Planning a family reunion, visit to the old homestead, or taking a stroll down memory lane in Poplar Bluff or surrounding areas? Then Poplar Bluff Public Library is just the place for you!
The library’s Local History and Genealogy collection contains nearly 3,000 reference items handy in tracing one’s family lineage. Many books focusing on Butler County, Missouri– its history and its people– are available in this collection. Browse the collection in person by visiting us at 318 N. Main St, or search for items before you arrive in the library’s online catalog.
The library is also home to a large collection of newspapers on microfilm and high school yearbooks and city directories.
The library maintains local Poplar Bluff newspapers on microfilm dating back to 1877. This collection is not conclusive, particularly in the earliest editions. Library visitors may view, print, save or even email pages from the local newspaper archive.
Some yearbooks and city directories are even digitized and available to be searched prior to making your trip. Currently available are the following: Poplar Bluff Yearbooks, 1950-1989, Neelyville Yearbooks, 1954-1989 and Wheatly Yearbooks for 1954 & 1956. (More schools may be added in the future!) The digital yearbooks are even keyword searchable PDF files! We have additional yearbooks not yet digitized but still viewable when visiting.
For more information, please visit the library’s genealogy webpage at https://poplarbluff.org/genealogy.html and our genealogy blog at https://pbpl-genealogy.blogspot.com/
Come in out of the hot, humid weather and enjoy our free Wi-Fi while soaking up some local history. Hours are Monday-Thursday 9-7 and Friday-Saturday 10-5. (Closed Sundays for the Summer.)
Guest post contribution by Shon Griffin, Collection Development, Poplar Bluff Municipal Library