Mid-Continent Public Library
Mid-Continent Public Library is a tax-funded public library district serving approximately 800,000 residents across Clay, Jackson, and Platte Counties in the Kansas City metro through 30+ branches, a BiblioCommons catalog, OverDrive/Libby digital lending, and specialized centers for genealogy, small business, publishing, and culinary programming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1968
- HeadquartersIndependence, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Mid-Continent Public Library does
Mid-Continent Public Library (MCPL) is a tax-funded public library district established in 1968 by consolidating the library systems of Clay, Jackson, and Platte Counties in the Kansas City, Missouri metropolitan area. It operates as a government entity serving approximately 800,000 residents through more than 30 staffed branch locations and additional unstaffed Library-To-Go sites, making it the largest library system in the Kansas City region. All services are free at point of use; funding is derived primarily from a dedicated local property tax, including a capital improvement mandate approved by voters as Proposition L in 2016.
The library's core technology stack is built on third-party SaaS rather than proprietary systems. The BiblioCommons web catalog provides unified searching, reservation, and account management across the physical and digital collections. OverDrive's Libby app delivers the digital lending platform, supporting eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, and eComics with up to 50 simultaneous checkouts and holds and a default 21-day loan period. A region-specific account-linking feature integrates MCPL accounts with Johnson County Library, Olathe Public Library, and Kansas City Public Library, enabling patrons to manage multiple library cards under a single login. Additional integrations include NoveList Plus (EBSCO) for reading recommendations, WorldCat for interlibrary loan, and streaming platforms (Access Video On Demand, medici.tv, BookFlix, ScienceFlix, TrueFlix) for digital media.
Beyond traditional circulation, MCPL operates several specialized centers that differentiate its service mix: the Midwest Genealogy Center (recognized as Federation of Genealogical Societies Repository of the Year in 2020), the Square One Small Business Center (partnered with the Kauffman Foundation for 1 Million Cups programming), the Story Center and its Woodneath Press publishing imprint, and Culinary Kitchens. The library also provides equipment lending (Chromebooks), passport acceptance, free notary services, reservable meeting rooms, museum passes, and ADA-compliant accessibility infrastructure including ASL accommodations. Revenue is non-commercial and derived from tax appropriations; no pricing model, customer contracts, or commercial revenue streams exist.
Mid-Continent Public Library firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mid-Continent Public Library
- Legal name
- Mid-Continent Public Library
- Website
- https://mymcpl.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1968
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Mid-Continent Public Library is a tax-funded public library district serving approximately 800,000 residents across Clay, Jackson, and Platte Counties in the Kansas City metro through 30+ branches, a BiblioCommons catalog, OverDrive/Libby digital lending, and specialized centers for genealogy, small business, publishing, and culinary programming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mid-Continent Public Library industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Library Services
- NAICS
- Libraries and Archives (51921), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA), Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation) (EDAEAGAE)
Keywords
Where Mid-Continent Public Library is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Independence
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Mid-Continent Public Library business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Public Tax Funding: MCPL is a public library system funded primarily through local tax revenue. The library district covers Clay, Jackson, and Platte Counties following public support and passage of Proposition L in 2016 for capital improvements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Mid-Continent Public Library product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mid-Continent Public Library is the largest public library system in the Kansas City metropolitan area, serving approximately 800,000 residents across Clay, Jackson, and Platte Counties through more than 30 branch locations. The library provides free access to physical and digital library materials including books, eBooks, audiobooks, DVDs, and music, alongside research databases, community programs, and specialized centers such as the Midwest Genealogy Center, Square One Small Business Center, Story Center with Woodneath Press publishing imprint, and Culinary Kitchens.
