Signature Events
Eric Anderson
Missouri Valley Sundays
Historian Eric Anderson discusses the tumultuous, yet formative, beginnings of Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. It evolved from a government-run boarding school intent on destroying the tribal identity of its students into a leading institution of higher education that celebrated Native culture.
Jim "Mr. Stinky Feet" Cosgrove
Skip the craziness of Black Friday shopping. Make it a playful “Bright Light Friday” instead. Sing, dance, and celebrate the start of the Christmas season with Kansas City-based kid rocker and Library favorite Jim “Mr. Stinky Feet” Cosgrove.
Friday Night Family Fun
Kick off the holiday season with a great movie on the big screen: 2004’s magical The Polar Express starring Tom Hanks (rated G).
All ages.
Start the holiday season with a festival at the Library, overlooking the beautiful Plaza lights. Listen to live music by the trio Tiny Escalators while enjoying a cookie decorating station and hot chocolate bar.
Eli Paul
In a discussion of the new book All Because of a Mormon Cow: Historical Accounts of the Grattan Massacre, 1855-1856, historian Eli Paul recounts the unfortunate encounter that killed a rash young Army officer and 28 of his soldiers at a Lakota encampment near Fort Laramie, Wyoming, in 1854. It ignited the First Sioux War and a generation of fighting on the Great Plains.
Ben Ahlvers
As the first chief photographer of Rolling Stone magazine, Baron Wolman got readers up close and personal with Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, and other iconic rock stars of the 1960s and ’70s—and he became an icon himself.
Friday Night Family Fun
Best-selling author and two-time Newberry Medal winner Kate DiCamillo discusses her new juvenile novel Louisiana’s Way Home. Her first sequel, it revisits Louisiana Elefante, the orphaned friend of DiCamillo’s 2016 heroine, Raymie Nightingale. For ages 10 and up.
Bach Aria Soloists and Heart of America Shakespeare Festival
The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival and Bach Aria Soloists create a special wintertime story that combines scenes from Shakespeare’s greatest plays with the works of Bach, Mozart, and Vivaldi, plus a couple of beloved, centuries-old carols.
