Durham Community Needs Analysis KCPL

Running head: KCPL CENTRAL BRANCH ANALYSIS 1

Community Needs Analysis:

Kansas City Public Library Central Branch

Megan Durham, Kristen Gripp, and Kimberly Patton

Emporia State University School of Library and Information Science

KCPL CENTRAL BRANCH ANALYSIS 2

Abstract

This paper provides a community analysis for the Kansas City Public Library’s Central Branch.

The goal of our community analysis is to provide recommendations for K-12 students served by

the Central Branch. These recommendations were made after analyzing individuals,

neighborhoods, groups, agencies, and lifestyles of Kansas City residents. We used various

methods of analysis, such as analyzing Census data, exploring a business database, taking a

virtual tour of downtown Kansas City, and observations at the library itself. Our

recommendations include services to terminate, services to implement, and marketing schemes

for the new services.


Community Needs Analysis: Kansas City Public Library Central Branch

Introduction

The goal of our case study is to provide an in depth analysis of Kansas City Public

Library’s Central Branch. The Kansas City Public Library (KCPL) primarily serves the

population of the city of Kansas City, Missouri. Its ten branches are situated in the urban core of

the city and serve an urban population that is racially mixed and divided not only along those

lines, but economically as well. The suburban areas to the east and north are served by the Mid-

Continent library system, while the area to the South and West of the city is served by the

Johnson County Public library system on the Kansas side of the state line. We intend to focus on

the kindergartener through high school senior population served by the Central Branch.

Background

The Kansas City Public Library was founded in 1873 by the Kansas City Board of

Education (Kansas City Public Library, 2009). It was intended serve as a public school library

for the Kansas City School District, but in 1988 the library separated from the district and

became its own institution. According to the Collection Development and Management Plan

(2009), “the Library boundaries and tax base, which remain the same as those of the Kansas City

School District, encompass a constituency of 239,000.” The Kansas City Library provides

patrons access to information through its physical collections and e-resources. The mission of

the Kansas City Public Library is to be “a doorway to knowledge for all people in our

community” (Kansas City Public Library, 2009). The mission is carried out through the

following core values: literacy, lifelong learning, imagination, intellectual freedom, and service

excellence (Kansas City Public Library, 2009).


The Central Branch is the oldest library in the Kansas City Metro Area and serves as the

chief source of information for those in the surrounding communities. The library is housed in

the former First National Bank, and features The Community Bookshelf, the library parking

garage painted to look like books on a shelf with titles selected by Board of Trustees (“Central

library”, 2012). The Central library also provides a variety of services including: regular book

clubs, various programs, document delivery, interlibrary loan, H&R Block Business & Career

Center, and Missouri Valley Room and Special Collections Archive.

The needs assessment will attempt to provide sound and solid reasoning for services and

marketing strategies to be implemented by the Central Branch for K-12 students in the Kansas

City Public School District. The analysis will also make recommendations for services to be

discontinued at the Central Branch for our selected audience.

Individuals

Population and Race

As of the 2010 Census Kansas City has a population of 459,787, a 4.1% increase since

the last Census in 2000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). Table gives the number and percentage of

each race represented in the Kansas City area. This graph shows overwhelmingly large

percentages of White and Black citizens, a Hispanic population approaching 10%, and a

smattering of other racial identities forming the other tenth of the populace. Kansas City is

primarily an urban community and has a diverse population with many ethnic groups

represented.


Table 1:

Race of Kansas City Residents

Type Number Percentage

White alone 114,599 47.9

Black alone 99,614 41.6

American Indian Alaska

Native alone

1,447 0.6

Asian alone 4,802 2.0

Hawaiian and Other Pac

Islander alone

259 0.1

Other race alone 11,543 4.8

Two or More Races 7,194 3.0

Hispanic 23,040 9.6

White Alone Not Hispanic 105,140 43.9

Minority Pop 134,317 56.1

(Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis, 2010)

Age

Table 2 shows the percentage and number of ages of Kansas City residents. According

the 2000 Census the median age is 34 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2005). This table also

displays that almost 25% of residents are less than 17 years old. The largest percentage is made

up of 25-44 year olds at 32.4 percent of the total population.


Table 2:

Age of Kansas City Residents


Under 5 years 16,849 7.0

5 to 9 years 17,039 7.1

10 to 14 years 16,392 6.8

15 to 17 years 9,187 3.8

18 to 24 years 24,809 10.4

25 to 44 years 77,615 32.4

45 to 64 years 48,404 20.2

62 years and over 33,959 14.2

65 years and over 29,230 12.2

(U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2005)

Marital Status

The 2000 Census reported a majority of Kansas City residents over 15 had never been

married (Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis, 2010). Table 3 shows 36.8% of people

were married at the time of the survey; however the divorce rate was 14.3%.


Table 3:

Marital Status of Kansas City Persons Over 15 Years of Age


Over 15 Years of Age 189,590 79.2

Never Married 71,414 37.7

Now Married Not Separated 69,792 36.8

Separated 6,861 3.6

Widowed 14,342 7.6

Divorced 27,182 14.3


Households

Kansas City is made up of 102,311 households. According to Table 4, over half of these

households are families. While married couples with children under the age of 18 make up over

10% of the households, single parents and single mothers make up nearly 25% (Office of Social

and Economic Data Analysis, 2010).


Table 4:

Types of Households in Kansas City


Families 54,019 52.8

Married Couples 30,073 29.4

Married Couples with Own

Children < 18

12,138 11.9

Single Parent Families 13,753 13.4

Single Mothers 11,306 11.1

Other Families 10,193 10.0

Non-Family Households 48,292 47.2

Persons Living Alone 40,047 39.1


Education

Kansas City has as large population of school age children and young adults. Table 5

displays the number of students over 3 years of age enrolled in various schools. Most students

are enrolled in Kansas City Public Schools (19%); however there are a large number of private

schools in the area (Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis, 2010). The U.S. Bureau of

the Census’s data provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education did not

define private schools so these numbers could include parochial, charter, or alternative schools.

There was also no information on the number of homeschooled students through the Census.


Table 5:

School Enrollment of Kansas City Persons Over 3 Years of Age



Enrolled in grades K-12 43,589 19.0

Enrolled in Private Schools K-

12

6,924 15.9

Enrolled in College 14,081 6.1


Table 6 shows the education attained by Kansas City residents over 25. According to the

2000 Census, 28.1% of Kansas City residents over 25 years completed their education with a

high school diploma or GED (Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis, 2010).

Furthermore, almost 7% of residents have less than a 9th grade education. Over half of the

population over 25 did not attend college, and less than 10% went on to complete a Masters

degree or PhD (Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis, 2010).


