Atchison County Library Board members Cathy Lien, Jayne Martin, Janet Griffin, Mark Staten, and Lydia Hurst were on hand at the library’s Books & Breezes Kite Festival held this summer to raise funds for the library renovation project. (Submitted photo)

The Atchison County Library Board is pleased to provide an update on plans for a new library building on Main Street in Rock Port, Missouri. While the project timeline has shifted since the project was announced in 2024, plans remain active and continue to move forward.

Along with Restore Rock Port, the library received the Community Betterment Development Grant through the Missouri Regional Council of Governments. Asbestos inspections were required for the library’s Main Street properties as well as three other vacant buildings in Rock Port. All four inspections have been completed. The next step will be seeking bids for demolition, which is tentatively expected to begin in fall 2026, according to Jerri Dearmont, Executive Director of the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments.

The library is also pleased to announce that the building project is supported in part by a 2026 grant from the Patterson Family Foundation. The foundation works to strengthen rural communities and invest in opportunities for current and future generations.

The library has continued fundraising efforts in support of the project, including the second annual Books & Breezes Kite Show. Made possible through the generous support of area businesses and organizations, proceeds from the event benefit the new library building project.

As the library looks ahead to the next phase of construction, its mission remains unchanged: supporting literacy, lifelong learning, and community involve-ment throughout Atchison County. The library continues to offer programs and services across the county, including weekly book clubs in Fairfax, author events in Tarkio, Lego Club in Rock Port, Summer Reading, and support for Battle of the Books.

The Atchison County Library Board looks forward to continuing this important project and creating a modern, welcoming space that will serve the Atchison County community for generations to come.