About Us

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The Parnell Memorial Library Foundation was established as a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit corporation on March 23, 1998. The mission of the Foundation is to promote funding for expansion of facilities, resources, services, and programs of Parnell Memorial Library. It is led by a board of thirteen members and is supported by contributions from donors.

The Foundation, in cooperation with the City of Montevallo and the Montevallo Main Street Players, spearheaded the BUILDING COMMUNITY TOGETHER Capital Campaign, a broad-based, collaborative effort between 2002 and 2006 that raised more than $2.4 million from more than 700 donors to replace the existing 3,254-square-foot public library facility on the corner of Vine and Boundary streets with the new 12,375-square-foot Parnell Memorial Library and community cultural center at 277 Park Drive in Montevallo. The grand opening of the new library was on February 25, 2007. The donor wall in the Library Rotunda recognizes those contributors who gave $1,000 or more to the Capital Campaign.

Since the opening of the new library, the resources of the Foundation have been focused on three major program areas: literacy, the arts, and natural heritage. Programming and library resource development are supported by Annual Fund campaigns, memorials, and occasional grants. 

The site includes ample parking for library patrons and program participants as well as attractive outdoor spaces for cultural arts programming, nature study, and leisure-time enjoyment. The Library Learning Enrichment Garden was dedicated on September 19, 2013. The garden solves erosion and flooding problems in the environs of the library, provides learning opportunities for the community, and enhances the beauty of downtown Montevallo.

More About Our Facility

Goals

The primary goals of the multipurpose facility are to:
  • promote life-long learning 
  • provide venues for educational, cultural, and civic activities
  • promote and showcase community arts, and
  • produce economic benefits for the city.
The facility is a versatile, attractive, one-level brick building of 12,400 square feet with library space for 19,500 volumes. The library provides desk-top and laptop computers with public access as well as wireless internet access. The expanded reference resources include the Parnell Collection of military and Southern history materials in the handsome Parnell Room. The Southern Writers Room provides a quiet area for study and tutoring.

Facility Features

Also in the facility are:
  • the beautiful rotunda that serves as the entrance to the building
  • the multipurpose meeting room with projector and screen and seating for up to 75 adults or 125 children
  • the catering kitchen adjoining the meeting room
  • the art gallery with rotating exhibits by local and regional artists
  • the community theatre/auditorium with excellent lighting and sound equipment, including a projector and large screen, and raked fixed seating for 140
  • the Children's Porch, an outdoor paved area protected by an awning, suitable for children's activities
  • the parkside terrace overlooking Orr Park, suitable for receptions, children's activities, and leisure reading.

Location

The library is adjacent to beautiful Orr Park, across the street from Montevallo Elementary School, and within walking distance of the middle school and high school and the University of Montevallo as well as many businesses and residences in historic downtown Montevallo. It is linked to the Montevallo Trail that meanders along Shoal Creek and leads to the College Lake.

For directions, click here.