Mid-Continent Public Library system Story Center

Customers of public libraries in central mainland China are accustomed to page flippers, which are located on the bookshelves of branches of the entire library system. But library director and chief executive Steve Potter has learned that such stories also exist in the minds and memories of library customers and the entire community. 

In casual conversations, many people shared rich life history stories with Porter, such as characters and plots that compete with current popular literature. He said, but these statements, whether they are about the events witnessed by the customers or their or their ancestors, need a way for more audiences to enjoy. This realization prompted him to develop a preservation plan, which eventually became the center of the story.

There are two unique features of the plan in central mainland China. Although other library systems across the country provide some of the content of the writing/publishing and storytelling program, Porter said that he did not know of any other library system that would guide readers through the entire process from researching and taking notes to creating and publishing works Finally write and typeset for the final product, and publish the work. In addition, he said, the Central Continent may be the only library that stores programs in a historic house located in a historic house that was once a farmhouse near Liberty.

The Story Center project led to the development of the book creation and oral storytelling project, which can teach and help communities record their stories, whether it is in print, oral tradition or performance. Publication manager David Burns said that dozens of books were written by locals (mainly beginners) and involved local people and events. Some of these books are made for family and friends, and there are only a few printed copies. Others will enter the library system and be available for check-out. When there are others handled by external publishers, they will receive worldwide attention.

Through this plan, the library’s long-term participation in the national narrative network and the annual narrative celebration has been integrated into the center’s programs and strengthened by helping narrators to improve their craft.

Burns described the writing part of the program as "a great way to celebrate the work of a local (first) writer." 

The center was officially opened in 2013 in the Woodneath branch in the northwest of Liberty. Although the current programming work was carried out from the library branch of Flintlock Road 1800 NE, Porter accidentally found a new home for the center, which was a farmhouse-style house from 1855 that was part of an approximately 35-acre dairy farm. Porter learned that the house and its accompanying land had been sold when he began to make plans for the story center.

Porter said that although the traditional library facility built on the property is currently the site of the program, the renovation of the historic house will soon be completed. The center’s program arrangements, such as classes and activities for writers and storytelling, will be held in this historic hotel.

The 35,000-square-foot house will also have a recording center for recording oral content and office space to accommodate the center’s employees. According to the system's website, the beautification environment can be used for quiet and natural contemplation, while the auditorium with more than 230 seats will accommodate large-scale events and lectures.

Porter said that the last family living in the farmhouse, Crouches, has been doing renovations at home.

He said: "They were very involved in the project and gave great support."

The new home will focus Burns and its center team to help customers turn passionate projects into printed publications through the library system’s own multi-version self-publishing. Burns said that he assisted in typesetting, formatting, and literally guided the actual book printing process.

Burns said that although the center offers a variety of printing and distribution methods, he often uses a printer called "Espresso Book Machine", so named because it can print and bind a coffee while printing. And bound a book. . The printer can bind a paperback with glue in five to seven minutes, and can print at least 40 pages, but up to 800 pages. Burns said the largest project he printed on the printer totaled about 500 pages.

Burns said that another method available to local authors is the online printer in the library printing plant, which is part of the Midland Marketing Department.

In another option, prospective authors shared their recommendations with the library’s editorial board, whose members have so far selected eight books for publication. He said the group will produce several more sets during 2021. These works are printed by third-party suppliers, and finally placed on the library shelves, which can be distributed through wholesale. In this case, the staff of the story center can even assist the community to promote the work, and even help organize book distribution.

He said: "We are very selective about our choices." He added that there are many types from essay anthologies to poems. Burns said that although these services vary widely, they are not all-encompassing, adding that the plan is not for everyone.

He said: "If people are looking for the New York Times best-selling book, they may want to go elsewhere."

Shannon Thompson, the story center manager, is responsible for programming and courses, guiding new writers through the process of completing the book. Part of the funding was provided by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Program information can be found on the MCPL Facebook page. An ongoing review group is part of the center's certification program, which provides an opportunity for authors to share some of their review work with others in the class.

About half of the authors in the center create works to preserve family history. Some customers of the Midwest Genealogy Center (located in the independent Lee's Summit Road) using the system found interesting historical family stories, while others found diaries or other written documents recorded by ancestors. Burns said that some customers will copy these works and share them with their families.

But some of the works assisted by the center are aimed at a wider audience. One such example is Ruth Henning's "The First Beverly Hills Man: The Untold Story of a Country TV Comedy Creator". The memoir was written by the widow of independent Paul Henning (Paul Henning). It tells the story of the famous TV producer. He not only created "Beverly Mountain Man", but also created "Petticoat Junction" Department" and "Green Acres." 

This book was printed by a third-party vendor, and the library staff won the 2017 IngramSpark Ignite Award for their work in interacting with the community during the book promotion process. Burns said IngramSpark is a print-on-demand publisher and distributor in the Kansas City area. It allows books to be printed when ordering on Amazon and does not require inventory.

Burns is a published author and has several books published in his name. A few years ago, Burns ventured into the Central Continent branch, seeking ways to meet other writers, and fell into a publishing position. There, he learned about new positions in the library system and helped new authors create their own works. A lifelong writer and former priest specializes in fable novels or books traditionally written for children, which are recreated for adults. For example, "Alice in Wonderland" and "Narnia".

Burns said he has helped hundreds of authors, and said that the library's plan has provided more opportunities for the explosive development of spontaneous editions and desktop publishing in the past few years.

He said: "This is a real game changer in the publishing world."