@BlogKCA national ranking of America’s most literate cities puts Kansas City at 14th, up from 18th in 2008. Our strengths in the study’s methodology are our public libraries. The KC Public Library and Mid-Continent Public Library both serve the City with strong national reputations and extensive networks of neighborhood branch libraries.
Our biggest weakness is the low number of bookstores per capita, likely due to the high proportion of retail in the suburbs and fewer independent bookstores than other cities. If only we could entice Rainy Day Books into Westport and get that Downtown bookstore that Cordish promised us for the Power & Light District…
Part of this survey was a phone interview…. Caller: “Are you illiterate?”
Respondent: “Oh hell no.” Hangs up. Says to wife… ” somebody wanted to know if my parents were married.” There’s something fishy about all surveys.
Look at it this way: we’re above average. For a city with a non-accredited school system that’s not bad.