Table 6:

Education Attainment of Kansas City Persons Over 25 Years of Age



Less Than 9th Grade 10,742 6.9

9th thru 12th grade, No

Diploma

27,996 18.0

High School Grad or GED 43,751 28.1

Did Not Attend College 82,488 52.9

Some College, no degree 38,566 24.8

Bachelors 21,932 14.1

Masters 8,121 5.2

Prof School Degree or PhD 4,699 3.0

Graduate or Professional

Degree

12,821 8.2


Economics

Persons over 16 years of age comprise over 75% of Kansas City’s population. Of these,

8.9% are unemployed, 61.9% are employed, and the remainder has yet to enter the work force, or

have retired. Table 7 shows in detail the number and percentage of employment status of Kansas

City persons over 16 years old.


Table 7:

Employment Status of Kansas City Persons Over 16 Years of Age



Civilian Labor Force 115,502 61.9

Unemployed Persons 10,233 8.9

Over 16 Not in Labor Force 70,908 38.0

Married Couples who Both

Work

17,191 57.2

Married Couples, One Worker 6,818 22.7


Most Kansas City residents have managerial or professional job titles (31.9%). Table 8

shows that sales and office occupations are the second most common at 26.5% (Office of Social

and Economic Data Analysis, 2010). The smallest percentage (0.1%) represented is farming,

fishing, and forestry job positions.


Table 8:

Occupation of Kansas City Residents


Management, professional &

related occupations

33,628 31.9

Service Occupations 19,371 18.4

Sales and Office Occupations 27,857 26.5

Farming, Fishing & Forestry

Occupations

156 0.1

Construction, Extractions &

Maintenance Occupations

7,927 7.5

Production, Transportation +

Material Moving Occupations

16,330 15.5


Table 9 shows the number of families and non-family households below poverty level.

Families include married couples, married couples with children, and single parents (Office of

Social and Economic Data Analysis, 2010). Non-family households are one member

households, both male and female. According the 2000 Census, over 19,000 persons in Kansas

City live below the poverty line.


Table 9:

Kansas City Poverty Levels

Types Number Percentage

Families Below Poverty 9,400 17.4

Non Family Households

Below Poverty

10,352 21.4


Poverty levels determine students who are eligible for free and reduced lunch. In order to

qualify for free and reduced lunch students must me several requirements, including parent

unemployment and income levels. Table 10 displays the increased number of students

participating in this program over the past three years. Between 2009 and 2010 there was less

than a 0.1% increase, whereas between 2010 and 2011 there was an increase of 3.9% (Missouri

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2011).

Table 10:

Kansas City Public School Students Eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch

Year 2009 2010 2011

Percentage 79.6% 80.3% 84.2%

Number 14,164 13,769 13,257

(Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2011)

Implications

The data used in the tables about individuals were created from the 2000 and 2010

Census for the Kansas City area. Kansas City is comprised of numerous neighborhoods, all

served by one of the 10 branches of the Kansas City public library. To better understand the


citizens served by the Central Branch, we created an individual table (Appendix A) focusing on

the following neighborhoods: 18th and Vine, Columbus Park, Crossroads, Quality Hill, River

Market, and Westport. These neighborhoods were chosen because their proximity to the Central

Branch. The table in Appendix A depicts trends in population, education, race, and poverty

levels.

The Kansas City area is a very diverse community with large Black, White and Hispanic

populations. Also there is a large number of school age children, with a great number of these

coming from single parent families. While many Kansas City students will graduate from high

school, a good portion of students who will not earn, and fewer still will pursue further

education.. The Kansas City area is fortunate enough to have relatively high employment, but

many families still live below the poverty line and the number of free and reduced lunches in the

Kansas City Public schools is steadily increasing. Based on these findings, it is recommended

that the following services be implemented:

Public school outreach programs on the importance of education to promote graduation and higher education.

Work with local groups or agencies for assistance for individuals and library programs.

Provide community programs for families. Have equal services for each population. Do not overlook minority groups such as private schools or smaller race

populations.

Groups

Due to the large number of school age children in the Kansas City area, our community

analysis will focus on this group and individuals serving them. Appendix B is a list created by

one group member showing a representation of groups in the Kansas City area. The list is

divided by category, and features examples of groups that meet in the area. In order to create a

more accurate study, each school website in the Kansas City Public School district was visited to


see what types of groups were established. It was noted that some groups had a campus presence

at more than one school such as sports teams or drama clubs, but they are not repeated on the list.

To provide a wider scope, private school websites were also explored and included on the

list. Adult groups were also included based on their participation with youth or individuals who

work with youth (i.e. parents and teachers). Appendix B includes the name of the group and if

available the meeting time, place, and the ages involved. According to our list, cultural and

recreational groups have the most representation in the Kansas City area, and

vocational/occupational groups the second most. The groups with smaller numbers were

environmental, ethnic, health, and political. Due to the nature of our search, the age related and

educational groups also appear to have small numbers; however each of the school groups could

be divided by age and placed under the educational subheading. In Appendix B, the

educational/school related groups only list parent and teacher organizations. Based on our study

of groups in the Kansas City area, we recommend the following:

Groups planning large scale events could use library resources on obtaining proper permits, renting spaces, and marketing.

LINC provides activities before and after school for elementary age children and could use resources on age appropriate activities.

Parents participating in organized school meetings may need resources on leadership or how to run a formal meeting.

Environmental groups could benefit from resources on urban gardening, sustainable resources, and recyclable crafts.

Vocational and occupational groups could benefit from programing focused on continuing education including topics like: filling out applications for scholarships, government aid, and jobs, or writing an entrance essay, resume, and cover letter.

Students wanting to start a group in an underrepresented area like commercial or political groups may want information on adult groups in the area so they have the resources to start a junior version.

Agencies


The agencies near the Kansas City, Missouri Public Library Central branch were

identified through multiple resources. The database ReferenceUSA U.S. Businesses was utilized

to identify government offices, health care organizations, cultural organizations, businesses, and

recreational organizations. The area set within the ReferenceUSA database to gather the

locations and types of organizations was west of Broadway Boulevard but east of Locust Street

and south of East 6th Street but north of E 15th Street. Religious and educational organizations

were identified through Google Maps. The distance on Google Maps was limited to 4.0 miles or

less from the library for schools and 2.0 miles or less for identifying religious organizations.

Websites of other organizations in the community were viewed and analyzed to gather

information about the surrounding area if the data for the defined area seemed too small to get an

accurate view of the community.

