The Kansas City, Kansas Public Library recently underwent renovations, including new carpet, study rooms, and computer labs. It offers a variety of programs to promote literacy and learning for all ages, such as summer reading programs, storytimes, tutoring, and ESL classes. The library also partners with other organizations in the community and provides meals to children through a food program.

1. Kansas City, Kansas Public
Library
Main Library

2. Old Carpet New Carpet
The Main Library received new
carpet throughout the first floor
and in the second floor auditorium.

3. Newly configured computer lab.
Three new adult study rooms.
Additional meeting room for up
to 10 people.

4. Young Adult Study Rooms
now for youth only.
New Young Adult computer lab for
teens only.
Children’s computer lab now for
youth under 12 only.

5. Life-long Reading
• Storytimes
• R.E.A.D. to a Dog
• Summer Reading

6. Outreach Activities
Staff share stories, do booktalks, promote the
library, provide instruction and issue library
cards.
•Visit 26 different Head Starts and Preschools
•Visit 10 schools in our area.
•Conducted 34 HeadStart visits in September
2014
•Reached out to 14,076 children in 2013
6 x 6 area to support parents in
applying the concepts of 6 x 6 when
reading to their children.
•Have fun with book
•Notice print around you
•Talk Talk Talk
•Tell stories about everything
•Look for letters everywhere
•Take time to Rhyme, Sing and Play word
games.

7. Adult Summer Reading Program
Book Groups
• Common Grounds
• Next Chapter
• New Graphic Novel book group
Fiction Newsletter - quarterly
Author Signings
E-Reader Classes

8. New Family Reading Program in cooperation with Literacy Kansas City.
• Parents receive literacy training
• Children engage in library program activities and homework help.
• Children receive healthy snacks courtesy of Harvesters
• Regular family reading nights to teach parents to read to their kids
• Parents can earn a computer with completion of the program.

9. Life-Start Reference
Kids a Cookin’ with K-State Extension Services
STEM Programs
Maker’s Space programs
The Write Stuff
Drama Club

10. Kids Café
Children and teens served a healthy meal each day after school at 4:00
and during the noon hour over the Summer courtesy of Harvesters.
• 3,157 meals served to children since we began the program in 2013
• Stories and music are shared with kids while they eat
• Teen volunteers frequently help with this program
• Students are better able to focus and do homework and
participate in library activities

11. Library Classes and
Instruction
ESL Classes
Computer classes
•English and Spanish Instruction
•Basic and Intermediate Classes Offered
Practice ACT Testing
•Library patron, Lawrence Abdulla pays for selected students
to take the actual ACT
Working Wednesdays
Two hours of one on one support for patrons
needing assistance with :
• Resume writing
• Job searches
• Online job applications
• Online school applications
• Online forms for government assistance

12. Plaza Comunitaria Classes
•Taught by staff from Main and South
•Students earn their primary and
secondary certificates from the Mexican
Department of Education.
•86 students have enrolled in the program
since 2009
•20 students have earned a secondary or
primary certificate.
Since January 2014, 373 people have
attended Spanish Language Classes at the
Main Library including:
•Plaza Comunitaria
•ESL
•Spanish Language Computer

13. Project Strength I & II
• Harvesters program taught by AmeriCorps
volunteers.
• Instruction in nutrition and healthy living
• Hands on instruction in cooking with basic
ingredients and basic equipment
• Class cooks a full meal each week
• Guidance on feeding a family on a budget
• Each week participants receive a free bag of
food staples and a bag of produce
• Over 100 students have gone through the
program

14. Kansas Collection
Wyandotte County History
Kansas History
Used by
• Genealogists
• Authors
• Developers
• Unified Government
• Researchers
• Federal Reserve
Digitizing Projects
•Yearbooks – ongoing
•Possible Cooperation with Digitizing the
Connolley Collection with the assistance of
the Wyandotte Nation of Kansas.

15. Partner Agencies
Reach out and Read
YMCA
Project Eagle
Kansas City Storytelling Celebration
Western Wyandotte Early Child Resource Association
YouthBuild
Upward Bound
Educational Opportunities Center
KC SourceLink
Safe Harbor – Salvation Army
KCKCC Entrepreneurs Class
Mexican Consulate
Harvesters
Keeler Women’s Center
Next Chapter
Unified Government
Downtown Shareholders

16. Community-Life Entertainment
Music
•Summer Concerts
•Goldenberg Concert
•Forte Records Listening Party
Film Series
•Monthly Adult & Children’s Film Series
•Monthly Family Spanish Language Film Series.
•Annual Bad Film Festival
Adult Craft Programs

17. Star Wars Program
Ringling Brother’s Clown Visit
Zoomobile
Dancers
Lego Night
Teen Video Game Night
Kids and Teen Craft Programs
Holiday Programs