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This week at the Library, you can join us at:

Library OnDemand – Available anytime you like. 

Pollinator Series – Tuesday, April 25, 2 – 3 p.m.

Bees, butterflies and bats . . . oh my! Spring is here and our regional pollinators are in full flight. Join us at the Gardner Library with Johnson County Master Gardeners for this workshop to learn from the experts exactly what is happening when these animals and insects are flying about. Each participant will receive seeds to help grow more places for pollinators to explore.

Tabletop Games – Tuesday, April 25, 6 – 7:45 p.m.

Join us for a fun-filled evening at the Monticello Library with family members and friends, old and new, and become a part of the Johnson County tabletop gaming community. Kids, teens and adults can enjoy a variety of games together, including collaborating to escape the Forbidden Island, getting creative with a round of Dixit, or strategizing their way to victory as King of Tokyo! Discover and learn new games from our collection or bring your personal favorite to share. Come and go as you please. Refreshments are provided. Our gaming librarians are featuring the game Blokus and will teach you how to play it. 

Elementia issue xx Celebration – Tuesday, April 25, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Celebrate the release of the 20th issue of elementia in person at the Lenexa City Center Library. This issue explores the theme of cycles through teen writing and art. Enjoy art exhibits, refreshments and music and pick up your free copy of elementia at the celebration!

Walk and Read at Wilder Bluff Park – Saturday, April 29 – May 7, All day, anytime

Family and friends of all ages are invited to join Johnson County Library for a walk in a park! Walk and Read creates a reading opportunity for all, in various parks throughout Johnson County. Those who participate will read two stories posted around a path, one going each direction. When you finish one story, you can turn around to the other side of the sign and begin the next story, which will lead you back around the path. The Walk and Read program encourages physical activity, literacy and family time. The paths are stroller and wheelchair friendly, allowing for all to join in the fun! Dates are subject to adjustment due to inclement weather conditions. Look for updated information at jocolibrary.org. Johnson County Library, Shawnee Parks and Recreation and De Soto Parents as Teachers invite you to visit the Walk and Read at Wilder Bluff Park. Two stories, Everybody! You, Me and Us by Elise Gravel and Just Be Jelly by Maddie Frost, will be posted.

And much more happening this week … 

Bees, butterflies and bats . . . oh my! Spring is here and our regional pollinators are in full flight. Join Johnson County Master Gardeners for this workshop to learn from the experts exactly what is happening when these animals and insects are flying about. Each participant will receive seeds to help grow more places for pollinators to explore.

Pollinators Series
Tuesday, April 25, 2 p.m. at Gardner Library
No registration is necessary

One of the amazing features of the new Merriam Plaza Library, now under construction, will be a “green” roof. It’s an environmental innovation that preserves the roof’s lifespan while providing a vibrant native habitat. 

The Merriam branch, 6120 Slater St., will open in 2024, replacing the Antioch branch at 8700 Shawnee Mission Pkwy. Antioch staffers anticipate having a wonderful new space for learning and enrichment. The green roof can be seen from the street and from atop the adjacent parking garage, allowing visitors to experience a prairie landscape changing throughout the year.

“There are a wide variety of native grasses, wildflowers and other species that will really kind of shift and change from season to season,” said Dan Maginn, director of the Kansas City office of Dake Wells Architecture, which designed the building. “Libraries are places where transformation happens. The idea that the building and the landscape itself can transform was really interesting to us.”

Maginn said it’s been great working with Johnson County Library administrators, who challenged the architects to create something unique to the site. Dake Wells collaborated with Confluence, a Kansas City landscape architecture firm, to design a setting welcoming for birds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators. 

“It’ll be a little wild,” Maginn said. “It’s not a golf course. It’s really meant to be kind of a native, shaggy environment that’s got a lot of life and change.”  

Antioch staffers saw the green roof as a catalyst for programming even before the new building opens.  

