Kansas City Public Library

A champion of literacy, community, and education, the Kansas City Public Library (KCPL) has established itself as an institution committed to offering programs and materials that speak to all ages, races, and genders, thereby providing the community of greater Kansas City, Missouri, with much more than a place to borrow a book. Founded in 1873, an eight-dollar bookcase and a set of encyclopedias its only holdings, KCPL has grown into 10 locations—including its newest and largest facilities, the Central Library and the Plaza Branch—that operate 64 hours per week, with an annual circulation of nearly 2.6 million books and other materials.