Kansas City Public Library Marks America's 250th Anniversary with Speakers, Book Lists, and More

This article first appeared in the January/February 2026 issue of KC Studio Magazine.

Jeremy Drouin, special collections manager at the Kansas City Public Library, was just six years old in 1976. He still recalls the bicentennial celebrations of the Declaration of Independence. 

“I was young, but I remember parades and banners,” Drouin says. “I don’t think I knew exactly what was going on, but it was a big deal.” 

July 4, 2026, will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of this important document, which declared the independence of the 13 American colonies from Great Britain. Organizations across the country — including the Library — are gearing up for the occasion.

Drouin leads the Library’s America 250 task force, composed of staff members from across the library system. Together, they generate ideas and plan events and activities.

“We want it to be a celebration and joyful, but at the same time, we also wanted it to be an honest look at  our country over the past 250 years,” he says. 

The Library, Drouin says, will explore deeper themes related to democracy, freedom, and equality. 

On January 15, the Library kicks off the America 250 Signature Events with Edward J. Larson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, at the Plaza Branch. Larson’s latest book, “Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters,” details the story of a key year for American independence. RSVP here. 

The Library’s Readers’ Services team will compile an America 250 reading list and organize book clubs focused on U.S. history.

A special event on September 10 features political philosopher Danielle Allen discussing her book “Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality.” Allen argues that, as a document, the Declaration is as much about political equality as it is about individual liberty. 

And, in October, look for a mail art exhibition at the Central Library, which invites artists to respond to the prompt “What Does Freedom Mean to You?” Artists can choose to celebrate liberty, freedom, and independence, or show the future they imagine.

“It’s a way to explore a lot of different aspects of American life — how far we’ve come, but what we still need to do to live up to that ‘life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness,’” Drouin says about the Library’s America 250 programming. “(It provides) the opportunity to look at our country in a critical way and say, ‘Are we living up to those values?’”

Find out more about America 250 events at the Kansas City Public Library at kclibrary.org/250.