Mid-Continent Public Library

Make the most of your library card, no matter where in the Kansas City area you live. Our region has no shortage of great libraries, and you can find an entire world of resources and unique activities beyond just a great read.

Librarians and staff in the Mid-Continent Public Library system have announced their intent to unionize. They want better wages and workplace protections. With more than 700 workers, it could be the largest library union in Missouri.

As AI content increasingly spreads online, Erin Kennedy, the digital innovation manager at the Mid-Continent Public Library, says people should be critical of the content. While some content is created for fun, other content is used to deceive the viewer.

Looking for a powerful memoir, a cozy bedtime story, a creepy collection — or all of the above for a potential holiday gift? KCUR's Up To Date invited a librarian, professor and bookstore owner to offer the favorites titles they read in the last year.

A Missouri House interim committee met last week and will hold four hearings around the state to listen to concerns and hear ideas for overhauling the system.

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 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.