St. Louis Mercantile Library

Established in 1846 by civic leaders and philanthropists, the Mercantile exists today as a vibrant community and cultural asset. It is the oldest library west of the Mississippi and the grandparent of St. Louis cultural institutions. The St. Louis Mercantile Library Association has, since its founding, collected, preserved, interpreted, and provided access to broad collections of Americana and cultural history, rare books, fine art, river and rail history, and historic regional business records and newspapers. Through its 176 years in existence, the Library has become a repository of our city's heritage in collections both deep and broad.

Our ongoing mission is to provide research opportunities to the broadest possible audience, from the casual drop-in visitor to student groups of all ages to the most advanced academic scholar. We accomplish this mission daily through special and permanent exhibitions, digital access, in-person archival consultations, print publications, and entertaining and educational programs - most of which are offered free of charge, as are our docent-led tours. The Library recently celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2021 with the exhibition "A Nation, A City and its First Library: Americana as a Way of Life at the St. Louis Mercantile Library for 175 Years," drawing from the entire breadth of the rare book, historic map, river, rail, and fine art collections. To view the St. Louis Mercantile Library's exhibition and programming schedule go to http://www.umsl.edu/mercantile/events-and-exhibitions/index.html.