City Market Summer Book Sale Series sponsored by Friends of the LibraryIn cooperation with the National World War I Museum, this film series examines cinematic depictions of The War to End All WarsAstronomer, astrophysicist and five-time astronaut Dr. Steven Hawley gives a presentation to complement the exhibit Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of DiscoveryKansas City’s summer chamber music ensemble performs excerpts from classic and contemporary composers Handel and Alexandra du BoisAfter a well-received holiday performance in December, the local duo of Jill Simpson and Whitney Coulson are back for the dog days of summer with a highly anticipated encoreCinema Across the Universe features science fiction films on Saturdays throughout July and August 2009 at 1:30 p.m. in the Stanley H. Durwood Film Vault at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St. Be a part of the KCPT filming of a conversation with the Missouri-born artist famous for his paintings showing ordinary people doing common thingsTrue-crime blogger Laura James tells the story of the tumultuous relationship in Kansas City between a gold digger and Jesse James, Jr. in a book described as “a ruthless mixture of sex and greed ending inevitably in bloody violence.”The local civil rights activist explains how using the library helped his fight to persuade Congress to enact the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act into lawThe New Cult Canon theme features cult films with mass appeal, inspired by The A.V. Club Susay Bray of the Lakeside Nature Center brings turtles and snakes to the Library and discusses each animal’s characteristics and adaptation for survivalFood critic Charles Ferruzza discusses memorable Kansas City dining establishments from the 1930s through today Friday Night Family Fun continues with The Littleague, a Hip Hop quartet performing positive, informative, and uplifting music with an educational message for childrenTwo local experts in the field of historical research lead a discussion about the tools available to help Kansas City residents research the history of their homesBe a part of the KCPT filming of a conversation with the pioneer in the field of women’s ready-to-wear clothing in the 1920s and 1930sAn exhibit featuring 40 framed original posters from World War IA striking photo display documents the cultural landscape of the Great Plains, with a focus on the Central Kansas prairieDescribed as “a visual journey through 400 years of progress in our ability to fathom what lies beyond planet Earth,” Visions of the Universe explores astronomy from Galileo’s initial findings to the latest results of the Hubble Space Telescope
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Reader's Corner

Summer Reading 2009

Kids & Teens
Summer Reading

Book Clubs

NoveList - Find a good book to read.
Library card required from home

More in the Reader's Corner...

H&R Block Business & Career Center

The H&R Block Business & Career Center, located at the Central Library, is a dedicated service center that helps customers to:

• Learn entrepreneurship.
• Find jobs and develop careers.
• Organize personal finances.
• Establish & sustain non-profits.
• Access consultations, computers, & classes.

Funded by a generous grant from H&R Block and the H&R Block Foundation.

This Week in Kansas City History

Bridge to the Future

Hannibal Bridge, looking northeast from the south side of the Missouri River.

July 3, 1869: Forty thousand people gather along the banks of the Missouri to celebrate the opening of the quarter mile long Hannibal Bridge, designed by Octave Chanute, which makes Kansas City a commercial hub for the railroads that are rapidly expanding to the west.

Missouri Valley Special Collections

Monthly Theme: Liberty Memorial


Postcard - Liberty Memorial at night

See KCHistory.org for digital collections or
learn more about Local History & Genealogy.


Meet the Past: what would you ask them? What would you ask Thomas Hart Benton? What would you ask Nell Donnelly Reed?

KCPT films conversations between the director of the Kansas City Public Library and re-enactors portraying prominent historical figures with Kansas City connections.

You can be a part of this series. What would you ask Thomas Hart Benton or Nell Donnelly Reed? Submit one or more questions you would like to ask these guests. If your question is chosen, Library Director Crosby Kemper III will pose it on your behalf.

Doug Mishler portrays Thomas Hart Benton: Tuesday, July 14, 2009, at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th Street. Learn more | RSVP now

Jan Chapman portrays Nell Donnelly Reed: Tuesday, July 14, 2009, at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th Street. Learn more | RSVP now

Previous Special Events

What's been happening at the Library

The Battle of Bettysburg - July 1, 2009
The Battle of Gettysburg - July 1, 2009

See more Library photos on Flickr.
Previous Special Events | Audio of Events