1. Woodneath Story Center Cody Croan & Steven Potter ccroan@mymcpl.orgccroan@mymcpl.org & spotter@mymcpl.org For NEKLS – April 2015

2. What is Mid-Continent Public Library? One of the largest political subdivisions in Missouri at 1,249 sq. miles and over 760,000 people Lends over 9 million items every year Including books, eBooks, audiobooks, DVDs, CDs Provides access through 35 service outlets including 4 co-located branches & a virtual library Provides access to more online content than every other library in Missouri … COMBINED!

3. The Opportunity MCPL purchased a unique property in 2008 in the Shoal Creek area of the Northland Three phase project: Library Center Site Restoration Adaptive Reuse of the Home as The Story Center

4. Woodneath Story Center Vision The Woodneath Story Center will celebrate the art of story and its power to: help people communicate more effectively. connect and build community. preserve personal and cultural histories. develop creativity and self expression. The Woodneath Story Center will serve as a place where new storytellers, authors and creators will come to experiment with the process of finding, shaping, telling and sharing their story.

5. What is the Story Center? Three tracks of credentialing using Mozilla badges Courses and Learning Opportunities to Build a Community Legal Partnership Program Partnerships Staffing

6. Why A Story Center? Responds to a strategic goal concerning content creation. Addresses literacy using a more holistic approach. Develops a national model for progressive library service. Fills a market niche Creates a regional resource for the arts and humanities.

7. Why MCPL? Active participation in the local writers’ communities. NaNoWriMo events grow each year at MCPL branches. Partner in the metro wide digital storytelling initiative. Partner in the MARC initiative to capture seniors’ stories. Midwest Genealogy Center is primary regional institution focused on preserving family histories. Tell Me A Story program collects and archives regional oral histories. Past StoryCorps sponsor.

8. Recent Milestones LSSD and Boys & Girls Clubs fieldtrips Recruitment of the National Storytelling Network Memoir workshop from The Writers Place Leveraging online courses Establishing the Woodneath Press Published our first book, filed for copyright, ISBN and have sold over 650 copies. Booked recent author events with Rainy Day Books Wanna see the Espresso?see

9. Thank You