On April 18, Antioch hosts a class on pollinators from 4-5 p.m. The same program will be offered April 25 from 2-3 p.m. at Gardner. This workshop, presented by Johnson County Master Gardeners, focuses on bees, butterflies and bats and their environmental impact. 

Youth Librarian Christi Haines was eager to bring this program to Antioch, especially because of its relevance to the green roof.  

“Back in the fall, when we were looking at what we would do in the spring, this was one of the program possibilities that the programming team came up with,” Haines said. “When I heard that was a programming option, I felt like we really ought to get it since we were going to have a green roof.” 

Youth Information Specialist Heather Miller said other programming also has an environmental motivation. Last October, Antioch hosted a “book swap” in which teens exchanged gently used books at the Library.  

“We created the logo “Reduce, Reuse, Read” so teens could come in and swap out their old books and get a refresh for their book shelves,” Miller explained. “It was bringing in that sustainability element.” 

Miller is encouraging other Library staff to consider an adult and family/kids swap, especially after the Merriam branch opens. 

Libraries are examples of sustainability and responsible materials reuse, said Youth Information Specialist Grace Bentley, who specializes in working with young children.  

“The Library in general is a green enterprise,” Bentley pointed out. “Young kids go through books really quickly.” She reminds parents that rather than buying dozens of books, they can check them out from the Library and return them for others to enjoy.  

Miller looks forward to offering innovative science-oriented programming in the Merriam branch that will emphasize fascinating aspects of the natural world. 

A scale model of the new branch is displayed at Antioch, getting lots of attention from kids. “I think it’s going to be really great to talk to kids about what they are seeing on the roof, tracking those changes, making sure they notice what’s happening,” Bentley said. “It will be another big draw and a point of interest for our families.” 

Join us for our 13th annual In Memory of Six Million Holocaust Remembrance program. Hear a survivor speak from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum via Zoom. As survivors grow fewer as the years go on, we are incredibly grateful and excited to offer this opportunity to our patrons. The survivor will speak for 30 minutes allowing 30 minutes for audience questions at the end. The program will be recorded and available for viewing after the event.

Thursday, May 4, 2023
6:30–7:30 p.m.
Register here »

Our Librarian Diane has also gathered this resource list for those who would like to learn more about the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising »

This week at the Library, you can join us at:

Library OnDemand – Available anytime you like. 

Pollinator Series – Tuesday, April 18, 4 – 5 p.m.

Bees, butterflies and bats . . . oh my! Spring is here and our regional pollinators are in full flight. Join us at the Antioch Library with Johnson County Master Gardeners for this workshop to learn from the experts exactly what is happening when these animals and insects are flying about. Each participant will receive seeds to help grow more places for pollinators to explore.

American Girl Book Club – Tuesday, April 18, 6 – 7 p.m.

This book club meeting at Cedar Roe Library helps kids learn more about important moments in American history. American Girl offers many character stories exploring historical perspectives from a girl’s point of view. Join this group to read and craft with new friends. Free books will be available one month before the session and are available while supplies last. Visit the Questions Desk where the book club meets to pick up the book. Best for ages 8-12; all kids are welcome.

Panel Discussion: Riding Through the Ages – Tuesday, April 18, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Being a woman is a dynamic experience and our bike life adapts to our changing bodies and social lives. Learn from this panel at the Central Resource Library on how they navigate bicycling for transportation or recreation, riding with kids, and using technology and gear to ease the transitions.

Two Chapters Book Club – Wednesday, April 19, 4 – 5 p.m.

Come read with us at the Central Resource Library! A librarian will read aloud the first two chapters of a favorite book and you can decide to check out a copy to take home if you like it. If the chapters are short, we might sample more. We’ll have snacks and activities related to the book. Ages 7-11.

Tween Book Club – Saturday, April 22, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

If you’re age 9-13 and enjoy reading, this program is for you! Let’s get together at the Leawood Pioneer Library to read new books, discuss ideas and characters, and meet other book lovers. We read a different book each session, and staff will lead the group in a discussion about the book. Participants will get a free book while supplies last. Stop by the Youth Services desk to pick up your book for April is Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson. 

