libraries

A hair metal band recruited by the CIA, fake newlyweds and retellings of "The Great Gatsby" are among the stories selected by Up To Date's panel of readers as the best books to pick up this summer.

When President Trump made deep cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities earlier this year, grants were cancelled and programs across the country were suspended. In Kansas City, one oral history project for Vietnam War veterans had to be scaled back.

As the gay rights movement began picking up steam in the 1970s, Barbara Grier co-founded the largest lesbian publishing company in the world — right from her Kansas City home. Grier was bold, controversial, and unstoppable in her mission to make books reflect the people and love stories in her life.

University officials say the library has been weeding out materials that are outdated or have not been checked out in over a decade. But faculty say they should have been consulted first.

An executive order from President Trump has stopped mid-Missouri libraries from receiving reimbursements for federally funded grants. Libraries across the state are being instructed to limit their spending.

President Trump's cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services will impact hundreds of millions of dollars in grant-funded projects around the country. Crosby Kemper, a former director of the Kansas City Public Library who served as IMLS director for four years, worries the agency will be eliminated entirely.

Soman Chainani’s best-selling “The School for Good and Evil” series was adapted into a Netflix movie in 2022. His debut graphic novel, “Coven,” marks the return of a trio of witches from the successful series.

A Pulitzer-prize winning play, trendy fantasy series, a whistleblower memoir and more were picked by Up To Date's panel of book lovers as their current favorites. Find recommendations from local booksellers and librarians, as well as suggestions from our listeners.

Rolla Public Library is providing a lost-and-found for people who find photos and other personal items in their yards and elsewhere.

El Distrito Escolar de Lee's Summit dijo que los padres siempre han tenido la opción de pedir a los bibliotecarios escolares que impidieran que sus hijos sacaran ciertos títulos. Pero a partir de este mes, pueden hacer una listade hasta 20 títulos que su hijo no podrá sacar de la biblioteca escolar.

The Lee's Summit School District said parents have always had the option to ask school librarians to keep certain titles from their student. But starting this month, they can list up to 20 titles that their child won't be able to check out from their school library.

Christian County Library District executive director Renee Brumett said she is leaving next month. It is the latest shakeup in district leadership following years of calls to label and or remove some library materials as "inappropriate."