Product overview
Mid-Continent Public Library is a public library system serving Clay, Jackson, and Platte Counties in the Kansas City, Missouri metropolitan area with 30+ locations. The library operates primarily as a consumer service rather than a software product, providing physical and digital library materials, research databases, and community programs. Core offerings include the BiblioCommons-powered online catalog for material discovery and management, OverDrive/Libby digital lending platform for eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, and eComics, and specialized services such as the Midwest Genealogy Center, Square One Small Business Center, Story Center with Woodneath Press publishing imprint, and Culinary Kitchens. The library also provides equipment lending (Chromebooks), passport services, notary services, reservable rooms, museum passes, and accessibility accommodations. Digital research resources include NoveList Plus for reading recommendations, WorldCat for interlibrary loans, Access Video On Demand, TeenBookCloud, and various streaming video services (medici.tv, BookFlix, ScienceFlix, TrueFlix).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Culinary Kitchens: A specialized library service featuring commercial kitchen facilities for community use
- Midwest Genealogy Center
- Square One Small Business Center
- Story Center
- MCPL Online
- Woodneath Press
Products and services
- MCPL Online Catalog (BiblioCommons) Web-based catalog system enabling patrons to search, browse, reserve, and manage library materials including books, movies, music, and digital content across the MCPL collection.
- OverDrive Digital Downloads (Libby) Digital lending platform for borrowing eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, and eComics accessible via web browser or Libby app on Android and iOS devices, with up to 50 items checked out and 50 items on hold with a default 21-day loan period.
- InterLibrary Loan (WorldCat) Service enabling patrons to borrow items from other libraries through the WorldCat discovery platform as a faster alternative to suggesting titles for purchase.
- NoveList Plus Fiction and nonfiction reading recommendation database by EBSCO helping users discover books by author, title, genre, or plot description, with award-winning book lists and reviews.
- TeenBookCloud Digital reading platform offering eBooks, graphic novels, and resources for middle and high school students.
- eMovies Streaming Streaming video service providing access to educational and entertainment content through Access Video On Demand, medici.tv, BookFlix, ScienceFlix, and TrueFlix.
- Chromebooks To Go Laptop lending program allowing patrons to borrow Chromebooks for use inside and outside the library.
- Woodneath Press In-house publishing imprint producing anthologies and books including Curating Home, The First Beverly Hillbilly, Community Voices, and other local literature.
- Passport Services U.S. passport application and acceptance services available at select branches.
- MCPL Museum Pass Program providing complimentary admission to the Truman Library and Museum and Wonderscope Children's Museum.
- Reservable Rooms Meeting and event spaces available for public use at multiple MCPL locations.
- Notary Services Free notary services available at select library branches.
- Wellness Room Private space available for nursing, meditation, or other wellness activities at select MCPL branches.
- ReadLOCAL Initiative highlighting works by local authors within the MCPL service area, with submissions auto-accepted for MCPL cardholders meeting eligibility criteria.
- Book Group Service Collection of over 1,000 book kits (10 copies each) maintained through the MyTurn reservation system for community book groups.
Quantifiable outcome
- 7 new branches built from the ground up since 2017
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Mid-Continent Public Library
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Mid-Continent Public Library technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature4 records
Mid-Continent Public Library partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Johnson County LibrarycorePartnership allowing MCPL patrons to link their Johnson County Library card to their MCPL catalog username, enabling management of multiple library cards under a single login
- Olathe Public LibrarycorePartnership allowing MCPL patrons to link their Olathe Public Library card to their MCPL catalog username, enabling management of multiple library cards under a single login
- Kansas City Public LibrarycorePartnership allowing MCPL patrons to link their Kansas City Public Library card to their MCPL catalog username, enabling management of multiple library cards under a single login
- Truman Heartland Community FoundationmajorPartnership to create CareConnection, an online directory of resources linking older adults and caregivers to high-quality information as a free community service. MCPL was honored with Kansas City Business Journal ImpacT Award for this partnership.
- Lee's Summit Parks and Recreation DepartmentcoreOngoing partnership providing community programming and services. MCPL branches partner with the department for joint community events and programming. Recognized by Missouri Parks and Recreation Association.