And much more happening this week … 

In a major milestone, Johnson County Library is no longer assessing daily fines for overdue materials. Patrons checking out books, DVDs or other materials from any of our 14 branches no longer have to worry about the assessment of a fine for items returned after their due date. In addition, existing overdue fines will be automatically waived over the next week, along with fees older than seven years.

After asking staff to explore the impact of going fine-free at their fall 2022 Board retreat, the Johnson County Library Board voted at their April 13 meeting to approve recommendations from Library staff to no longer assess or collect overdue fines. With this new policy, Johnson County joins in a nationwide trend of Libraries going fine-free. 

It’s all about improving access and removing barriers that might keep our community from taking advantage of everything the Library has to offer. 

“We know there’s an opportunity to bring people back to the Library who aren’t using it because they are concerned about accruing fines,” said Elissa Andre, External Communication Manager for Johnson County Library. “We also frequently hear stories from patrons who felt so guilty about a long-ago fine, they hadn’t been back in decades. So this is a huge opportunity to make the Library a more welcoming place.” 

In deciding to go fine free, Johnson County Library joins other regional systems including Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas, as well as Lawrence, North Kansas City, St. Joseph, Topeka, and Wichita. 

Circulation Manager Michelle Olsen told the Library Board that eliminating the fine, formerly 30 cents per day per book, makes the Library even more inviting. 

“We know that sometimes fines can be seen by patrons as an impediment, a reason why they’re not coming into the Library,” she said. “Our 30-cents per day fine [was] the highest in the metro, so we really want to make sure our patrons are getting experiences of other Library systems, like those in and around our community, that have gone fine-free.” 

This policy change has had very positive outcomes in other Libraries. It sometimes results in increased patron visits and circulation. Data show it does not result in longer wait lists or a big increase of overdue materials.  

“What a lot of libraries found is that books were actually coming back in faster. The same with other materials, such as games and movies,” said Nancy Birmingham, an assistant branch manager working with the team of staff and administrators who put together the recommendation. She explained that when fines are imposed, people sometimes procrastinate on returning materials even longer because they don’t want to deal with that overdue cost.  

Johnson County Library’s revenue from fines has declined every year since 2014. For several years, the Library has sent regular due date reminders, which dramatically improved on-time returns. After accounting for staff time spent assessing and collecting fines, actual revenue totaled only about $79,000 in 2022. That is less than 1% of the Library’s total budget, and that revenue reduction will not affect Library services.  

Birmingham said eliminating fines will also relieve the staff time spent dealing with patron questions and concerns about those charges, freeing up time for more positive interactions.  

Patrons should know, however, that the Library will still charge fees for lost or damaged items. Items more than 30 days overdue will have a lost item fee assessed until the item is returned. And checkout periods have not changed; materials will still have due dates, with reminders to keep patrons on track. 

This is a chance for the Library to welcome people back with open arms, Andre said. “Come rediscover the Library. We have no more fines. And we have this amazing suite of resources you can unlock with your Library card.” 

Our staff are ready to help you understand what this change means for you – visit one of our 14 branches, call us at 913-826-4600, or read our FAQ at jocolibrary.org/finefree to learn more.  

It’s another grand Throwback Thursday where we encourage you to time travel through Johnson County's history. JoCoHistory is a collaborative presentation of the history from the Johnson County Museum, Johnson County Library and many JoCoHistory partners. Explore historical photographs and documents about the people, places and organizations of Johnson County, Kansas, from the 19th century to the present.

Collection spotlight: Kansas School for the Deaf

About this collection: Over 4,000 images documenting the history and culture of the Kansas School for the Deaf. The photographs depict student life, faculty and staff gatherings, school buildings, athletic teams and auxiliary deaf activities in the region.