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A JoCo Library How-To: The Simplest Way to Quickly Place a Hold!

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Do you know the simplest way to quickly place a hold? It’s easy!

First, log into your account. Click on the blue “LOG IN/MY LIBRARY” button in the top right corner on the jocolibrary website. Now, enter the title, author or subject of the item you’re looking for.” From here, you can click on a title to get detailed information, add the title to you “FOR LATER” shelf, or, click the green “PLACE A HOLD” box. Now, you can choose where you want to pick up your hold from the “SELECT A LOCATION” dropdown menu. Don’t forget to hit that blue “CONFIRM HOLD” button. And that’s it!

Give us a couple days and we’ll notify you when your hold is ready to be picked up.

Do you know the simplest way to quickly place a hold? It’s easy!

First, log into your account. Click on the blue “LOG IN/MY LIBRARY” button in the top right corner on the jocolibrary website. Now, enter the title, author or subject of the item you’re looking for.” From here, you can click on a title to get detailed information, add the title to you “FOR LATER” shelf, or, click the green “PLACE A HOLD” box. Now, you can choose where you want to pick up your hold from the “SELECT A LOCATION” dropdown menu. Don’t forget to hit that blue “CONFIRM HOLD” button. And that’s it!

Give us a couple days and we’ll notify you when your hold is ready to be picked up.
Laura Fotovich

Friday Featured Artist: Laura FotovichLaura Fotovich

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Laura Fotovich is an aspiring singer-songwriter and musician from Olathe, Kansas. Citing Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles as her strongest influences, Fotovich began writing her own music while attending the Johnson County Community College in 2017. She is currently finishing her final semester at City College of New York where she's studying music and journalism. Enjoy our interview with Fotovich about her music, influences and life as a young artist under quarantine.

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Introduce yourself. Describe your music for new listeners.

Hi, my name is Laura Fotovich, but you can call me “Laurafofora.”  I’m a 20 year old singer/songwriter from Olathe, Kansas with a passion for playing the piano and guitar.  I’ve been playing piano for 13 years and guitar for 6 years.  I currently attend the City College of New York where I’m studying music and journalism, and this is my final semester.  Due to COVID-19 I had to come home and finish my classes online but I’ve gotten to spend more time with my family.  I would describe my music as pop, indie-pop or perhaps indie-folk.

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Dentist

TBT: Smile

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As you very well know, it’s National Dental Care Awareness Month!

Honestly, it's never a bad idea to visit your dentist! Remember to tend to your teeth.

Also remember that jocohistory.org is the place to time travel through local history. Be sure to follow our hashtag on Twitter!

Happy Throwback Thursday! Some call it the best day of the week.

As you very well know, it’s National Dental Care Awareness Month!

Honestly, it's never a bad idea to visit your dentist! Remember to tend to your teeth.

Also remember that jocohistory.org is the place to time travel through local history. Be sure to follow our hashtag on... Continue »
Friends logo

Friends Re-Launch Online Sales

Friends and Foundation

The Friends of Johnson County Library are pleased to announce that their online sales are back in business, as part of their phased re-opening strategy. The thriving division was temporarily shuttered in adherence with COVID-19 transmission control protocols.

The Friends inventory comprises donated books and materials as well as some weeded items from the Library. They use a multi-listing service that immediately posts their items on 5 top-performing internet sales platforms including eBay, Amazon and AbeBooks. 

The Friends’ online sales are a success for the nonprofit group that supports Johnson County Library. “We’ll normally gross about $125,000 from online alone, and send books to countries around the world,” says Friends Operations Manager Shanta Dickerson. “We’re eager to get back to work providing high-quality, low-cost reading material to our customers and members.”

Friends Bookstores and donation acceptance will be phased back into service later this year.

The Friends of Johnson County Library are pleased to announce that their online sales are back in business, as part of their phased re-opening strategy. The thriving division was temporarily shuttered in adherence with COVID-19 transmission control protocols.

The Friends inventory comprises donated books and materials as well as some weeded items from the Library. They use a multi-listing service that immediately posts their items on 5 top-performing internet sales platforms including eBay, Amazon and AbeBooks. 

