Signature Events

Location

Invited to Life: Artist Talk

B.A. Van Sise

Internationally known photojournalist and writer B.A. Van Sise discusses his exhibition Invited to Life, featuring selected black-and-white portraits from his 90-photograph, four-essay book Invited to Life: Finding Hope After the Holocaust. Van Sise traveled the United States for four years, documenting the lives and experiences of more than 150 Holocaust survivors.

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Wednesday, September 27, 2023 - 6:00pm

Reception:

5:30 p.m.

Central Library

In Person Event

Online Event

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Exploring Our Senses: Edible Science

Friday Night Family Fun

Explore your sense of taste and smell through science experiments you can eat – pudding slime, Fibonacci sequence lemonade, and more (while supplies last). Recommended for ages 3 and up.

Plaza Branch

Friday, September 29, 2023

5:30 pm to 6:30 pm

In Person Event

Mafia Dreams: A True Crime Saga of Young Men at the End of an Era

Frank R. Hayde

Missouri Valley Sundays

Drawing from copious research and interviews with principal participants for his new book Mafia Dreams: A True Crime Saga of Young Men at the End of an Era, author and former law enforcement officer Frank Hayde recounts the FBI’s efforts in the 1990s to stamp out the vestiges of organized crime in Kansas City.

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Sunday, October 1, 2023 - 2:00pm

Central Library

In Person Event

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Fall Fun: Autumn Crafts

Friday Night Family Fun

When the leaves start to change and the air gets cool, it’s time for … fall, of course! Make crafts to celebrate this colorful time of year: leaf prints, corn mosaics, and more (while supplies last). Recommended for ages 3 and up.

Plaza Branch

Friday, October 6, 2023

5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

In Person Event

A Survey of Elemental Gratitude

Philip Heying

HEARTLAND BOOK FESTIVAL

In a discussion in conjunction with his Library exhibition A Survey of Elemental Gratitude, an arresting collection of photographs of Kansas’ Flint Hills and the plant and animal life they sustain, photographer Philip Heying considers what the grasslands tell us about our relationship with – and responsibility to – that iconic prairie environment.

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Saturday, October 7, 2023 - 4:00pm

Central Library

In Person Event

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Fall Fun: Spooky Spiders

Friday Night Family Fun

You may or may not be afraid of spiders. But there’s definitely no need to fear this arachnid-y activity. Make colorful spider webs and spider slime (while supplies last). Recommended for ages 3 and up.

Plaza Branch

Friday, October 13, 2023

5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

In Person Event

Fall Fun: Halloween Crafts

Friday Night Family Fun

The big day is almost here. Get in the spooky spirit by making Halloween-themed sensory bottles and paintings of the scariest-ever haunted houses (while supplies last). Recommended for ages 3 and up.

Plaza Branch

Friday, October 20, 2023

5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

In Person Event

Fall Fun: No-Carve Pumpkins

Friday Night Family Fun

If you love jack-o’-lanterns but aren’t a fan of sharp knives, try out these no-carve pumpkin ideas. Make yours glow in the dark or look like Spider-Man, a black cat, or whatever you dream up! A limited number of pumpkins will be available, or bring your own and we’ll provide the rest. Recommended for ages 3 and up.