The public is invited to join the members of the Ridgel family, the library’s Board of Trustees, and staff as they celebrate the dedication of the Dr. Gus T. Ridgel Branch Library at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15.
Since purchasing the property in 2019 and renovation in 2020, library staff has prepared the branch and opened services to the public, according to a press release.
The Poplar Bluff Municipal Library trustees named the new Kanell Boulevard branch library in honor of Dr. Gus T. Ridgel on Nov. 2, 2019. Ridgel made history as the first African-American admitted to the graduate school at the University of Missouri in 1950 and the first graduate of the graduate school in 1951.
Ridgel had a distinguished career in education and served as a role model for perseverance and work ethic, organizers said. The Board of Trustees and library staff want to honor his achievements with the branch’s dedication.
This branch also honors the history and service of the library for Wheatley School, which began in the 1920s and has continued over the past years with partnerships for summer enrichment programs, according to officials.
Ridgel graduated as valedictorian in 1939, at the age of 16, from Wheatley School.
“The library has a long history of serving diverse populations and it has always been a part of the library’s mission to provide reading, information, cultural and intellectual resources,” Director Sue Crites Szostak said. “The new branch with its location near many schools is poised in a similar fashion to give students access to resources following the footsteps of Dr. Ridgel.”
John Stanard, long-time board member, stated, “We all are proud of the legacy of the library serving the students of Wheatley School as far back as 100 years ago. With that background, he went on to earn multiple college degrees and impacted thousands of students’ lives during his own distinguished career as a university professor and administrator.”
Available services include collections of library materials for checkout, lockers for item pickup, full access to online Missouri Evergreen resources, computers, WiFi, programming space and group study rooms. Patrons may choose and borrow from over 55 Missouri libraries nearly 4 million books and movies, computers, WiFi, pickup lockers, group study rooms, scanning and printing services, and in-person programming.
After the dedication and formal remarks guests are invited to tour the building and enjoy light refreshments. Parking and shuttle service are available from New Covenant Fellowship Church gym parking lot.
For more information, contact Sue Crites Szostak, Director, Poplar Bluff Municipal Library, 573-686-8639 or email library@poplarbluff.org.