Episode
Could Libraries Pave the Way for a City-County Merger?
- Podcast
- The Arch City Report
- Published
- Mar 26, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1322
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Summary
Retiring St. Louis Public Library CEO Waller McGuire says the city and county library systems could serve as a real-world test case for broader regional consolidation — an idea gaining renewed attention as local leaders weigh deeper cooperation between governments. McGuire, who plans to step down in October after more than three decades, says the two systems have already merged their catalogs and are open to going further. But complications abound: vastly different tax rates, state law requirements, and the question of whether the public and elected leaders actually want it. Also in this episode: McGuire has asked the Library Foundation's board to explore a $10–20 million endowment for the iconic Central Library, one of the region's most important architectural landmarks and an extremely expensive building to maintain. The conversation also turns to St. Louis County Executive Sam Page's recent remarks advocating for a city-county merger — and the mixed reactions that followed. With both governments facing serious budget pressures, is the region finally at a point where consolidation becomes a must? Host Eric is joined by colleague Jacob Kirn to break it all down. Show links: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/03/23/city-county-libraries-experiment-merger.html https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/03/20/on-deck-next-library-leader.html https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2026/03/20/library-floats-major-endowment-downtown-landmark.html