The Friends’... Continue »
Drive Thru FAQ

Drive-Thru Library services return!

COVID-19

Johnson County Library is excited to announce the resumption of drive-thru service at our Blue Valley, Lenexa City Center, and Monticello branches!

Beginning Monday, May 18, you may return your materials to the Blue Valley, Lenexa City Center and Monticello book drops only, and can also begin placing new holds at jocolibrary.org for pickup at these locations.

Starting Tuesday, May 26, you can pick up your holds at the drive-thru windows 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday - Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday.

Please note:

  • Patrons with existing holds on their account, whether the hold is ready at a branch, in transit or not ready yet, will receive an email from the Library on Friday, May 15 with instructions on how to transfer or cancel those items if desired.
  • Due dates will be extended as long as necessary and fines will not accrue on materials checked out prior to March 15. If you do not want to return them at one of the three locations above, you may keep those items until further notice.

We recognize and appreciate the community's demand for our physical materials. While distancing mandates are still in effect, opening our existing drive-thrus was the most immediate solution that minimizes contact between patrons and staff. As indicated in our recent patron survey, it is also the pick-up option most respondents are comfortable utilizing at this time.

Keeping the access needs of our community front-of-mind, our Reopening Team is working quickly and thoroughly to develop logistics and safety measures for future reintroduction of services. While there are still many unknowns as we work toward the reopening of our buildings, we anticipate the next stage will include walk-in holds pickup at additional branches across Johnson County. Until then, many essential Library services remain available online, including our eLibrary, access to Librarians through our Answers platform, and most recently, virtual programming and events.

Thank you for your patience as we work toward solutions that first and foremost protect our staff, volunteers and patrons, especially the vulnerable populations we serve. Please review our updated FAQ, which provides additional details on topics like holds and returns (including materials from Olathe) as well as the safety of our materials and the extra precautions our staff is taking to ensure your health.

We will continue to roll out updates on services in the coming weeks -- stay in touch with us via jocolibrary.org and @jocolibrary on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We can't wait to see you again on May 26! 

Johnson County Library is excited to announce the resumption of drive-thru service at our Blue Valley, Lenexa City Center, and Monticello branches!

Beginning Monday, May 18, you may return your materials to the Blue Valley, Lenexa City Center and Monticello book drops only, and can also begin placing new holds at jocolibrary.org for pickup at these locations.

Starting Tuesday, May 26, you can pick up your holds at the drive-thru windows 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday - Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday.

Please note:

  • Patrons with existing holds on their account, whether the hold is ready at a branch, in transit or not ready yet, will receive an email from the
    • ... Continue »
The Creepy Jingles

The Creepy Jingles

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The Creepy Jingles is the garage rock band of your dreams. With song titles like "Prodigal Sun Tsu", " Circadian Rhythm Guitar" and "Metagene Jacket", the band's sense of humor and melody are contagious. Led by Jocelyn Olivia Nixon, the band's recent album is filled with back-to-back classics. We are excited to share an interview with Nixon about the band's creative process and what she's reading and listening to these days, among other topics. Enjoy.

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Introduce yourself and the band. Describe your music for new listeners. 

Hi readers! My name is Jocelyn Olivia Nixon. I’m the lead singer and songwriter for The Creepy Jingles. I also play rhythm guitar and keys in group. Nick Robertson plays drums and percussion. Travis McKenzie is our lead guitarist. Ingrid Ingram rounds out the band as our bass player. I’d describe our sound as an eclectic blend of Garage Rock, Brit Pop, Psych, Surf, and Punk. 

 

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Photography

TBT: Picture this!

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As you very well know, it’s National Photography Month!

They say art is subjective. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well, if you like history and you like photography, we know just the place for you.

Remember, jocohistory.org is the place to time travel through local history. Be sure to follow our hashtag on Twitter!

Happy Throwback Thursday! Some call it the best day of the week.

As you very well know, it’s National Photography Month!

They say art is subjective. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well, if you like history and you like photography, we know just the place for you.

