BY JOE ARCE AND COREY CRABLE
Recently community members, state officials and book lovers alike came out to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Kansas City Public Library’s Irene H. Ruiz Biblioteca de las Americas Branch recently in Kansas City Westside neighborhood.
The branch is named for the late Irene Ruiz, whose efforts to get young people excited about reading – and changing their community – have left a lasting impact on both its child and adult learners.
“Today we celebrate a library, and we cannot do that without celebrating the woman whose name it bears and the Westside community that made it possible. Irene believed that libraries should reflect the people they serve,” said Pritha Hariharan, executive deputy director. “She worked tirelessly to ensure that Latino and immigrant families felt seen, welcomed, and valued. She understood that a library can be more than a place to borrow books. It can be a bridge to opportunity, a keeper of culture and stories.”
Hariharan said the library has kept busy for this quarter of a century, nurturing minds of all ages with hands-on activities, classes, events, and more.
“Over the past 25 years, this branch has grown into a true community hub. Here, neighbors gather to learn Spanish, averaging about 25 attendees per week. Families receive passport services, over 1,500 per year in the last four years alone. And passport services are provided both in English and Spanish,” said Hariharan. “Children attend programs, gardeners exchange seeds and knowledge, and residents come together through partnerships with organizations like the Tony Aguirre Community Center, the Westside Neighborhood Association, and the CAN Center.”
Hariharan said the library continues to evolve with the needs of local residents as well.
“Even as it honors history, Ruiz continues to evolve. This year, the branch added 3D printing services, opening new opportunities for creativity and learning. It is a reminder that libraries are not simply preserving the past. They’re helping build the future,” Hariharan said.
The library opened on the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15, 2001, only days after its planned opening on Sept. 11 – the day, of course, of the worst terror attack on American soil.
Jorge Coromac, director of the Westside Community Action Network Center, said the neighborhood was fortunate to have such an empowering addition to their community in the days following the nation’s greatest tragedy.
“Every single kid, every single youth that had the opportunity to have a book in their hands, the library empowered them. They are our future leaders of tomorrow,” said Coromac.
Local resident Georgina Herrera said she has been using the library since she was a little girl.
“It’s a very educational place where I can check out books for the grandkids. I always have checked a lot of books, and I have them available for the kids. If something sparks their interest, they can just open it up and learn something different,” Herrera said, adding that she always makes it a point to seek out books by and about Latinos.
Herrera and others at the ceremony remembered Irene Ruiz as someone who fought hard to get the library built in Kansas City Westside neighborhood, plus she also spent her own money on buying music by Latino artists to offer their clientele.
“I remember seeing Irene at the community meetings when I was a little girl at the Guadalupe Centers,” Herrera recalled. “She was real active in that with my mom and my aunt.”
Vianney Herrera, the librarian at Westport High School, shared her own memories of the library.
“I remember as a little girl, on the shelves of the library, they used to have little dolls with different representatives from different Latino countries. And I saw that in the books that we read that reflected of us,” she said.
F. Brent Ruiz, Irene’s son, called the library itself “magnificent.”
“She kept the library alive. … There was a time when it looked like there would be no library at all. So the fact that it’s here, thanks to the people who voted, and they honored my mom by naming it for her, but the fact that the library is still here is just wonderful.”
He said that if his mother were still alive today, she’d encourage everyone to keep the momentum going.
“I think she’d be saying, ‘Keep going, keep doing, keep recording your histories,” Ruiz said. “’Talk to your parents, talk to your grandparents, write down those stories.’”
Hariharan said the library represents the best that the community has to offer.
“What I love most about Irene Ruiz is that it reflects the very best qualities of the Westside itself. Welcoming, resilient, connected, proud of its heritage, and always looking ahead,” Hariharan said. “As we celebrate this milestone, we can honor Irene’s vision and recognize the many people who have sustained it over the years, and recommit ourselves to ensuring that future generations find the same sense of belonging within these walls.” I
Irene H. Ruiz Biblioteca de las Americas is located at 2017 West Pennway Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64108. For more information call 816-701-3487.
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Irene H. Ruiz was born on October 20, 1920, in San Antonio, Texas. After a brief illness, she passed away on September 3, 2023, surrounded by family members in her home in Kansas City, Mo. Irene is survived by three sons, A. Duane and F. Brent of the home, and R. Bret Ruiz of Chicago.
Her family is proud of Irene’s commitment to the Kansas City Latino Community. She worked tirelessly to promote literacy through her management of the West Branch library on Kansas City’s Westside. In 2000, Westside community leaders successfully advocated that the KCPL library board rename the new facility for her on West Pennway St. in recognition of Irene H. Ruiz’s accomplishments as an educator and librarian.
Community members feel Irene was remarkable for her intelligence, strength, and grace even when facing adversity. As a Latina woman she confronted challenges with resolve and a keen wit. Irene’s immediate family members remember her as a compassionate and generous person. The Kansas City community also recognized her contributions to the cultural fabric of Kansas City. For example, on Irene’s centenary birthday in 2020, Mayor Quinton Lucas issued a beautiful city proclamation to honor her many civic achievements.
Source: Neptune Society
