See one of the most rare books in the world

EAM. HIMARTIN. >> YOU ARE TAKING ALOOK AT ONEOF THE MOST RARE BOOKS IN THEWORLD. IT IS A COLLECTION OF THEPLAYSAND WRITINGS OF WILLIAMSHAKE--SHAKESPEARE. WE ARE JOINED BY COURTNEYLEWISOF THE KANSAS CITY PUBLICLIBRARY. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING. >> FIRST OF ALL, TELLUS WHY --OUTSIDE OF THE FACT THIS IS AGREAT COLLECTION OF SHAKESPEAREWHAT MAKES THISBOOK ONE OF THEMOST RARE IN THE WORLD?>> THERE WAS ABOUT 750 OF THESE. THEYWERE PUT TOGETHER IN 1623,SEVEN YEARS AFTER SHAKESPEARE'SDEATH. HIS FRIENDS PUT IT TOGETHERBECAUSE HE REALIZED THERE WEREALL OF THESEPLAYS THAT WERENEVER PUSH-- PUBLISHED BEFORE. THEY DECIDED TO PUT THEM IN ONECOLLECTION. OVER THE YEARS THERE ARE 235KNOWN IN EXISTENCEAND THESHAKESPEARE LIBRARY IN DC HASOVER 80. SO IT ISINCREDIBLY RARE. >> HOW DID KANSAS CITY HAVE THEHONOR OF DISPLAYING THIS GREATCOLLECTION?>> IT WAS A LONG PROCESS. IT WAS A TWO-YEAR PROCESS THATBEGAN WHEN OUR EXHIBIT DIRECTORRECEIVED AN EMAIL THAT SAID THEKANSASCITY PUBLIC LIBRARYSHOULD APPLY TO GET THIS. 50 STATES INCLUDINGD. C.  ANDPUERTO RICO WERE SELECTED TOHOST IT AND WE WERE CHOSEN HEREAT THELIBRARY BASED ON THESTRENGTH OF OUR PROGRAMS. WEARE KNOWN FOR OUR EXCEPTIONALPROGRAMS AND WE ARE PROUD OFTHAT. WE KNEW WE COULD GIVEIT THETREATMENT IT DESERVES. >> YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED TOKNOW THE BOOK IS OPEN UP TO THEFAMOUS TO BE ORNOT TO BE SPEECH