Remember, jocohistory.org is the place to time travel through local history. Be sure to follow our ... Continue »
Author Research in Action

Author Research in Action

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Registration required for this event. Registration closes May 20 at 5:30 pm.

How do authors know so much about the setting, professions, or situations in their books? Research! Mary Robinette Kowal describes what that research looked like for The Calculating Stars on her website. Now, you can observe this process in action as she asks KU Professor Allison Kirkpatrick all her questions about space and women in STEM. Professor Kirkpatrick is an observational astronomer with a focus on supermassive black holes and their effect on how galaxies evolve. Perhaps we’ll see the results in Kowal’s next novel!

In The Calculating Stars, the first in the Lady Astronaut series, Kowal imagines an alternate post-WWII history. A meteorite hits Washington DC, setting off a collaborative international race to colonize the moon. Elma York, despite being a mathematician and her WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) experience, will not be considered for the first space flight--because she is a woman. 

On her website, Kowal says, “. . . the sexism is pretty much the same as it is now.” Register here to listen in, on Thursday, May 21, at 5:30 pm, as Kowal and Prof. Kirkpatrick unpack what it means to be a woman working in a field dominated by men.

This ​program will be hosted using the meeting software Zoom. A Johnson County Library staff member will contact registrants via the email you registered with the day before the meeting with instructions on how to access the Zoom meeting. You do not need to download any software or create an account.

Registration required for this event. Registration closes May 20 at 5:30 pm.

How do authors know so much about the setting, professions, or situations in their books? Research! Mary Robinette Kowal describes what that research looked like for The Calculating Stars on her website. Now, you can observe this process in action as she asks KU Professor Allison Kirkpatrick all her questions about space and women in STEM. Professor Kirkpatrick is an observational astronomer with a focus on supermassive black holes and their effect on how galaxies evolve. Perhaps we’ll see the results in... Continue »

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Sam Arjes

Friday's Featured Artist: Sam ArjesSam Arjes

A student of classic pop songwriting in the vein of Brian Wilson and Simon and Garfunkel, Kansas City-based songwriter and performer Sam Arjes is motivated by the realization at a young age that "powerful songwriting can be as a form of expression and art." In this interview, Arjes, whose most recent single is an indelible piece of chamber pop called "Maryanne", explains his approach to songwriting, his earliest influences and what music has recently inspired him. 

Describe your earliest experience as a songwriter. What got you started? Who were your earliest influences?

 

            Music has always felt very important to me personally, even at a really young age. I have tons of great memories as a kid, listening to music with my parents—running around the house singing along to the Beatles with my mom, or riding in the car with my dad and listening to artists like The Temptations and Elvis Presley. 

 

            I love all kinds of music, but I really got hooked on pop, rock and folk music of the 60s and 70s. The fact that my parents loved it probably had a lot to do with that, but also because so much of the songwriting of that time period really resonates with me. For instance, I remember first hearing “The Boxer” by Simon and Garfunkel and being totally drawn into the song’s story and the feelings it evokes—the ache of being alone and displaced in a big city, struggling to survive the harshness of winter.…the emotions are conveyed so clearly in that song and in such a powerful way that, even at such a young age, I was impacted by it. 

 

            Through similar experiences, listening to other classic songs of that period, it became clear to me how powerful songwriting can be as a form of expression and art. Eventually, I decided I wanted to become a musician and write songs of my own that would (hopefully) create that kind of lasting impact as well.

 

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BBQ

TBT: Q!

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As you very well know, it’s National Barbecue Month!

Let's face it, BBQ is in the DNA of Johnson County! It's May. It's spring. Do you really need any further reason to indulge in some succulent barbecue?

Remember, jocohistory.org is the place to time travel through local history. Be sure to follow our hashtag on Twitter!

Happy Throwback Thursday! Some call it the best day of the week.

As you very well know, it’s National Barbecue Month!

Let's face it, BBQ is in the DNA of Johnson County! It's May. It's spring. Do you really need any further reason to indulge in some succulent barbecue?

Remember, jocohistory.org is the place to time travel through local history. Be sure to follow our ... Continue »

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