The Story Center Exterior (photo by Bryan Tebbenkamp)
Library Hosts ‘Homecoming’ Celebration August 12 and 13
Mid-Continent Public Library will host a “Homecoming Weekend” celebration at its Woodneath Library Center (8900 NE Flintlock Road, Kansas City, Mo.) on Friday, August 12, and Saturday, August 13, encouraging customers to “come home” to their Library and explore all the new available amenities. The celebration will include free festivities and programs for all ages as well as an opportunity to explore the brand-new 236-seat auditorium and the recently transformed historic home on the property.
Formerly known as the Elbridge Arnold Homestead or Edwin Y. Crouch Residence, the 1855-56 Greek Revival-style farmhouse on the Woodneath Library Center campus is now home to MCPL’s Story Center, which helps local writers and storytellers create, share and connect over stories. Funded by private donations, the renovated house is now open to the public to tour, attend programs, and work on their storytelling projects.
To the southwest of the house, the new auditorium offers an ideal space for larger Library events and community forums. The new facility, which offers a variety of technology and audiovisual capabilities, was built as part of the Library’s Capital Improvement Plan. The Capital Plan, as well as many other resource and service upgrades at MCPL, was made possible by an increase in Library funding thanks to Proposition L, a ballot measure passed by voters in 2016.
The Woodneath Homecoming Weekend will kick off on Friday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the auditorium, followed by refreshments and live music. A children’s art program will be held afterward, and the evening will feature an outdoor projection mapping display by artist Katina Bitsicas.
On Saturday morning, a children’s program with StoneLion Puppet Theater will be held in the auditorium, and programs for adults will be offered throughout the day in The Story Center, including a first-person interpretive performance and an architectural tour. The day will conclude with a second projection mapping display by Bitsicas.
A full schedule of events for Woodneath Homecoming Weekend can be found on the Library’s website, mymcpl.org.
–Emily Becker