Government

The City of Kansas City, Missouri website (2012) lists 22 departments in the city office

that provide services and programs to area residents and visitors. The Jackson County, Missouri

website (2008) lists 18 county departments, with 15 of those departments either located in

Kansas City or with one of their subdivisions maintaining an office there. The ReferenceUSA

database shows that the state government has a Court of Appeals and library location, a Health

and Human Services Department office, and a Department of Revenue driver’s licensing testing

location in the area (Infogroup, 2012). Also, the database found 17 offices for departments that

are part of the federal government in the area around the Central Library (Infogroup, 2012).

Religious

According to Google Maps there are 18 religious organizations in the area. There are 14

churches or places of worship and 4 religious affiliated businesses in the area. (Google, 2012)


Health Care

The ReferenceUSA database identified 35 health care organizations in the area, which

included 1 clinic, 2 counseling services, 10 dentists, 2 pharmacies, 18 physicians and surgeons,

and 1 wellness program (Infogroup, 2012). The Mid-America Regional Council website (2012)

lists 10 hospitals, with a mix of main and satellite locations, in Kansas City.

Cultural

According to the ReferenceUSA database, there are 18 cultural organizations in the area

(Infogroup, 2012). Those organizations include 7 live theaters, 4 movie theaters, 1 art

organization, museum, orchestra, band, boys’ choir, video rental kiosk, and a stadium arena

(Infogroup, 2012). The Art Council of Metropolitan Kansas City (n.d.), which includes

organizations throughout Jackson County, Missouri lists 200 organizations in their online

directory.

Educational

According to Google maps within 0.5 miles of the library there is 1 public elementary

school, 1 charter elementary school, 1 charter high school, 1 early childhood development center

and preschool, and buildings for the Kansas City Board of Education and the Kansas City Public

School Superintendent. We then expanded the search within 4 miles of the library to get a

broader perspective of the community served. There are a total of 21 schools which were placed

into one of three categories. (Google, 2012)


Table 11:

Schools in Kansas City Area

School TypeNumber

Public Elementary Schools (Grades K-8)5

Public High Schools5

Alternative/Religious Schools11

Business

Since the library relocated to a building that was originally a bank, they are mostly

surrounded by commercial businesses. According to the ReferenceUSA database, there are 68

businesses in the area around the library. Of these, the following businesses are those which may

be of interest to children and teens: 38 restaurants, 6 beauty salons, 6 coffee shops, 4

foundations/research (such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research or the Make A Wish Foundation),

3 convenience stores, 3 deli’s, 2 cafes, a clothing store, a doughnut shop, a grocery store, a pizza

shop, a tanning salon, and a shopping center. (Infogroup, 2012)

Recreation

The ReferenceUSA database lists 5 recreational organizations in the defined area. There

is a bowling center, health club, martial arts instruction, a park, and a community center

(Infogroup, 2012).

Implications

The agency categories with the largest number of entities are the government and

business categories, which is not unexpected as Kansas City is a large metropolitan city. Health

care agencies and schools followed those two categories, with the number of religious


organizations and cultural agencies next with 18 representatives each,. The category with the

smallest number of agencies was recreational. Based on the information gathered about agencies

in the above categories the following suggestions were offered to the library:

Partner with various government, health care, and business organizations to offer more educational opportunities for students

Promote resources and services to local businesses and religious organizations Find ways to get cultural agencies involved with the library and schools to take advantage

of those opportunities Become the third-party organization which connects all the other organizations in the

different categories to the parents and educational leaders in the community

Lifestyles

The Urban core, as it is commonly called, of Kansas City, Missouri has always been a

city physically divided by racial boundaries. The population continues to struggle with issues

related to racial and economic divisions. Just south of downtown and the Central Library lies the

Crossroads District. This area is filled with repurposed warehouses showcasing art, design

technology, and global businesses based in digital marketing, digital design, and research. A few

short blocks to the west of this area lies the historically Latino area of the city; and just a few

blocks east, the historically African-American area of the city are located. Despite their physical

proximity, both of these communities can seem worlds removed from what is happening in the

downtown business and historical district of the city.

In addition to issues based on race, Kansas City youths also face problems caused by

overwhelming poverty, violence, and a struggling school system. Many of the city’s young

people have no awareness of things that exist outside their specific neighborhoods. When

interviewing students about their knowledge of their hometown, some expressed no knowledge

that a major river flows along the edge of our city. Many of them did not realize that Kansas City

has been called home by a large number of world-renowned figures including Walt Disney.


The Kansas City School District, a troubled institution with provisional accreditation, is

in frequent peril of being taken over by the state of Missouri. In the 2010-2011 school year, the

district and the majority of charter schools reported lower standardized test scores. The school

district is working hard to address these issues, torn between wanting to maintain their

independence and the fear that they cannot do it alone.

These factors have made the ability of the school media centers to provide all of the

support to their students as recommended in the Show Me Report, commissioned by the

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education near impossible. The conclusions

of the study were irrefutable: “No longer is the connection between school library media centers

and student achievement an opinion or belief. The connection has been confirmed as a

statistically significant, true relationship based on hard data” (Missouri Department of

Elementary and Secondary Education).

With this lack of support, it became apparent that if the Kansas City Library was to

indeed foster an attempt to create a “Community of Readers” as its recent mission declared,

library staff would have to creatively reach out to the district to provide services that would

benefit the students of the community.

Shelf List Data

The Central Library served over two million customers in 2011 and has over one million

titles. The one million titles include over 450,000 circulating items as well as non-circulating

items in the following areas: “Kansas City history; Historical Children’s Literature Collection;

foundation collection; bound periodicals; and government documents” (Kansas City Public

Library, 2009). Listed below are the result of our shelf list data case study, the questions have


been adapted from Robert Grover et. al. Assessing Information Needs: Managing Transformative

Library Services (2010).

How old are the titles?

According KCPL’s Collection Development Policy there are certain guidelines in place

for each type of collection maintained by the library and they are as follows:

o The popular/basic collection is under continuous review every 6-12 months.

o The working collection is reviewed on value and/or use of the resource 2-5 years.

o The resource collection science and technology works is reviewed every 5 years.

o All titles in the research collection retained for preservation (Kansas City Public

Library, 2009).

How much use is made of the collection?

During the last fiscal year more than 2.3 million titles were checked out.

What proportion of the collection receives the greatest proportion of use?

No information was given on the library webpage or in the annual reports.

How accurately does the catalog reflect the shelf list?

The library uses an automated system so the shelf list should be accurate.

How much interlibrary loaning is done?

Last year the KCPL loaned 115,846 materials to other libraries. No information was

found on the number of interlibrary loans made to the library.

How do the online resources subscribed to by the library supplement the print collection?

According to the Collection Development Management Plan the library has e-resources

or “online databases, e-books, e-audio books, digitized local history, informational resources”

(Kansas City Public Library, 2009). The KCPL website offers a multitude of online resources

including: Mango Languages, Kansas City Star, and The New York Times.


