More Than Books

           The library is more than just your go-to resource for free books, music, movies and periodicals. Our city’s area libraries are buzzing hubs, featuring thousands of educational programs each year that appeal to a variety of interests and ages.

Tip: All of our local libraries are featured in our Going Places guide along with maps, photos, and details of their amenities!

            “We do over 10,000 programs a year across the system that incorporate everything from early literacy story times and parenting tips to helping seniors with taxes, exercise classes and classes on healthy living,” says Emily Brown, public relations coordinator, Mid-Continent Public Library (MCPL), which has branch locations across the Kansas City, MO, region.

            Area library systems also reciprocate with each other. If you’re a Johnson County resident, for example, you can access services at MCPL or Kansas City Public Libraries and vice versa. Contact your local library to find out how.

            “The library can save you a tremendous amount of money. If you’re one of those people who has the ability to buy all of the books that your kids need or take them to tutoring sessions, that’s wonderful,” Brown says. “But for most families that’s a challenge and that’s what the library is here to help with. We’re here to help fill that gap.”

            And fill that gap they do. Here are just a few of the offerings that may surprise you.

            Free tutoring. Homework time can be a frustrating part of the day when kids struggle with the material.

            Joycelyn Tucker Burgo is a mom of three, including twin 18-year-olds, who attend the Kansas City Art Institute, and a 15-year-old, who is a sophomore in high school. Burgo says that over the years her kids have taken advantage of the MCPL’s Live Homework Help from Tutor.com. The online tutoring is free and available seven days a week between the hours of noon and midnight. It features friendly, real-time tutors who help K through 12^th-grade students (including Spanish-speaking students) problem-solve homework assignments.

             “It didn’t surprise me that the library offered this service since the library is my usual go-to-solution for a variety of things, but I was genuinely surprised by the comprehensiveness and quality of the service,” Burgo says. “It literally helps turn a can’t into a can and has saved me a lot of gray hairs and gotten my children more restful sleep.”

            Writing help. Along with homework help, the online tutors provide writing help and proofreading to students who are working on essays, papers and reports. Job-seeking adults can also access free writing support services for resumes, proposals and cover letters.

            Test prep. For teens preparing for college admission exams, like the AP, ACT, SAT or GED, libraries offer free tutoring and resources, including full-length, diagnostic practice test opportunities. Check out your library’s event calendar for practice test dates and times.

            Nurture a budding storyteller. Johnson County Library offers teen creative writing workshops throughout the year and opportunities to write young adult book reviews. Adults and kids alike can also try submitting their work to one of the library’s essay writing contests.

            At MCPL’s Story Center, writers and storytellers can hone their craft through free classes, story swaps and open mic events. Also, look for events at area libraries featuring visiting authors.

            Publish your work. MCPL’s Story Center offers an Espresso Book Machine, which prints a glue-bound paperback book in the time it takes to brew a cup of coffee. Self-publish a book of family recipes, poems, short stories, a children’s book or a novel to share with your friends and family. To learn more about the pricing structure, visit the Story Center at MyMCPL.org.

            The Story Center is also home to Woodneath Press, an award-winning submission-based publishing imprint featuring work in various genres written by local authors or focused on local content. To learn how to submit your work for consideration, visit MyMCPL.org/story-center/publishing/woodneath-press.

            Growing readers. Featuring songs, Mother Goose classics and movement activities, today’s libraries promote early literacy with multiple story times to choose from geared toward babies, toddlers and preschoolers. The Johnson County Library also offers the Six by Six program, which features resources that help kids learn to read by age 6. Parents can check out “Six by Six Books to Go” bags to help them foster early literacy skills at home too.

            Engaging adolescents. Thanks to Johnson County’s MakerSpace and the Kansas City Public Library’s Digital Media Lab, kids can creatively use technology to express themselves. The interactive learning labs feature digital media production, storytelling, 3D printers, building projects, robotics, crafts and sewing labs.

            Across the metro, tweens and teens can also take advantage of adolescent book clubs, free babysitting classes, library volunteer opportunities, and teen meet-ups that include video gaming and movie/book chats.

            Learn a new language. Whether you simply want to enhance your cognitive abilities or you’re planning a trip abroad, check out the free, self-paced language courses that you can complete online. Through MCPL, children can also learn other languages using MUZZY Online.

            Furthermore, many area libraries offer English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and bilingual story times for youngsters and their families.

            Tap your roots. The library can help you research your genealogy through educational programs and events. But genealogy research isn’t just for adults and retirees. MCPL’s Midwest Genealogy Center also invites curious kids to learn about their ancestry.

            “They have fun ideas about ways that families can work on those sorts of things together, like putting together a family tree,” Brown says. “They also have oral history recording pits in recording studios there, which is something fun that you can get your kids involved in as well.” 

            Feed that hunger. Just as a good book can feed the soul, food feeds the body and helps kids concentrate on learning. In partnership with the Community Services League (CSL), patrons at MCPL’s Farview Neighborhood Library have access to a food pantry, which is open on Wednesdays from 10:00 to 2:00. (To learn more about the food pantry, contact CSL at 816.254.4100 or email farview@cslcares.org.)

            Throughout the school year and summers, libraries also partner with Harvesters to provide free meals to children 18 years and younger.

Additional Library Services

• Small business/entrepreneur resources
• Meeting rooms
• Books/resources for prisoners, prisoners’ children and other justice-involved patrons
• Art exhibits
• Books-by-mail for the homebound
• Talking books for the visually impaired

Christa Melnyk Hines is a nationally published freelance writer and long-time Olathe Public Library patron. She and her husband are the parents of two adolescent sons and a quirky mutt.