Using the Missouri Valley Room

Easily accessible in the Missouri Valley Room (MVR) is a browsing collection of basic books that offer an introduction to Kansas City history, as well as:

• Civil War Official Records (east wall)
• Genealogy related materials including “how-to” guides, state-specific death, marriage, birth, land, etc. lists (outer sides of shelves)
• Periodicals, arranged alphabetically (inside area of shelves)
• Index to our unique newspaper clippings file (north wall)
• Maps (large cases in the back of the room)

Missouri Valley Room

A restricted, climate-controlled area houses the majority of the resources. Materials in this area include:

• Books on Kansas City history, fur trade, Indians, religious groups, explorers, and more
  specific family histories
• School newspapers and yearbooks
• County histories
• More maps
• Other periodicals
• Photographs
• Postcards
• Vertical files
• Archival collections

To locate these resources, use the online catalog [1], then request the item from a librarian by filling out a call slip. You will need to leave a Kansas City Public Library card or official I.D. with staff while using the material.

• No materials may leave the Missouri Valley Room.
• Due to the nature of the material, only pencils may be used while in the Missouri Valley Room.
• Missouri Valley Room is a WiFi hotspot, or tables are equipped for laptops and/or scanners.
• No food or beverages allowed in the room.

The room also has the following items.

• microfilm and readers
• two public computers
• photocopy machine

Photocopies and materials printed from computers are ten cents a page.

A small meeting room can be used for watching non-circulating videos/DVDs or listening to CDs or oral history tapes.

Parking

Kansas City Public Library
Parking Garage

You may park for one hour at no charge in the Library parking garage (entrance on Baltimore) with a validated ticket; after the first hour, it costs $1 for each additional 20 minutes not to exceed the daily maximum of $8. Weekends are free by exchanging the ticket for a parking garage coupon at the Information or Circulation Desk in Kirk Hall.