National Library Month: Library Spotlight

For National Library Month, we’re celebrating libraries that go above and beyond to meet the needs of their communities.  

Meet Kim Angotti and Kelsey Bates of Kansas City Public Library (that’s Kansas City, Missouri – or as Kim and Kelsey informed us, “the COOL Kansas City”). Kim is the library’s Youth and Family Engagement Operations and Program Manager, while Kelsey is their Teen Services Coordinating Librarian. We had the opportunity to chat with Kim and Kelsey and learn a little about the programs and services they provide for the 1.7 million residents of the Kansas City metro area. 

First Book: You have both been at KCPL for over 8 years. In that time, what kinds of challenges have you faced? And what kinds of achievements? 

Kelsey Bates: We started Pop In at the Park during COVID, and it was so popular that it’s part of our summer outreach now. Kids can get meals, hands-on activities, take and makes, and sign up for Summer Reading. We partner with Parks and Rec, the fire department, nonprofits, lots of folks. 

FB: Tell me about your Summer Reading program. 

Kim: Over 15,000 people registered for Summer Reading in 2024, 16% more than in 2023, and participants logged 26,397 books! The program is open to all ages, and participants get to choose one book at signup to keep. They offer some 350 different titles for youth and 150 for adults. And we get the children’s books for this program from First Book! The best part is that Summer Reading now has its own budget line, ensuring funding review and consideration going forward. Our funding for Summer Reading is 50% higher than what it was in 2021. 

FB: How about outreach activities? 

Kelsey: Besides Pop-In at the Park, we have three bookmobiles that run routes in book deserts and public housing developments. They ride with a small borrowing collection (including hotspots) and a mobile notary. 

Kim: We work with nurses – they do prenatal and new baby home visits and give out about 100 books to new parents every month. And we partner with the school system to put Little Free Libraries at health care centers. We buy books for those boxes from First Book, too. 

FB: What’s the language makeup of Kansas City? Can you find books for everyone you  serve? 

Kim: We have a very large immigrant population – French speakers, Arabic, Haitian, Spanish speakers, Somalis. We have a Chinese-language elementary, and there are a couple schools where kids speak at least 20 different languages! We appreciate the wider selection at First Book – it allows us to more accurately represent our customers.  

First Book and Libraries

First Book is proud to support libraries doing incredible community work like the Kansas City Public Library. Through free First Book membership, librarians can access affordable, brand-new books, funding opportunities, and culturally relevant titles. First Book helps libraries expand their outreach and get books directly into the hands of kids living in under-resourced communities. Join the First Book network today and learn how we can support your library work.