How does the collection support the library’s reference and web site resources, and relate

to the social technologies used in the community?

On the libraries webpage there is an option to share the page to a number social media

accounts, but this feature does not extend to the catalog.

Summary

The Collection Development policy is well thought out and planned so that each

collection has its own standards to suit the needs of the subject. The KCPL has an extensive

collection of materials for both circulation and in-house use. The library also has data bases that

are readily accessible for offsite use.

Recommendations

As the main branch of the library system, the Central branch is located downtown. Since

there are mostly business and little housing other than apartments and condominiums

surrounding the immediate area of the branch, it has primarily served as a “research hub”. In

fact, this branch is home to the Missouri Valley historical collection, a premier collection of

historical materials of the state of Missouri. With a primarily academic focus, the children’s and

youth staff has always been limited in the type of programs it provides. A lack of walk-in

families has meant it has never been able to host many weekly story times, craft programs, or

other entertainments. The youth staff decided that they would instead focus on public school

groups and seek out partnerships with the many charter schools as well.

The Kansas City Public Library working alongside the school district can help to provide

the resources needed to begin engaging our young people in opportunities they have not realized

were open to them. By fostering partnerships with other local organizations and businesses in the


technology and creativity industries, the library staff expects to make a significant impact on the

lives and potential of Kansas City youth.

KCPL applied for a grant from Target in an attempt to partner with the Kansas City,

Missouri school district to ensure that all fifth graders receive a library card and a visit to the

historic downtown location. This visit will include a tour of the inside of the library building and

a walking tour of the historic block the building sits on. Through the generous funding of Target

monies would be acquired to provide bus transportation for the students and lunch during their

visit. As a part of the project, all fifth grade students and teachers would be taught to use the

library’s resources both in the library itself and from remote locations. They would also be given

new library cards, and those with previous cards who had accumulated fines or lost items would

receive a fresh start with all fees waived. Through the use of the Target Grant, the Central Youth

Services staff has a wonderful opportunity to establish a partnership and presence in the schools

that has far reaching affects.

The following project outline created for this course dovetails with the Target Grant (see

Appendix C) and expands beyond the scope of the grant to incorporate further possibilities of

presenting Information Literacy Instruction to patrons of the Kansas City Public Library.

The library uses Workflows from Sirsi Dynex as an interface to keep track of user

registrations and materials. Since some of the school students already had registered library

cards, staff had to run a users list to sort out all of the duplicate users. It then became obvious

that some parents had been checking out materials on their children’s cards which then led to

problems with the children being unable to use their own cards because of excess fines. The staff

decided to implement a two card system, so that children’s cards were one color and adult cards

were another color. In addition, staff decided to make the new children’s cards active for one


year. On July 31st of each year, the cards will expire and new ones from school will be issued on

August 1. To implement this phase, the district had to agree to share enrollment information with

the library by July 1 of each year so that the staff could have the bulk of the new cards ready.

Any new or late registering students will receive their cards as soon as possible after the

beginning of the school year.

In order to make this project work, the library staff had to do an adequate assessment of

how staff time was spent and how enough staff time could be allocated to make the project

successful. It was decided that some things would need to be let go or outsourced to other

branches so that staff could free up enough time for this project. Since the Central branch does

not typically see a large amount of after school traffic and does not have a large number of

attendees at events, it was decided that this branch would take on a resources role. Its focus

would shift to creating an environment conducive to research and school visits. Once the Target

school visits had proven successful, the youth services team would begin implementing the

project on a wider scale and begin offering it to the area’s charter schools, private schools and

even home schooling students. At the same time, plans were being put in place to work more

closely with the district and offer library cards to every one of its students once the proper

agreements between the district and the library could be reached.

Marketing this new program would take new strategies. To inform the teachers and

individual schools, staff members were sent out to each school to make initial personal contact

with the school librarian or the principle or administration staff liaison if there was no active

school librarian. During these visits the project was explained, and samples of the outline and

materials were displayed. Once the school was on board, letters were sent home to parents to

inform them of their child’s upcoming visit to the Central Branch. Neighboring businesses were


advised of the visits so that they would be aware that busloads of children would be arriving

downtown. Many of those businesses took the opportunity to give away goodie bags with

pencils, paper, coupons, and other trinkets with their business name printed on the items. This

proved to be a good advertising strategy for these businesses, as well as fostering community

goodwill.

Summary of Implications

Based on the information gathered about the Central library and their surrounding area

we recommend the following services are to be terminated:

After school programming, such as book clubs, movie nights, and other activities.

Other KCPL branches fill this need in other ways.

The teen blog will no longer be maintained. In recent months, the staff entries

have been infrequent and online traffic has subsequently slowed.

Eliminate teen advisory council meetings and focus on school outreach.

Based on the information gathered about the Central library and their surrounding area

the following services are suggested for implementation:

Continue the 5th grade Target project to help students learn about the library and

available resources.

Create lib-guides for students to use in conjunction with school curriculum and

activities attended during library visits with the Target grant.

Start a dialogue with local parents and educators at non-public schools and

maintain relationships with frequent communication and guidance about relevant

library resources and programs.


Explore different means of social networking to connect with students and parents

about library news. Facebook and Twitter may be more manageable for staff to

update and more accessible to young adults and parents.

Based on our implementations the following marketing strategies will be used to target

children, teens, their parents, and local educators:

Short updates on social media platforms that provide relevant links that will assist

them in doing homework, and introduce them to library materials/resources.

Promote other KCPL programs targeted for school age children and teens.

Help make schools that are facing accreditation issues aware of the resources and

opportunities the library can offer both physically and electronically.

Send information regarding a child’s library account to the school as well as to

parent or guardian. Communication should be done over e-mail to cut down on

library costs.

Get local businesses and other agencies in the area more involved.

o Have a representative from the organization speak at the library and tell

students about their organization and their role within it.

o Have displays that connect local agencies and library resources together

that students can use for educational purposes.

o Provide resources that will allow businesses and high school students to

connect for possible volunteering, internships, and employment.

Conclusions

KCPL needs to involve itself more closely with the community it serves, without losing

sight of its traditional function as a center for historical research. By connecting with the school


district and other students, it can help to develop literacy and education in a beleaguered

community, and make itself an integral part of the life of K-12 students and their families.


