Mid-Continent Public Library

When the school year ends, the need for literacy support does not. Here’s help in finding in-person and online summer reading programs around the Kansas City area.

A fifth grader from Lee's Summit is one of 243 competitors in this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee. She's been studying every day — even through recess — to learn hundreds of words.

Technologies like AI and social media are rapidly changing, impacting the content we consume and how we interact with each other. "Facing the Future," a series of talks at the Mid-Continent Public Library, aims to help Kansas Citians navigate them.

While the Kansas City region is home to robust public library systems, it also boasts specialized libraries that focus on individual subjects. These libraries have extensive collections devoted to arts, natural history, science and storytelling, and also offer events, activities, and exhibits for readers and researchers alike.

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.

Missouri libraries could lose state funding if they don’t follow new rules regarding what materials children can check out. But librarians say the rules are a huge burden — and have encouraged hostile behavior from the public.

Historical fiction? Romance? Memoir? Mystery? No matter the genre, there's a book club in Kansas City that is right for you.

Voters supported a tax increase in 2016 with the promise that the library would open a new branch — but now the library board is questioning how to finance the project.

The Mid-Continent Public Library board voted to reduce their tax levy by more than 2 cents, which will reduce the system’s funding by about $4.3 million. Library staff are now scrambling to find savings in the budget.

Over 34 years Steven Potter went from night shifts processing new books at Mid-Continent Public Library to retiring after over a decade as its director.

Banned Book Week is an annual celebration meant to highlight intellectual freedom and freedom of expression, but some say the content crosses a line.