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Women’s History Month 2026

Here is a look at how women are using and have used their voices through their writing. Celebrate with these wonderful and engaging must-reads!

Celebrate Irish Authors

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day – a look at the diverse and prolific Irish authors who have contributed so greatly to the literary landscape. Discover a new favorite, revisit a classic, marvel at the talent of the Irish!

Carpet Replacement

Thank you to everyone for your patience as we do some much-needed updating in the Library. We have replaced the carpet in the main floor fiction area that was over sixteen years old and showing its age. That area is back open, public computers are available and the Reference Desk is back in place.

Now we have moved upstairs and the third floor will be closed to patrons for the time being while we replace that carpet. Nonfiction items can be found in displays on the main floor and in the New Books Room, where you will find the newest and hottest of the collection. There are extra chairs and tables on the main floor temporarily while the seating upstairs is unavailable.

Everything should be back to normal by mid-March!

Behind the Scenes:

What Happens When You Recommend a Book for Purchase?

Have you ever looked up a book in our online catalog and not found the title you were searching for? If an item you want doesn’t appear in our online catalog, you can recommend it for purchase in just a few clicks. After searching the catalog, scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll see a message reading, “Can’t find what you are looking for? Request a purchase from the library.”

Clicking this link opens a form where you can share details about the book. Once submitted, KPL staff review your request, confirm we don’t already have access to the item, and follow up if we need more information. If you’re requesting a highly anticipated bestseller before its publication date, chances are we already plan to purchase it in the course of our normal collection development. So please keep an eye on the catalog as the release date approaches. For more specialized or niche titles, we’ll check availability and evaluate the request using our collection development guidelines.

Your suggestions help shape our collection and ensure it reflects the interests of our community. If we don’t have it yet, let us know – we just might add it to the shelf.

Library of Things Spotlight:

New Grant Funded Tech

The Kirkwood Public Library has many items you can borrow from books to movies, magazines to music. We also loan out a variety of non-traditional library items. We refer to these items as the Library of Things. Each month, we will be highlighting parts of this collection.

Featured in March are three additions we've made over the last few months that were graciously funded through a grant from the MO State Library.

First, we now replaced our aging self check machines. The new machines offer a much sleeker design with a smaller footprint. The user interface has not changed and the speed has improved, so patrons should find the new machines familiar and quicker to respond. The new machines are modular, allowing us to easily swap components and make upgrades when the need arises. These were replaced in January 2026.

Second, we added several new Mobile Hotspots to our collection. These hotspots circulate for 3 weeks and offer up to 2 renewals (if there is not a wait list). They can be requested through our online catalog and are available only for pick-up and drop-off at Kirkwood Public Library. These were added in July 2025.

Third, we have replaced one of our scanners. We now offer in-library access to an Epson Perfection V850 Pro scanner. This device has a scan surface of 8.5 by 11.7 inches and is capable of resolutions up to 4800dpi. The best part is that it can scan up to 12 35mm slides at a time. These were added in August 2025

This project is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the LSTA as administered by the Missouri State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

New Movies

Now is the time to catch up on some of the Oscar nominated films you missed last year. We have F1, Bugonia, Sinners, and One Battle After Another in circulation. One Battle, in particular, topped many year-end lists for the best of 2025. An epic, satirical, revolutionary-minded genre hybrid, it embodies perhaps more than comedy, action, or thriller, the best aspects of a chase film. Leonardo DiCaprio is in top form, and Benicio Del Toro delivers an unforgettably cool supporting performance. There’s a reason this movie has so much hype! 

For something with a little less press attention, consider checking out these two under-the-radar documentaries. First, 7 Walks with Mark Brown is a meditative but beautiful film that follows the titular paleobotanist through Normandy as he assembles plants to recreate an ancient garden. Then, Put Your Soul On Your Hand and Walk captures video calls between director Sepideh Farsi and Palestinian photojournalist Fatma Hassona as the latter documents the Israel-Gaza conflict and daily brushes with destruction. Hassona was tragically killed shortly after the completion of the film.