed by a Board of Trustees, consisting of five members appointed by the County Council based on a recommendation of the County Executive. The Board of trustees is responsible for selecting and appointing a Library Director. The Director is the chief executive officer of the Library and is responsible for the execution of the orders and policies adopted by the Board. Information concerning the establishment and governance of the Library District can be found in Chapter 182 of the Missouri State Statutes. The first library building opened in 1947and was quickly followed by two branch locations in the heavily populated portion of North County. The 1960s saw an additional four branches, including a new Headquarters building and the first of many building expansions. This building boom resulted in the construction of branches throughout the 524 square miles of the county. A tax levy passed in 1973 allowed the library to add 12 branches to the system, bringing the total number of branch locations to 20. St. Louis County Library is supported primarily by the property taxes of District residents.