Young Friends of the Kansas City Public Library

Young Friends of the Kansas City Public Library Young Friends is a social and networking group of young professionals who support the Library’s mission to provide access to knowledge for all.

https://linktr.ee/YoungKCLibraryFriends Be a Friend and join a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the Kansas City Public Library through outreach and advocacy efforts. The Friends were formed in 1984 to advocate for a bond issue, which led to the Library's separation from the Kansas City School district and allowed for the branches to be built. Since the Friends were founded in 1984, they have made over $1,000,000 in gifts to the Library.

Play a part in the Young Friends of the Kansas City Public Library’s story! KCYFL is a dedicated group of primarily Gen ...
03/16/2026

Play a part in the Young Friends of the Kansas City Public Library’s story! KCYFL is a dedicated group of primarily Gen Z and Millennial volunteers. We create opportunities for Kansas Citians to meaningfully gather, and champion our Kansas City Public Library system as they cultivate connection, share resources, and build community in our city.

We are adding four new volunteers to our team and accepting applications through end of day Sunday, April 5. Learn more and apply at https://bit.ly/KCYFLapp.

However you choose to celebrate this holiday season, we hope it’s wonderfully bookish and bright 🕯️Sending the warmest w...
12/23/2025

However you choose to celebrate this holiday season, we hope it’s wonderfully bookish and bright 🕯️Sending the warmest wishes this winter and looking forward to a whole new year of patronizing & supporting the library alongside you!

“When the temperature drops, I turn to cozy mysteries to stay warm. My top choice is always Agatha Christie—she manages ...
12/14/2025

“When the temperature drops, I turn to cozy mysteries to stay warm. My top choice is always Agatha Christie—she manages to balance humor, complex characters, and careful plotting to weave the perfect murder mysteries 📚🐈‍⬛🔎 For this wintry season, I recommend Hercule Poirot’s Christmas or, if you want to escape the cold, A Caribbean Mystery featuring Miss Marple. Both are best enjoyed while snuggling with your pet!” - Lisa

Wherever you are reading this winter, the Young Friends of the Library are wishing you a very cozy season. And as the we...
12/09/2025

Wherever you are reading this winter, the Young Friends of the Library are wishing you a very cozy season. And as the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, remember that you are always welcome at the library! ☕️📖🌲

We’re a day away from All Hallow’s Eve, so Young Friends of the Library are keeping your timeline nice & terrifying with...
10/30/2025

We’re a day away from All Hallow’s Eve, so Young Friends of the Library are keeping your timeline nice & terrifying with our favorite spooky season picks 👻🪾

“The Turn of the Screw (1898) by Henry James is a classic for a reason. Haunting, indeed, due to the chilling ambiguity of what happens, and who’s telling the tale. It’s a dark gothic ghost story but so much more. A governess is hired to care for two intriguing and bright children, and when she moves into their home she encounters some horrifying apparitions...which may or may not be connected to the children in some way, too. If you enjoyed The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson & Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, you will surely be rapt by this book. It was also adapted into a beautiful black and white movie called “The Innocents” in 1961, starring Deborah Kerr. Be sure to read the book first though ;) – Brooks”

Your Young Friends of the Library are conjuring up a list of haunting tales to read this Halloween week 🎃🍂 “Tananarive D...
10/27/2025

Your Young Friends of the Library are conjuring up a list of haunting tales to read this Halloween week 🎃🍂

“Tananarive Due expertly merges historical fiction with horror in The Reformatory, set in 1950 rural Florida where ghosts tend to linger and racial tensions are high. The story follows Gloria, a precocious teenager, as she tries to free her younger brother from a reform school that few leave. After defending his sister, Robbie is sent to ‘Gracetown School for Boys’ where he is haunted by the many boys who have died there. Due is a master of dread, describing the taut danger that Robbie is in if he stays at the Reformatory for too long, under the watchful eye of the cruel warden. I recommend pairing The Reformatory with Due’s earlier collection of ghost stories, Ghost Summer, where she first visits Gracetown.” – Lisa

This Halloween week, Young Friends of the Library are sharing books that haunt us. Come along as we revisit some truly b...
10/25/2025

This Halloween week, Young Friends of the Library are sharing books that haunt us. Come along as we revisit some truly bone-chilling, bewitching reads & share your own go-to scary stories with us!

“A woman escapes from a windowless cabin, deep in the German woods. She says her name is Lena, a woman who disappeared 14 years ago, but her family swears she isn’t their Lena. The little girl who escaped with Lena knows things she isn’t saying and Lena fears she won’t truly escape until the whole truth about what happened fully emerges. 🍁This book is so creepy: the setting, the child protagonist, the mystery. If you prefer to stay away from the paranormal during spooky season but still love a chilling thriller, this is the book for you. -Katie”

Spooky season meets Banned Books Week! Young Friends of the Kansas City Public Library are reading challenged books as o...
10/10/2025

Spooky season meets Banned Books Week! Young Friends of the Kansas City Public Library are reading challenged books as one way to take a stand against censorship.

