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The Missouri Valley Special Collections (MVSC) consists of the non-circulating local and regional history and genealogy resources of the Kansas City Public Library, as well as the Library’s archives. Its mission is to preserve our area’s heritage and provide access in meaningful ways to the collections and materials.
In 2004 the Kansas City Public Library’s Central Library moved from its old location at 12th Street into the beautifully renovated First National Bank building at 10th and Baltimore. The new Missouri Valley Room on the fifth floor opened that year and continues a tradition of offering an inviting and comfortable place to do historical research. It is dedicated to the memory of Dr. William Stone Woods (1840-1917), chairman of the National Bank of Commerce (presently Commerce Bank) and a major benefactor to many regional causes, including William Woods College in Fulton, Missouri.
The main focus of the MVR holdings documents the history of the Kansas City region, but other areas, like border warfare and the Civil War, Native Americans of the area, explorers and westward expansion, outlaws and lawmen, the overland trails, and genealogy, have extensive resources. MVSC also holds the Ramos collection, which is comprised of books, pamphlets, documents, and clippings on African American history and culture.
Missouri Valley Special Collections
Kansas City Public Library
14 West 10th St.
Kansas City, MO 64105
(816) 701-3427