Previous Special Events

Physician, historian, and ethicist Robert Martensen discusses his book, A Life Worth Living: A Doctor’s Reflections on Illness in a High-Tech Era, on Thursday, November 20, at 6:30 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

The Kansas City Public Library welcomes revolutionary book designer Chip Kidd for an exploration of The Secret History of Batman in Japan on Wednesday, November 19, at 6:30 p.m. in the Truman Forum at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

The Kansas City Public Library welcomes railroad historian Peter A. Hansen for a presentation called Dreams of Empire: Kansas City and the Railroads on Tuesday, November 18, at 6:30 p.m. in the Truman Forum at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

Local residents are encouraged to come together this fall for a discussion of some of the toughest public policy issues facing our community and our nation.

The Kansas City Public Library and Consensus are partnering to present the Harry’s Front Porch Forums scheduled for Mondays – October 20, November 17, and December 8 – in the Truman Forum at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St. All three programs begin at 6:30 p.m.

Forum topics include:

The chaos and violence happening in the African country of Sudan—one of gravest tragedies in modern world history—is the focus of a discussion featuring  the authors of Courageous Journey: Walking the Lost Boys’ Path from the Sudan to America, on Sunday, November 16, at 3 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

The influence of the Missouri River on the urban development that first started along its banks goes beyond infrastructure and extends to the social fabric of the community, as Amahia Mallea explains in this presentation on Sunday, November 16, at 2 p.m. at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.

The Kansas City Public Library hosts poet Sean Hill for a reading from his first collection of poetry, Blood Ties & Brown Liquor on Sunday, November 16, at 1:30 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St. The program is a part of the Park University Ethnic Voices Poetry Series.

The Kansas City Public Library hosts a forum on problem solving at the community level as inspired by the FRONTLINE/World Social Entrepreneur Series. The event will take place on Saturday, November 15, at 2 p.m. in the Helzberg Auditorium at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.

One of America’s most renowned young artists, Kadir Nelson, discusses his work in Kansas City on Saturday, November 15.

The Kansas City Public Library hosts Nelson at 2 p.m. at the L.H. Bluford Branch, 3050 Prospect Ave. The artist visits Shane Evans’ Dream Studio, 711 E. 31th St., at 7:30 p.m.

On Thursday, November 13, at 7 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St., a panel consisting of women from pre-Baby Boomers to Generation Y will participate in Women, Girls, Ladies: A Panel on Intergenerational Feminism Honoring Ruth Margolin, Founding Director of the UMKC Women’s Center.