Starting Friday, smoking will be prohibited on all Callaway County Library property - including the parking lot and grass areas.
Daniel Boone Regional Library spokesperson Mitzi St. John said the Columbia Public Library facilities and grounds have been smoke-free since January 2011. She said the distirct board chose not to take action on the Callaway branch at that time because it was waiting until the City of Fulton made a decision regarding its smoking ordinance.
The Callaway library has adhered to the city ordinance prohibiting smoking inside the premises and limiting smoking outside to beyond 15-feet of the building entrance.
Callaway Library Manager Greg Reeves said the subject of whether to expand that ban to encompass the entire property has "come up a number of times over the years."
"Columbia went smoke-free a couple years ago, they're trying to make it consistent across the system," Reeves said.
Although conformity was a deciding factor, he said it was not the only reason for the decision.
"It tends to be a mess with cigarette butts, and often people would smoke right in front of the door and the smoke would just get sucked right into the building," Reeves said.