The Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library has been named a runner up for the 2019 Penguin Random House Award for Innovation Through Adversity Award.
The award, supported by the Penguin Random House Foundation, recognizes U.S. libraries and staff who overcome adversity and create lasting innovative community service programs that successfully inspire and connect with new readers.
The library was awarded the runner up position and $1,000 in new materials for the Stories on the Bus program. Stories on the Bus was a two phase program in partnership with Kansas City Area Transportation Authority and Unified Government Transit.
In the first phase, held in the summer of 2016 and repeated in the summer of 2018, local athletes and community leaders appeared on metro bus routes to read their favorite books to passengers in surprise story times.
The second phase was a live performance of Matt de la Peña’s Newbery Medal-winning “Last Stop on Market Street.” As de la Peña read his story aloud to schoolchildren, local actors appeared as the characters. A short film of the performance was created, which can be viewed on the library’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/kckpubliclibrary.
- Story from Kim Woolery, Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library