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data.com/nbmaps/neigh-Kansas-City-Missouri.html

City of Kansas City, Missouri. (2012). Departments.

http://www.kcmo.org/CKCMO/Depts/index.htm

Crispus attucks elementary. (2012). http://kcpublicschools.org/Domain/14

Cristo rey kansas city. (2012). http://cristoreykc.org/

Czech and slovak club. (2012). http://csclubkc.wordpress.com/

East high school. (2012). http://kcpublicschools.org/Domain/9

Ethnic enrichment commission. (2012). http://eeckc.org/

http://eeckc.org/

http://kcpublicschools.org/Domain/9

http://csclubkc.wordpress.com/

http://cristoreykc.org/


http://www.kcmo.org/CKCMO/Depts/index.htm

http://www.city-data.com/nbmaps/neigh-Kansas-City-Missouri.html

http://www.city-data.com/nbmaps/neigh-Kansas-City-Missouri.html

http://www.kclibrary.org/central

http://kcpublicschools.org/Page/9

http://www.kclibrary.org/book-clubs

http://wardhigh.org/s/350/start.aspx


http://www.artskc.org/directory.aspx

http://www.americanjazzmuseum.org/SiteResources/Data/Templates/t1.asp?docid=671&DocName=Home

http://www.americanjazzmuseum.org/SiteResources/Data/Templates/t1.asp?docid=671&DocName=Home

http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/local-meetings

http://www.marc.org/Environment/KCEEN/about_kceen.htm


Event calendar. (2012).

http://www.bbbskc.org/site/c.atJTL8NOJqL8H/b.6551845/k.9983/Event_Calendar.htm

Faxon elementary. (2012). http://kcpublicschools.org/faxon

Foreign language academy. (2012). http://kcpublicschools.org/Domain/19

Google, Inc. (2012). Map Data. http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. (n.d.) Member Directory.

http://www.kcchamber.com/Membership/Member-Directory.aspx

Hartman elementary. (2012). http://kcpublicschools.org/Domain/23

Holliday montessori. (2012). http://kcpublicschools.org/Domain/24

Infogroup, Inc. (2012). Retrieved April 5, 2012, from ReferenceUSA database.

Jackson County, Missouri. (2008). County Departments.

http://www.jacksongov.org/content/3310/default.aspx

Junior league of kansas city, missouri. (2012). http://www.jlkc.org/

Kansas City Public Library. (2009). Collection development and management plan.

http://www.kclibrary.org/sites/default/files/Collection-Development-and-Management-

Plan-2009.pdf

Kansas city science fiction & fantasy society. (2011).

http://kacsffs.blogspot.com/p/activities.html

Kansas city west lions club. (2012). http://kansascitywestmo.lionwap.org/

Kansas city young democrats. (2012). http://www.facebook.com/KCYoungDems

Kc irish. (2012). http://www.kcirish.org/annual.htm

Kcic classes and meetings. (2011). http://www.haicindian.com/classes.shtml

Kiwanis club of kansas city. (2012). http://www.downtownkcmokiwanis.org/

http://www.downtownkcmokiwanis.org/

http://www.haicindian.com/classes.shtml

http://www.kcirish.org/annual.htm

http://www.facebook.com/KCYoungDems

http://kansascitywestmo.lionwap.org/

http://kacsffs.blogspot.com/p/activities.html

http://www.kclibrary.org/sites/default/files/Collection-Development-and-Management-Plan-2009.pdf

http://www.kclibrary.org/sites/default/files/Collection-Development-and-Management-Plan-2009.pdf

http://www.jlkc.org/

http://www.jacksongov.org/content/3310/default.aspx



http://www.kcchamber.com/Membership/Member-Directory.aspx

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl


http://kcpublicschools.org/faxon

http://www.bbbskc.org/site/c.atJTL8NOJqL8H/b.6551845/k.9983/Event_Calendar.htm


Lincoln college preparatory. (2012). http://kcpublicschools.org/Domain/10

Local investment commerce. (2011). http://www.kclinc.org/

Longfellow elementary. (2012). http://kcpublicschools.org/Domain/27

Mid-America Regional Council. (2012). Metro Area Hospitals.

http://www.marc.org/emergency/hospitals.htm

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2011, September 12). District

report card. http://mcds.dese.mo.gov/guidedinquiry/School Report Card/District Report

Card.aspx?

rp:SchoolYear=2011&rp:SchoolYear=2010&rp:SchoolYear=2009&rp:SchoolYear=2008

&rp:DistrictCode=048078

Northeast high school. (2012). http://kcpublicschools.org/Domain/11

Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis. (2005, November 9). Mcdc demographic profile

1, 2000 census . http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/cgi-bin/broker?

_PROGRAM=websas.dp1_2k.sas&_SERVICE=sasapp&st=29&sd=048078

Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis. (2010, May 11). Mcdc demographic profile 3,

2000 census . http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/cgi-bin/broker?

_PROGRAM=websas.dp3_2k.sas&_SERVICE=sasapp&st=29&sd=048078

Overeaters anonymous. (2012). http://www.oa.org/

Paseo academy of fine and performing arts. (2012). http://kcpublicschools.org/paseo

Pottery barn kids. (2012). http://www.potterybarnkids.com/customer-service/store-events.html

Reptile events. (2003). http://www.readingreptile.com/main/events.htm

Rime buddhist center & tibetan institute of studies. (2012). http://www.rimecenter.org/

Soka gakkai intl-usa . (2012). http://www.sgi-usa.org/

http://www.sgi-usa.org/

http://www.rimecenter.org/

http://www.readingreptile.com/main/events.htm

http://www.potterybarnkids.com/customer-service/store-events.html

http://kcpublicschools.org/paseo

http://www.oa.org/

http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/cgi-bin/broker?_PROGRAM=websas.dp3_2k.sas&_SERVICE=sasapp&st=29&sd=048078





http://www.marc.org/emergency/hospitals.htm


http://www.kclinc.org/



Southwest early college campus. (2012). http://kcpublicschools.org/Domain/13

St pius x high school. (2012). http://www.stpiusxhs-kc.com/

The italian meetup group - la bella italia. (2012).

http://www.meetup.com/italian-409/events/51303732/

The lesbian and gay community center kansas. (2012). http://www.lgcckc.org/

Therapy groups in kansas city. (2012). http://groups.psychologytoday.com/rms/state/MO/Kansas

City.html

Thomas hart benton group. (2010). http://missouri.sierraclub.org/thb/

Troost elementary. (2012). http://kcpublicschools.org/Domain/34

U.S. Census Bureau. (2012, January 31). State & county quickfacts.