“‘Tis the Halloween season, therefore... Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1981) by Alvin Schwartz was one of the most challenged books of the ‘90s. People often cited the [absolutely gorgeous!!] illustrations by Stephen Gammell as being ‘too scary’ for kids. Many of the stories are collected folklore and urban legends: some of them are silly rhymes (The Hearse Song), some are legitimately terrifying (High Beams & The Hook), some are haunting (The Guests), and some are just plain fun and clever wordplay (The Viper). It’s actually pretty important to trust kids with their own feelings—yes, sometimes those feelings are scary or sad, and it’s okay—trust that they can learn to self-regulate, and also allow them to read things that they are drawn to or curious about. It’s such an intriguing, bizarre, and nostalgic read these days. A darkly whimsical book to revisit, especially during Halloween!” – Brooks

What Young Friends of the Kansas City Public Library are reading during Banned Books Week:“Last year, the second most ba...
10/09/2025

What Young Friends of the Kansas City Public Library are reading during Banned Books Week:

“Last year, the second most banned book in the US was Maia Kobabe’s Gender Q***r. In this graphic novel memoir, Kobabe shows us so much about the childhood that shaped em. Kobabe’s beautiful illustrations take the reader through eir journey to find the most genuine ways to express emself. Gender Q***r is a vulnerable exploration of identity, gender, sexuality and art.” – Lisa

It’s Banned Books Week, and Young Friends of the Library are reading some of the most challenged books in the country to...
10/09/2025

It’s Banned Books Week, and Young Friends of the Library are reading some of the most challenged books in the country to stand against censorship and celebrate free, open access to information.

“One of my favorite (and most banned) books from recent years is All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson. This coming of age memoir explores Johnson’s early encounters with bullies, the importance of his family and friends and his early relationships as a q***r man of color. This is a wonderful book for people dealing with these issues themselves or anyone who seeks to be a better ally.” – Katie

🪦👻🍁 FrankenWines 2025 was a huge success and we couldn't have done it without the incredible Union Cemetery Historical S...
10/02/2025

🪦👻🍁 FrankenWines 2025 was a huge success and we couldn't have done it without the incredible Union Cemetery Historical Society hosting us, the amazing AV help from the library (shoutout to Leslie for the projections you see in the background!), our performers Park Bucker and Zach Lickerman, and finally all of YOU. Without your support, it would all be for nothing. Thank you for making this our favorite event of the year.

❤️ Young Friends of the KC Library

And just like that, FrankenWines is sold out! For those ghosts and ghouls who were able to conjure tickets, here’s what ...
09/30/2025

And just like that, FrankenWines is sold out! For those ghosts and ghouls who were able to conjure tickets, here’s what you need to know for Wednesday, October 1:

5:30 pm: Gates open and check-in begins. Select your spot, snag your first drink, explore the beautiful grounds, and shop at the iconic Union Cemetery Historical Society merch table!

6:30 pm - approx. 8:45 pm: Spine-chilling stories performed by Park Bucker and Zach Lickerman. We’ll have a 20-minute intermission about an hour in.

Address: Union Cemetery at 27 E. 28th Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64108

Parking: We strongly encourage attendees to carpool or consider rideshare or public transportation. Public parking is available along Warwick Trafficway directly outside of the cemetery gate, as well as along the streets in the Union Hill neighborhood. Unless requested for accessibility reasons, guest parking will not be available inside the cemetery.

Accessibility: If you would like to be dropped off or need to park closer to the event location, please let our check-in volunteers know that you would like to pull down the driveway. Once you are at the bottom of the driveway, traveling to the grassy area where seating is held will include navigating about 50 feet of grass and leaves, bumpy/rocky terrain and a hill.

Restroom: There is one portable restroom onsite; it is physically accessible/does not require a step up.

Seating: Seating is offered in a designated grassy area on a first-come, first-served basis. Be sure to bring your own blankets and chairs.

What to Bring: Pack your seat, ID to show at the bar, and a picnic, and please remember to take everything with you when you leave.

Your ticket includes a sweet treat from McLain’s Bakery, as well as boozy and n/a libations.

Pets are welcome as long as they are leashed at all times, picked up after, and will not interrupt the performance.

Don’t see your confirmation and reminder emails? Be sure to search your spam folder. Have questions? Don’t not hesitate to reach out to the Young Friends of the Library at [email protected]. We simply cannot wait to enter The Twilight Zone with you oh so soon 🔲🕷️👻🐦‍⬛💀🪦

Address

P. O. Box 30447
Kansas City, MO
64112

Telephone

816-701-3518

Website

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