Mid-Continent Public Library Offers New Tools for Entrepreneurs

| Originally published by Starland News, sponsored by Mid-Continent Public Library | With more than 30 libraries in the Kansas City region, the Mid-Continent Public Library offers entrepreneurs a wealth of tools beyond books on shelves. From databases to software to an array of events, MCPL provides a trove of information to better build a … Read more

Learning Financial Development Award Recipient Named

| Originally published by the American Library Association | CHICAGO — Mid-Continent Public Library, the largest public library system in the Kansas City metropolitan area—serving nearly 800,000 people across its three-county district—is the 2017 winner of the prestigious Gale, a Cengage Company Learning Financial Development Award. The award is presented annually to a library organization for exhibiting … Read more

Embedding Your Library in the Community: How to Overcome Obstacles and Lead Transformational Change

By Steven V. Potter, Director and CEO at Mid-Continent Public Library

What happens when your strategic plan blocks attempts at innovative programs?
One of the most innovative and community-changing programs I have seen in several years is Career Online High School. The immediate impact of this program at the early-adopting libraries was stunning to me. Clearly, a program like Career Online High School provides a very meaningful answer to that tired old question, “Since everyone has a Kindle, do we still need libraries?”

When I saw Career Online High School, I was amazed but unhappy.I know our strategic plan. I know our key performance indicators. I know our demographics and needs. I know Career Online High School does not easily align into our strategic direction, but I also know we have a diverse population and there are people in our community who could use this program. So that’s the end of the story, right? Not so fast! A program like Career Online High School can be a great opportunity to create a partnership with another organization.

Read moreEmbedding Your Library in the Community: How to Overcome Obstacles and Lead Transformational Change