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29/2938000.html

Union station kansas city model railroad society. (2008).

http://www.greatesthobby.com/wgh/directory/MS_718.html

Wendell phillips elementary. (2012). http://kcpublicschools.org/phillips

Whittier elementary. (2012). http://kcpublicschools.org/Domain/36


http://kcpublicschools.org/phillips

http://www.greatesthobby.com/wgh/directory/MS_718.html

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29/2938000.html


http://missouri.sierraclub.org/thb/

http://groups.psychologytoday.com/rms/state/MO/Kansas%20City.html

http://groups.psychologytoday.com/rms/state/MO/Kansas%20City.html

http://www.lgcckc.org/

http://www.meetup.com/italian-409/events/51303732/

http://www.stpiusxhs-kc.com/



Appendix A

Trends in Neighborhoods Surrounding Central Branch*

Neighborhood Population Education Race Poverty Levels Service Implications

18th and Vine Population: 1,444

Highest median age of females (40.7 years)

Largest median age difference between males (29.4 years) and females (40.7 years)

Percentage of population in K-12 schools: 20.0%

K-12 students enrolled in private schools: 9.7%

Predominantly Black neighborhood

Very small White population

Very small Hispanic population

Population below poverty level: 21.6%

Work with local agencies for assistance for individuals and library programs

Provide services to Black population

Public school outreach programs

Do not overlook smaller populations in neighborhood

Provide adult services for older females

Columbus Park Population: 1,486

Youngest median male population (29.0 years)

Median age of women in Columbus Park (35.1 years) is almost equal to Kansas City median age (35.1 years)



Most diverse neighborhood

Equal parts White and Asian (over one quarter each)

Equal parts Black and Hispanic (about 1/6th each

Second highest percentage of population below poverty level (27.6)

Have equal programing time for each population

Work with local agencies for assistance for individuals and library programs


Community programs for families

Crossroads Smallest neighborhood (302 pop.)

Smallest difference between median age of males (29.5 years) and females (29.8



Over half of population is Hispanic

Almost a quarter of population is White

Almost quarter of population is Black

Highest percentage of population below poverty level (35%)


Do not overlook private schools

Work with local agencies for assistance for individuals and library


years) Small American Indian population

programs

Community programs for families

Provide service to Hispanic population

Quality Hill Largest neighborhood (1,898 pop.)

Highest median age of male population (35.1 years)

Second highest median age of females (39.1 years)



Over half of population is White

Slightly less than on quarter Black

Small population of Hispanic

Small population of Asian

Population below poverty level: 19.9%

Outreach with private schools

Do not overlook public school population

Student and parent programs

River Market Second smallest population (552)

Median age of females (28.8 years) is lower than median age of males (29.8 years)


Percentage of people enrolled in undergraduate colleges: 7.9%

Percentage of people enrolled in grad. or professional schools: 7.0%

Percentage of population pursuing higher education is much higher than Kansas City percentage (1.6%)

Predominantly White neighborhood (over 75%)

Small Black population

Small Hispanic population

Lowest percent of population below poverty level (9.3%)

Percentage of population below poverty level is under the Kansas City percentage (14.3)

Emphasize adult services

Emphasize databases and research

Encourage outreach and service project to surrounding neighborhoods with lower poverty

Westport Population: 990 Percentage of Predominantly Population Services for adults


Highest median age of females (39.5 years)

Median age of males (33.2 years)

population in K-12 schools: 5.6%


White population

1/6th Black population

Slightly over 1/6th Hispanic population

below poverty level: 22.8%

Do not overlook smaller diverse populations

(City Data, 2011)

*City Data had the following disclaimer on their website: “City-data.com does not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of any information on this site. Use at your own risk” (City Data, 2011). This group acknowledges that data gathered from this website is an approximation of actual numbers and percentages in these areas.


Appendix B

Kansas City Area Group Sample

Age Related

Boy Scouts, Thursday from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m, Wendell Phillips Elementary*, ("Wendell phillips elementary," 2012)

Girl Scouts, Thursday from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m, Wendell Phillips Elementary* ("Wendell phillips elementary," 2012)

*Other schools in the Kansas City Schools have similar programs.

Commercial

LINC Caring Communities, before and after school care program, serves the following schools:

o Afrikan Centered Education Collegium Campus

o Crispus Attucks Elementary

o Banneker Elementary

o Border Star Montessori

o Carver Elementary

o Foreign Language Academy

o Garfield Elementary

o Gladstone Elementary

o Hartman Elementary

o Holliday Montessori

o J.A. Rogers Elementary

o James Elementary

o King K - 8

o Longfellow Elementary

o Wendell Phillips Elementary

o Pitcher Elementary

o Primitivo Garcia Elementary

o Satchel Paige Elementary

o Troost Elementary

o Wheatley Elementary, ("Local investment commerce," 2011)

Cultural

AJM Jazz Listening Party, American Jazz Museum in the Blue Room, ("American jazz museum," 2012)


Art Club, Banneker Elementary *, ("Benjamin banneker elementary," 2012) Central Readers are Leaders Book Clubs, 7th -8th grades and 9th -12th grades, meeting times not

available, Central High School (Partnered with the Kansas City Public Library), ("Central high school," 2012)

Common Grounds Book Group, last Saturday of every other month at 11 a.m., Kansas City Public Library Central Branch, ("Book clubs," 2012)

Cooking Club, every Tuesday evening, Foreign Language Academy, ("Foreign language academy," 2012)

Culture Club, various field trips taken throughout the year, Southwest Early College Campus, ("Southwest early college," 2012)

Dance Team, Southwest Early College Campus*, ("Southwest early college," 2012) DNA LitFest, annual event, Reading Reptile, ("Reptile events," 2003) Downtowners Book Group, every 3rd Wednesday at Noon, Kansas City Public Library, Central

Branch, ("Book clubs," 2012) Drama Club, performing The Wiz May 18th, Longfellow Elementary*, ("Longfellow elementary,"

2012) Emerging Readers Book Club, 6-8 year olds, Reading Reptile, ("Reptile events," 2003) Established Readers Book Club, 9-12 year olds, Reading Reptile, ("Reptile events," 2003) Glee, afterschool, Central High School*, ("Central high school," 2012) Instrumental Music, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy* ("Lincoln college preparatory,"

2012) Jazz Poetry Jams, every 3rd Tuesday, American Jazz Museum in the Blue Room, ("American jazz

museum," 2012) LEGO league, 6th–8th grades, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy ("Lincoln college

preparatory," 2012) Piano Club, 6th –12th grades, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy* ("Lincoln college

preparatory," 2012) Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival, October 13, 2012 (annual event), American Jazz

Museum, ("American jazz museum," 2012) Women Who Dare Book Group, every 2nd Tuesday at 6 p.m., Kansas City Public Library, Central

Branch, ("Book clubs," 2012)


Education/School

Attendance Committee/Truancy/Student Support Team, Northeast High*, ("Northeast high school," 2012)

