[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 56 (Thursday, April 2, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E862]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE KANSAS CITY PUBLIC 
                                LIBRARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 2, 2009

  Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, I proudly rise today in recognition of 
the outstanding achievements and cultural legacy of the Kansas City 
Public Library in Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which I 
proudly represent. The Kansas City Public Library, having received the 
prestigious 2008 National Medal for Museum and Library Service 
presented by former First Lady Laura Bush for their ``Books to Go'' 
project, events and exhibits, represents preservation and celebration 
of Missouri's Fifth District's diverse history.
  The Kansas City Public Library's role is to ``actively provide 
timely, accurate and useful information; support individual of all ages 
pursuing a program of independent learning; and assists researchers in 
conducting in-depth study or investigation in specific subject areas''. 
The library has come to serve nearly every contingent of the Fifth 
District population, in both urban and suburban areas, actively seeking 
to engage our citizens in classes, discussions, lectures and events. It 
allows our citizenry to explore its role as America's heartland 
evolving from a frontier city to a modern day metropolis with racial 
and cultural diversity. Through clubs, movies and exhibits, people of 
all ages can participate in the many opportunities that the library has 
to offer.
  Under the wisdom and guidance of Chief Executive Crosby Kemper III 
and its Board of Directors with Jonathan Kemper serving as Board 
President, the Kansas City Public Library has emerged as a crucial 
cultural center in our community. Housing and preserving in multimedia 
and primary source, the library system has come to foster intellectual 
enrichment through working collaboratively with our many world-class 
organizations of cultural preservation and celebration, such as the 
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library 
and Museum, and the National World War I Museum, to name a few. Our 
hallowed library serves as an extension of the works of these fine 
institutions to ensure that not a corner of our community is denied the 
opportunity to share in our heritage.
  Mr. Crosby Kemper, a graduate of the esteemed Yale University and 
member of one of Kansas City's most philanthropic families, serves 
tirelessly as a distinguished administrator and innovator to expose our 
community to intellectual growth. Due to his efforts and that of the 
Board of Directors, the Kansas City Public Library provides events and 
lectures that provoke thought, information and discussion. The library 
has become a focal point of intellectual conversation in our community.
  Perhaps most importantly, the Kansas City Public Library houses the 
freedom of opportunity which our nation cherishes as the cornerstone of 
its efficacy. Our understanding of peace and justice requires an 
intellectual grounding in the events of our shared history. Through 
history, we find our cultural underpinnings and past solutions which 
evolve into today's paradigm.
  For these reasons and more, I am proud to have nominated the Kansas 
City Public Library for the National Medal for Museum and Library 
Service. Madam Speaker, through their efforts, they have let loose 
imaginations, inspired change and become a cornerstone around which our 
entire community gathers. A city can only be as good as its public 
libraries, and we all take pride that ours is among America's very 
best. Please join me in congratulating the Kansas City Public Library, 
its Board, Crosby Kemper, and the staff, volunteers and supporters that 
help to make our state-of-the-art Kansas City Public Library a national 
award winner.

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