- Independence School DistrictcorePartnership for Ford Next Generation Learning Career Academies initiative, awarded Ford Next Generation Learning Award
- Kauffman FoundationmajorSquare One Small Business Services division brought Kauffman Foundation's nationally popular 1 Million Cups program to local entrepreneurs via live streaming
- Independence Economic Development CouncilminorRecognized MCPL's South Independence Branch with iNpact award for significant positive economic impacts in the community
- Clay County Economic Development CouncilminorRecognized MCPL with Keystone Awards for renovation work on Antioch, Claycomo, Kearney, and Excelsior Springs Branches as part of Capital Improvement Plan
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Mid-Continent Public Library competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hennepin County Library: Large suburban county library system serving the Minneapolis metro area with a similar tax-funded multi-branch model, comparable scale, and similarly broad programming focus including specialized centers.
- Kansas City Public Library: Direct local peer operating the other major public library system serving the Kansas City metropolitan area. MCPL has a formal card-linking partnership with KCPL for cross-system access, indicating closely overlapping service area, customer base, and operating model.
- Johnson County Library: Direct regional peer serving Johnson County, Kansas, immediately adjacent to MCPL's service area. Operates as a county-wide library system with similar tax-funded public library model and has a card-linking partnership with MCPL for patron interoperability.
- King County Library System: One of the busiest public library systems in the United States, serving suburban and urban communities in King County, Washington. Operates with a comparable multi-branch, tax-funded public library model at significant scale.
- Multnomah County Library: Tax-funded public library system serving Portland, Oregon and surrounding Multnomah County. Comparable in scale and operating model to MCPL, with multi-branch operations, digital lending, and community programming focus.
- Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County: Tax-supported regional public library system serving Hamilton County, Ohio with multi-branch operations, genealogy/special collections, and broad community programming. Comparable in scale, governance, and service mix to MCPL.
Broad incumbents
- Chicago Public Library: One of the largest public library systems in the United States, serving Chicago through a city-wide tax-funded model with many branches. Comparable governance and operating approach at substantially larger scale.
- New York Public Library: Among the largest public library systems in the world, serving New York City with a comparable tax/special-district funding model, multi-branch footprint, research collections, and extensive programming. Operates at much larger scale than MCPL but with the same public library mission.
Emerging players
- Anythink Libraries (Adams County): Re-branded Colorado-based library district recognized for innovation in customer experience, programming, and community engagement. Comparable tax-funded multi-branch model but emphasizes disruptive service design and consumer-focused branding more heavily than MCPL.
Others
- OverDrive: Primary vendor partner supplying MCPL's Libby digital lending platform for eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, and eComics. Not a peer competitor but the core infrastructure provider enabling MCPL's digital collection distribution; understanding its trajectory is critical to MCPL's digital strategy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mid-Continent Public Library social profiles
Digital presenceMid-Continent Public Library compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Mid-Continent Public Library financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mid-Continent Public Library leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Mid-Continent Public Library funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mid-Continent Public Library M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mid-Continent Public Library
What does Mid-Continent Public Library do?
Mid-Continent Public Library is the largest public library system in the Kansas City metropolitan area, serving approximately 800,000 residents across Clay, Jackson, and Platte Counties through more than 30 branch locations. The library provides free access to physical and digital library materials including books, eBooks, audiobooks, DVDs, and music, alongside research databases, community programs, and specialized centers such as the Midwest Genealogy Center, Square One Small Business Center, Story Center with Woodneath Press publishing imprint, and Culinary Kitchens.
Is Mid-Continent Public Library a public or private company?
Mid-Continent Public Library is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Mid-Continent Public Library founded?
Mid-Continent Public Library was founded in 1968. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Mid-Continent Public Library based?
Mid-Continent Public Library is headquartered in Independence, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mid-Continent Public Library make money?
One revenue line is on record: public Tax Funding.
Who are Mid-Continent Public Library's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hennepin County Library, Kansas City Public Library, Johnson County Library, King County Library System, Multnomah County Library and Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Broad incumbents are Chicago Public Library and New York Public Library. Anythink Libraries (Adams County) is listed as an emerging player. OverDrive is listed as an others.
Does Mid-Continent Public Library have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mid-Continent Public Library.
What industry is Mid-Continent Public Library in?
Mid-Continent Public Library's product category is Public Library Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAO, Public Libraries & Information Services, with a secondary code of EDAEAGAC, Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management. Its NAICS code is 51921.