Faculty Advisory Committee, Northeast High*, ("Northeast high school," 2012) Master Scheduling Committee, Northeast High*, ("Northeast high school," 2012) Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Holliday Montessori*, ("Holliday montessori," 2012) Positive Behavior System (PBS), Northeast High, ("Northeast high school," 2012) Professional Leadership Committee, Northeast High*, ("Northeast high school," 2012) School Advisory Committee, 2nd Thursday of each month at 5 p.m., Crispus Attucks

Elementary*, Library, ("Crispus attucks elementary," 2012)


Title One Parent Review Meeting, annual meetings, Whittier Elementary*, ("Whittier elementary," 2012)


Environmental

Earth Club 6th-12th grade, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy* ("Lincoln college preparatory," 2012)

Environmental Club, Banneker Elementary *, ("Benjamin banneker elementary," 2012) Kansas City Environmental Education Network, various committee meetings for members, Mid-

America Regional Council, ("About kansas city," 2012) Sierra Club, every 1st Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. (except July), Missouri Department of

Conservation, Discovery Center, ("Thomas hart benton," 2010) Solar Car, 9th–12th grade, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, ("Lincoln college preparatory,"

2012)

Ethnic

Czech and Slovak Club, April 3, 2012 (annual meeting), Waldo Library ("Czech and slovak," 2012)

Hispanic Leadership Opportunity Program (HLOP), every Thursday after school from 2:45-4:30, East High School, ("East high school," 2012)

Kansas City Irish Fest, annual event, Kansas City Irish, Crown Center, ("Kc irish," 2012) La Bella Italia, 3rd Saturday of every month, ("The italian meetup," 2012) Native American Ministries, services on Sundays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Kansas City Indian

Center, ("Kcic classes and," 2011) SIMBA, 14 active members, Northeast High, ("Northeast high school," 2012) The Ethnic Enrichment Commission’s Northern Lights Diplomatic Ball, March 31, 2012, Ethnic

Enrichment Commission (hosted by the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Scottish, and Swedish Commissions), downtown Marriott Hotel, ("Ethnic enrichment commission," 2012)

Health

Al-Anon/Alateen Family Groups, every Monday 6:00 p.m., AA Hall, ("Al-anon family groups," 2012)

Alcoholics Anonymous, every Tuesday at 7 p.m., Native American Ministries, Kansas City Indian Center*, ("Kcic classes and," 2011)

Nurturing Parents/Successful Children, every Thursday at 12pm - 1:30p.m., Midtown Psychological Services, Inc., Kansas City, Missouri*, ("Therapy groups in," 2012)

Overeaters Anonymous, every Monday at 6:30 p.m., Northgate Baptist Church, ("Overeaters anonymous ," 2012)

Score One, serves several schools, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Faxon Elementary, ("Faxon elementary," 2012)

*Similar programs are offered elsewhere.


Hobbies

Chess Club, first meeting is on January 19, Paseo Academy* ("Paseo academy of," 2012) Debate, Foreign Language Academy, ("Foreign language academy," 2012) Jewelry Making Club, Banneker Elementary *, ("Benjamin banneker elementary," 2012) Kansas City Science Fiction & Fantasy Society, 3rd Saturday of every month, Writers Place,

("Kansas city science," 2011) Sewing Club, Holliday Montessori, (Holliday Montessori, 2012) Union Station Kansas City Model Railroad Society, every 3rd Monday of the month at 6 p.m.,

Kansas City Union Station, ("Union station kansas," 2008)


Political

HOPE KC, 3rd Sunday of the month, from 4-6 p.m., St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, ("The lesbian and," 2012)

KC Young Democrats, April Service Project (voter registration), Saturday at 1:00 p.m., Fit & Fiscal Family Sports Festival, ("Kansas city young," 2012)

Middle School Student Council, Paseo Academy* ("Paseo academy of," 2012)


Project-oriented/Service Organizations

Free Rockhurst Baseball Tickets for BBBS-KC Matches, Sunday, April 22 at 2:00 p.m., Big Brothers Big Sisters, ("Event calendar," 2012)

Kansas City West Lions Club (Md 26 District 26-G), 1st and 3rd Mondays 5:30 p.m., Irene H. Ruiz Biblioteca de las Americas, Library** ("Kansas city west," 2012)

Key Club, 9th-12th grades, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy* ("Lincoln college preparatory," 2012)

Kiwanis Terrific Kids, Hartman Elementary, ("Hartman elementary," 2012) Kiwanis, every Thursday 12:10 p.m., Downtown Kansas City**, ("Kiwanis club of," 2012) University Academy, K-12 college preparatory public charter academy, Junior League, ("Junior

league of," 2012)


**Meeting times are specific to this chapter.

Recreational

Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Central High School*, ("Central high school," 2012) Cheerleading, Central High School*, ("Central high school," 2012) East High Steppers, East High School*, ("East high school," 2012) East Football, East High School*, ("East high school," 2012)


East Volleyball, East High School*, ("East high school," 2012) East Soccer, East High School*, ("East high school," 2012) Girls swim, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy* ("Lincoln college preparatory," 2012) Cross Country/Track and Field, Cristo Rey, ("Cristo rey kansas," 2012) Book Club, every Tuesday at 11 a.m., Pottery Barn, ("Pottery barn kids," 2012) Jazz Storytelling, one Friday a month, American Jazz Museum, ("American jazz museum," 2012)


Religious

Bible Timeline, every Tuesday 6-9:30 p.m., Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception** kcgolddome.org

Fellowship of Christian Athletes, St. Pius X High School*, ("St pius x," 2012) Green Tara Sadhana Practice, every Tuesday at 7-7:30 p.m., Rime Buddhist Center & Tibetan,

("Rime buddhist center," 2012) Ministry team, St. Pius X High School*, ("St pius x," 2012) Prolife, St. Pius X High School*, ("St pius x," 2012) Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD), St. Pius X High School*, ("St pius x," 2012) Toso and Intro Meeting , every Monday at 7:00 p.m., Soka Gakkai Intl-USA, ("Soka gakkai intl-

usa ," 2012)


**Other churches/temples in Kansas City have similar group meetings.

Vocational/Occupational

Early College Academy, Central High School, ("Central high school," 2012) Health Sciences Accelerated Academy (HSAA), Central High School, ("Central high school,"

2012) Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), every Tuesday after school after school, East High

School, ("East high school," 2012) Yearbook, 9th-12th, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy* ("Lincoln college preparatory," 2012) Skills USA, Paseo Academy* ("Paseo academy of," 2012) Technology Club, Banneker Elementary *, ("Benjamin banneker elementary," 2012) Math Club, Banneker Elementary *, ("Benjamin banneker elementary," 2012) Science Club, Hartman Elementary*, ("Hartman elementary," 2012) Academy of Finance, Bishop Ward High School*, ("Bishop ward high," 2012) Bear Nation (newspaper), 2-3 papers a year, East High School*, ("East high school," 2012) Robotics, First competition, Friday, March 2, 2012, Paseo Academy* ("Paseo academy of," 2012) Science Lecture Series, April 16 pharmacy student to speak UMKC (various science

professionals throughout the year), Bishop Ward High School ("Bishop ward high," 2012) Growing Scholars, 4th graders, Mondays and Wednesdays at 3:45 - 5:20 p.m., Troost Elementary,

("Troost elementary," 2012)




Appendix C

Collaborative Project between the Kansas City Public Library and Kansas City, Missouri

School District 5th Grades

Goal

All 5th grade students and teachers will be taught to use the library’s resources both in the

library and from remote locations.

