Kansas City Public Library facts for kids

The Kansas City Public Library is a public library system. Its main building is the Central Library in Kansas City, Missouri. This library system has many branches across Kansas City, Independence, and Sugar Creek. It was started on December 5, 1873. This makes it the oldest and third largest public library system in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

The Central Library has special collections in its Missouri Valley Room. These collections hold local history items from Kansas City. You can find old photos, maps, news articles, and city guides there. The Library also has the Ramos Collection. This collection focuses on African-American history and culture. It includes books, pamphlets, and articles.

Explore Kansas City's Libraries

Library Locations and Branches

The Central Library building

The Kansas City Public Library system has several locations. These are called branches. Each branch helps people in different neighborhoods. Here are some of the main branches:

• Central - 14 West 10th Street
• L.H. Bluford - 3050 Prospect Avenue
• North-East - 6000 Wilson Road
• Plaza - 4801 Main Street
• I.H. Ruiz - 2017 West Pennway Street
• Southeast - 6242 Swope Parkway
• Sugar Creek - 102 South Sterling Avenue - (Sugar Creek)
• Trails West - 11401 East 23rd Street - (Independence)
• Waldo - 201 East 75th Street
• Westport - 118 Westport Road

The Community Bookshelf

The Community Bookshelf on the parking garage

A closer look at the book spines

The Community Bookshelf is a cool part of downtown Kansas City. It was built in 2004. This giant bookshelf is actually the south wall of the Central Library's parking garage. It is located on 10th Street. The idea was to make the parking garage look more interesting.

The "book spines" are very large, about 25 feet tall and 9 feet wide. They are made from special sign material. These huge books show 22 different titles. These titles were chosen by Kansas City readers. Then, the Library Board of Trustees made the final selection.

Here are some of the books you can see on the Community Bookshelf:

• Kansas City Stories Volumes 1 and 2
• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
• O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
• Cien Años de Soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude) by Gabriel García Márquez
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• The Republic by Plato
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• Tao Te Ching by Lau Tsu
• The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes by Langston Hughes
• Black Elk Speaks by Black Elk, as told to John G. Neihardt
• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Journals of the Expedition by Lewis and Clark
• Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, And The Opening Of The American West by Stephen Ambrose
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
• Truman by David G. McCullough
• A collection of children's books, including:
  • Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
  • Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
  • Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
  • Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
  • What a Wonderful World by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele
  • Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
  • M.C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton

Community Programs and Outreach

The Kansas City Public Library works hard to help everyone in the community. They have an "open door policy" for all visitors. In 2016, the Library started a program called Coffee & Conversations. This program helps people who are experiencing homelessness. The library shares information and encourages open discussions.

The Library also has a program called Refugee and Immigrant Services & Empowerment (RISE). This program helps immigrants. It gives them information and resources. These resources can help them work towards becoming citizens.

The Library also hosts special events called edit-a-thons. During these events, people work together to add information to Wikipedia. They focus on topics important to Kansas City. Past events have covered Kansas City Black History, Kansas City Jazz, and Kansas City Philanthropists.

History of the Library

The idea for the Kansas City Public Library began in November 1873. The Kansas City Board of Education wanted to buy books for a public library. They held a series of lectures to raise money. Dr. James Michlejohn Greenwood, who was the Superintendent of Schools, chose the very first books.

In 1891, Major L. K. Thacher asked for a record of how the library started. This led to a pamphlet written by J. M. Greenwood in 1892. It was called A history of the Kansas City Public Library from 1873 to 1893. Dr. Greenwood wrote that the goal was to build "one of the best libraries in the entire country." He said it would show the "enterprise, perseverance and intelligence" of the people who started it. This was especially impressive because they began during a difficult financial time.

Awards and Recognitions

The Kansas City Public Library has won many awards. These awards show how important and helpful the library is.

• In 2013, 2016, and 2018, Library Journal gave KCPL a five-star rating. This rating is given to top libraries based on how many books are borrowed, how many people visit, and how many programs are attended.
• In 2017, the library received the Paul Howard Award for Courage from the American Library Association.
• The American Library Association also gave the library the Excellence in Library Programming award in 2014.
• In 2008, former First Lady Laura Bush gave KCPL the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. This award recognized the library's "Books to Go" program and its many free public events.