SIKESTON -- Sikeston residents who live in the New Madrid County sections of the city are now entitled to access the Sikeston Public Library.
"There are several hundred card holders in the Sikeston Public Library who live in New Madrid County but in the city of Sikeston," said Bob Depro, chairman of the Sikeston Public Library's board. "Their tax money for libraries goes to New County Library in Portageville, so we began some talks with the county officials in New Madrid County."
Library tax revenue for that portion of the city goes to the New Madrid County Library District due to boundaries drawn by the state legislature in 1965.
"There are almost 3,000 people who live in Sikeston that are residents of New Madrid County," Depro said.
A five-year contract with the New Madrid County Library District was approved by the Sikeston Public Library's board of directors during their Jan. 9 meeting under which the New Madrid County Library will pay the Sikeston Public Library $15,000 per year to provide services to Sikeston residents in the New Madrid County areas of the city.
"Both library boards kept in mind what was in the best interests of the residents of New Madrid County who are also residents of Sikeston," Depro said. "It was a very pleasant, constructive meeting. It worked out very well for both library districts."
The boards also indicated they believe they can work together on other projects and call upon each other for other information and assistance.
"We were just delighted how things went," Depro said. "This is just how good neighbors operate."
As New Madrid County already provides library services in Morehouse and Matthews, those areas are not included under the contract.
In July, the Riverside Regional Library District's board voted to renew the agreement by which their district pays $15,000 per year to the Sikeston Public Library so Scott County residents who pay taxes to the Riverside Library District but live in the R-6 school district could have access to the Sikeston library.