Project Narrative

Through the generosity of a grant from Target, KCPL is partnering with the Kansas City,

Missouri school district to ensure that all 5th graders receive a library card and a visit to the

historic downtown location that will include a tour of the inside of the library building and a

walking tour of the historic block the building sits on. Target is providing the costs of

transportation and lunch (Target, 2010).

Justification

In 2008, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

commissioned a study to determine what, if any, impact school library instruction had on the

standardized test scores of students. The conclusions of the study were irrefutable: “No longer is

the connection between school library media centers and student achievement an opinion or

belief. The connection has been confirmed as a statistically significant, true relationship based on

hard data” (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).

Due to recent radical changes instituted by the newest superintendent in the KCMO

school district, including the closing of half of the buildings, severe budget and staffing cutbacks,

the ability of the school media centers to provide all of the support to their students as

recommended in the Show Me Report cited above has been compromised. Through the use of


the Target Grant, the Central Youth Services staff has a wonderful opportunity to establish a

partnership and presence in the schools that has far reaching affects.

The following project outline created for this course dovetails with the Target Grant and

expands beyond the scope of the grant to incorporate the inspiration to “dream big” when

conceptualizing the possibilities of presenting Information Literacy Instruction to patrons of the

Kansas City Public Library. We have also created virtual tour of the downtown location of the

Kansas City Public Library (Kansas City Public Library, 2006).

The First Stage

The Librarian Visits the Teachers:

Provide an in-Service to 5th Grade Teachers to promote the Target Grant project and give

an overview of what can be expected of their time at the library (described in detail below).

During this 2 hour workshop, teachers will learn how to maneuver their way around the

KCLibrary.org website. Highlight the features that make Aqua-Browser unique: word clouds and

how to use these in the classroom.

Research Resources: Demonstrate the breadth of our collections: databases, website

directories. Highlight databases for kids.

KCLibrary.org this is where we will spend the most time, our local history database,

demonstrating the primary sources the students will use for the research projects that we hope

will come out of this. We will offer ideas for the teachers to help direct their students’ research,

based on our knowledge of our holdings, district requirements (Kansas City Public School

District) and DESE Grade Level Expectations for Social Studies (“Social studies grade level

expectations”).


The Second Stage

The Librarian Visits the Students:

In an ideal world where time and staffing weren’t a problem, each 5th grade class would

have the benefit of an introductory information literacy instruction course, All About the Library,

prior to their visit

Visiting the school, in the library, computer lab or classroom, the librarian will introduce

the students to the resources available at the library in a presentation similar to what the teachers

received in their in-service (see above).

The Third Stage

The Students and Teachers Visit the Library:

Students will be introduced to the Missouri Valley Special Collections with highlights

focusing on the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, historic photographs and post-card images and

biographies of important people in KC history, focusing on how Kansas City came to be here,

and how it grew, as demonstrated through changing landscapes seen in photographs as well as

assorted maps through time in a PowerPoint presentation given during the orientation phase of

their visit (“Missouri valley special collections”).

We will divide the classes in half for the 45 minute tours: one group inside, the other

outside, and then we’ll switch. The inside tour emphasizes “Then and Now: 1910 and 2010”

focusing on the importance of libraries in our society and also how this building (as well as

others in the neighborhood) was repurposed and restored. The outside tour expands on this

concept and also highlights the extensive variety of architectural styles present in such a small

area.


All the time we will endeavor to keep the focus on primary sources for research projects

based on the idea that “you can’t say you’re from KC without knowing about…”

Lists of people, events, places from the following topics (and others we will have brainstormed with the teachers):

Stockyards, Vaudeville, Jazz, Clothing Industry, the frontier, Lewis and Clark, manifest destiny, slave vs. free states, Civil Rights, Negro Leagues, etc.

We’ll also touch on inventions that made a difference such as the elevator, steam engine, sewing machine, bridges, the saxophone, photography, etc.

We are deliberately painting this in broad strokes, with the hopes that we can tailor the

visits to the individual needs of each class during the time in which they are here (for instance, if

a group is here during Black History Month, our focus may emphasize that, etc.) We are also

hoping the students come to their own questions through their explorations of the building and

our collections and seek their own answers.

Furthermore, we realize that some teachers may not be interested in a research paper

component, but may want more of a simpler group project. For instance, one teacher may want

to divide their class into groups of four to research one topic, where one child finds an article

from the database, one finds a book, one finds a website, one finds a digital image, etc. all

utilizing the skills they’ve learned from us to pull together a snapshot of their particular topic.


References

Kansas City Public Library (2006, April 28). Central library.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kclibrary/sets/72157606052122532/

Kansas City Public Library (n.d.). Missouri valley special collections. http://www.kchistory.org

Kansas City Public School District. (n.d.). ecurriculum.

http://kcmo.ecurriculum.net/district/kcmo/ecurriculum/blueprints/blueprint_display.php?

blueprint_id=4&bp_listing_id=1

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Show me connection how

school library media center services affect student achievement.

http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/lmc/documents/plainenglish.pdf

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Social studies grade level

expectations.

http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/GLE/documents/ss_gle_2.0_k8_0907.pdf

Target. (2010, April 16). Targeting education. http://pressroom.target.com/pr/news/targeting-

education10.aspx

http://pressroom.target.com/pr/news/targeting-education10.aspx

http://pressroom.target.com/pr/news/targeting-education10.aspx

http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/lmc/documents/plainenglish.pdf

http://kcmo.ecurriculum.net/district/kcmo/ecurriculum/blueprints/blueprint_display.php?blueprint_id=4&bp_listing_id=1

http://kcmo.ecurriculum.net/district/kcmo/ecurriculum/blueprints/blueprint_display.php?blueprint_id=4&bp_listing_id=1

http://www.kchistory.org/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kclibrary/sets/72157606052122532/

Documents

Durham Community Needs Analysis KCPL