Books

Members of St. Marys five-person city commission, all of whom are members of an extreme Catholic religious sect, have threatened to pull the lease of the public library if they don't remove all LGBTQ+ and other "socially divisive" books from the shelves. Their efforts have drawn a warning from the ACLU of Kansas.

As a KCUR caller points out, our first experience with books is often when they're read to us by an adult. So yes, audiobooks count as reading. Our collection of book enthusiasts discuss the makings of a good audiobook and what they recommend listening to.

A stone’s throw away from Kansas City’s historic 18th and Vine district sits the 2400 block of Montgall Avenue. The now overlooked neighborhood was once home to some of the city’s most prominent Black figures of the 20th century.

Mid-Continent Public Library has banned LGBTQ Pride book displays in children’s areas after rules issued by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft ban libraries from “age-inappropriate” materials under threat of losing state funding. Staff say the new policies are confusing and point to a work environment that is not inclusive of LGBTQ staff.

The new policies are a reaction to rules from Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft that ban libraries from “age-inappropriate” displays for teens and children. Staff of Mid-Continent Public Library say the policies are confusing, and point to a work environment that is not inclusive of LGBTQ staff.

The rule include prohibiting libraries from giving materials to minors without parental permission, and banning “age-inappropriate” displays from children’s areas. Libraries risk losing state funding if they don’t comply.

Ryan Bernsten set out on a 23,000 mile journey to every U.S. state to listen to the stories of everyday Americans and understand their political beliefs. Then, he picked Kansas City to settle down. His new book shares what he learned in the process.

Washington Post opinion columnist David Von Drehle's newest nonfiction book, "The Book of Charlie," highlights the life of his former neighbor in Kansas City: Dr. Charlie White, who lived to the age of 109.

The new book from Taylor Kay Phillips, a Kansas City-born writer living in New York City, explains what it means to take a short drive (at least eight hours), how to talk sports (until you’re six feet under) and how to use “Ope! Lemme just squeeze right past ya” in casual conversation.

Missouri is one of a growing number of places where government funding is being deployed as the newest weapon in the fight over books. Beginning May 30, a new state rule could deny state funding to libraries over books deemed inappropriate for young readers — although it's not clear how it will be enforced.

A Missouri rule outlaws school libraries from offering books with "explicit sexual material," and threatens librarians with jail time and hefty fines. Meanwhile, the House voted to strip all state funding for libraries. But some librarians are fighting back.

Kansas City Public Library's Kaite Stover, author Steve Paul, and BLK + BRWN bookstore owner Cori Smith share their favorite books of the moment, spanning true crime and romance to poetry and biography.