Rolling Hills Library grand opening set for Riverside Branch!

After more than two years of planning and 18 months of construction, the Rolling Hills Consolidated Library is ready to celebrate the opening of its new Riverside Branch location in St. Joseph.  The address is 400 Mosaic Court, just south of the Mosaic Life Care hospital and their new Plaza 4 location on Faraon and the UMKC School of Medicine facility.

After a soft opening on April 20^th the library is now open daily for visitors.  Two events are planned for this week to formally welcome the community.  The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting on Thursday, May 7^th at 11:00 a.m. for the business community.  Then the library will host a Grand Opening event on Saturday, May 9^th at 10:00 a.m. and an all-day open house with tours and giveaways.

The facility is over 36,000 square feet on almost four acres and surrounded by natural landscaping and pleasant views.  The building houses the library’s largest branch, the Bookmobile office and garage, the Administration Office, and the Friends of the Library’s used bookstore, Books Revisited.  

Sapp Design Architects of Kansas City were engaged for their experience with libraries and designed an excellent and adaptable facility. J.E. Dunn Construction of Kansas City operated as the construction manager at-risk to oversee the project. Local trade partners were used for close to 40% of the project construction budget. The total project costs including land acquisition and construction have come in at 10% under the original maximum budget set by the library board, a feat nearly unheard of in the post-COVID economy.

Library Director Michelle Mears has been both pleased and overwhelmed at the feedback from library staff and library users. “Everyone has been so positive about the new space.  We are still settling in and adjusting, but this building is a joy to come to every day.”  With large windows and a variety of seating, the library branch feels very connected to the outdoors and has a flat parking area with an accessible entrance.

The former location at the Rolling Hills Plaza strip mall on Belt Highway is for sale. “It has been well taken care of and is ready to become a retail and commercial destination again,” Mears said.

Upcoming Library Move! What you need to know...

The days are flying by, and our "big move" will be here before you know it.  Here are some dates and information that will help us to help you get through this period.

• Savannah Branch will stay open throughout this time.  Only one branch will be closed, so make the short drive to Savannah if you need to use a computer or run out of books to read.  Many of you have never been there before, and our Savannah Branch is beautiful!
• Our online resources will still be accessible.  Now is as good a time as any to try an e-book on your mobile device and see how you like it.
• Before the Belt Branch closes, check out twice as many books as you normally would to get you through.  Plus, that is more books we don't have to move.
• Don't worry about returning your books, because we do not have overdue fines.  Renew the books you already have checked out, even if you are finished with them and just hold onto them until we reopen.
• We have over 100,000 books plus 32 staff and a bunch of furniture to move.  Then we also have new furniture to get delivered and assembled.  And the Books Revisited bookstore and the Bookmobile also will need to move.  A move like this does not happen overnight.

Here are some dates for you to mark on your calendars:

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES, Closed Monday, March 2

BELT BRANCH, Last Day Open -- Sunday, March 15

BOOKS REVISITED Bookstore, Last Day Open -- Saturday, March 21

RIVERSIDE BRANCH, Soft Opening, sometime in mid-April

GRAND OPENING of the RIVERSIDE BRANCH -- Saturday, May 9  

Phone numbers and email addresses will all stay the same, so reach out online if you have any questions or concerns.  You can reach me at help@rhcl.org or 816-205-7000.

Michelle Mears, Library Director