Liberty Memorial
Dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge in 1926, the Liberty Memorial consists of a 217-foot Memorial Tower, two exhibit halls and the new museum housed beneath the Tower. Major restoration of Liberty Memorial began in 1998, following the approval of a half-cent sales tax. In 2004, Kansas Citizians overwhelmingly passed a bond issue to construct the new museum. It was recognized by Congress as the National WWI Museum that same year. This September, the U.S. Department of Interior designated Liberty Memorial a national historic landmark.
On Dec. 2, 2006, the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial debuted as the first American and only national museum dedicated to the Great War. Designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates and housed beneath the existing Liberty Memorial, the 30,000-square-foot museum will feature more than 49,000 artifacts-the world's second largest WWI collection behind Britain's Imperial War Museum.
Each visitor's journey begins with a surreal walk across a glass-floored bridge. A lush field of 9,000 red poppies lies below, each flower representing 1,000 military deaths. Visitors then pass into a vast exhibit gallery of unforgettable sights and sounds. A walk-in shell crater-more than 20 feet in diameter and approximately 15 feet deep-demonstrates the level of damage left by artillery shells during WWI. Other key exhibits include a stunning recreation of No Man's Land, a 90 foot-long replica trench and a three-story screen depicting scenes from "the war to end all wars."
This historical accuracy of the museum resulted in a compelling and comprehensive presentation that leaves visitors with a clear understanding of the forces that led to the war, the barbarism of the world's first mechanized industrial warfare, and the unresolved disputes that sowed the seeds for future conflicts, including some that are in the headlines today.
Jazzin’ up the Town!
Get ready to experience a feel for the history and tradition that lives on in the swingin’ jazz clubs of Kansas City. First you will be served an authentic KC barbeque dinner at the historical Mutual Musicians Foundation building. Then our host will provide transportation to a few of KC’s hottest jazz clubs. Come see the place where Jazz grew up!
The Hollywood Librarian
The Hollywood Librarian is the first full-length film to focus on the work and lives of librarians in the entertaining and appealing context of American movies. American film contains hundreds of examples of librarians and libraries on screen -- some positive, some negative, some laughable and some dead wrong. Dozens of interviews of real librarians are interwoven with movie clips of cinematic librarians and serve as transitions between the themes of censorship, intellectual freedom, children and librarians, pay equity and funding issues, and the value of reading. Join us for a viewing of the film and an opportunity for Q&A with the film Director, Ann Seidl! Click here to view the film's trailer.
"A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Library"
Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum, creators of “Unshelved”, a comic strip about a library will entertain you at the MLW Dinner Wednesday evening. Be prepared to laugh out loud!
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