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Discover Library OnDemand

We're pleased to introduce Library OnDemand -- your destination for Johnson County Library’s virtual events! Here you can browse and register for upcoming programs and events, as well as view past recordings in categories like Arts & Culture, Career & Personal Finance, Writers, Community Matters, and special content including the Antioch Library Replacement Project.

Arts & Culture
Designed to foster creatives and cultural workers of all types in our community, Arts & Culture features and celebrates local creativity and research in the Library's physical and digital spaces. It also promotes collaborations and partnerships between the Library and organizations that support the mission of the Library.

Career & Personal Finance
The Library is committed to continuing to support the career- and finance-related needs of our community members. Programs cover topics ranging from resumes and networking to budgeting and investing.

Writers
Featuring helpful programs and resources to support and celebrate local authors.

Community Matters
Providing resources and events for community problem-solving and local politics.

Library OnDemand makes it easy to discover, watch and engage in upcoming and past programs and events so you don’t miss a thing. Visit Library OnDemand and get started today.

 

 

Walk and Read at a Park Near You!

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 locations throughout Johnson County like: 

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. 

See the schedule »

To celebrate Juneteenth, we will feature two Juneteenth Walk and Read events all day, Saturday, June 10-Monday, June 19:

  • Stoll Park  
    Two stories, "Opal Lee and What it Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth" by Alice Faye Duncan and illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo and "Change Sings: A Children's Anthem" by Amanda Gorman and illustrated by Loren Long. 
  • Arts and Heritage Center  
    Two stories, "Daniels Good Day" by Micha Archer and "A Flag for Juneteenth" by Kim Taylor will be posted. 
Juneteenth

Table Top Games: Animal Themes

Summer is here and our Table Top committee has game recommendations that tie into our summer reading theme of Tails and Tales! There are so many different games to choose from, so we put together some lists to help you find a new favorite, whether you’re looking for a kids’ game, something for the whole family, or a more complex, strategic game. 

We also encourage you to attend one of our evening Table Top Game events this summer on the first Wednesday night of each month. We are also offering a Take Home Game Kit, where you can get some fun animal-themed print and play games good for the whole family! There are opportunities to play the games in the kit online with other people on July 17

Best Animal Themed Kids’ Games:

  • Animal Upon Animal - See who can stack all their animals first 

  • Dragon’s Breath- Help some young dragons collect jewels by predicting what will fall next 

  • Sequence for Kids- Collect animal cards to try to get 4 in a row 

  • The Tortoise and the Hare- Try to collect cards to push your favorite animal to victory 

  • Hoot Owl Hoot-Work together to get the baby owls back to their nest by dawn 

  • Orchard-Harvest the fruit before the Raven can snatch it away 

  • Outfoxed!- Gather clues with your detective pals to catch that crafty fox before it skips town! 

  • Feed the Kitty- Roll the dice but don't lose your mice! 

  • Rhino Hero-Help Super Rhino stack buildings as tall as you can 

  • Snail Sprint-Race magnetic snails along a metal playing board  

  • Ice Cool-Flick penguins around to collect fish and to catch other penguins 

Best Animal Themed Family Games:  

  • Camel Up- Bet on camel racing craziness 

  • King of Tokyo - Smash monsters in a battle for the city 

  • Takenoko - Grow bamboo to feed an adorable, hungry panda 

  • Hey, That’s My Fish - Compete between penguins to grab as many seafood snacks as possible 

  • Cat Lady-Collect the most cats. The trick is feeding them all to collect the points.  

  • Hive - Feels a bit like playing chess, but all the pieces are bugs 

  • Scooby Doo Betrayal at Mystery Mansion - Team up with some meddling kids to stop the monsters from getting away with their dastardly plans 

  • Coloretto- Surprisingly competitive chameleon collecting 

  • Gods Love Dinosaurs - Create a delicately balanced successful ecosystem... so dinosaurs can eat everything! 

  • Pass the Pig - Throw pigs and score points for how they land! 

  • Dinosaur Tea Party - Ask questions to deduce the identity of your fellow dino partygoers 

  • Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small - Two-player competitive animal husbandry, with strategic decisions 

  • Kariba - Fast-paced card battle between animals for a thirst-quenching drink 

Best Animal Themed Strategy Games:

  • Wingspan-Create the best bird sanctuary by creating a habitat that works together 

  • Everdell- Use resources to build a village of critters and constructions in this woodland game 

  • Root- Decide the fate of the forest as woodland factions fight for contrasting goals.  

  • Isle of Cats- Rescue as many island cats as you can before Lord Vesh comes to destroy their home. 

  • Mice & Mystics- After being turned into mice, a prince and his allies experience giant-sized stories. Great first role playing game! 

  • Bärenpark- Build your own bear park by carefully placing polyominoes. 

  • Mariposas- Guide monarch butterflies on their journey along eastern North America 

  • Bunny Kingdom- Adorable bunnies build cities, harvest carrots, and go on missions to be "Big Ears!" 

  • Calico-Create the right quilt pattern combinations to attract cats to your quilt 

Enter Your Work

Enter your work to be included in our Volume 4 Notebook to be distributed at our Writers Conference this fall.

This year will include five pieces of writing from our monthly contests, and five pieces of art from our Artists in Sight interviews. We’ll also include one piece of writing and one piece of art from the prompts below. We’re excited to see your work! Submissions will be accepted through July 25.

Prompt: Look at a scene from a public library. What’s happening on the surface? What’s happening if we look below the surface. For example, from our perspective, we might see an adult reading to a child in the kids area. From their perspective, they may see themselves as a group of adventurers trudging their way through an unexplored jungle and coming face to face with various animals or maybe they are astronauts taking the first steps on Mars. It all depends on what they are reading and it could be anything!

Here’s another: An older gentleman is scrolling through genealogy websites. He looks like he’s simply filling out his family tree. Or is he really meeting a family member for the first time, reconnecting with an old friend, or searching out his lost love?

Study groups, 3D printing, stolen laptops, children’s storytime, book groups, people sleeping, washing in the bathroom, job searches, teens playing video games, the shushing, author visits . . . look past the obvious and tell us what you see.

TBT: Got milk?

As you very well know, June is National Dairy Month. We have some really great dairy jokes, but we can't post them here. They're too cheesy. 

Remember, jocohistory.org is the place to time travel through local history photos featuring cheese, milk, cows and more. Be sure to follow our hashtag on Twitter!

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

Virtual Trivia - Live!

Grab some friends or join solo for Live Trivia! Test your trivia mettle in a wide range of categories from science to movies and vie for bragging rights.

Virtual Trivia - Live!
Wednesday, June 30, 2021
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Online event
Registration is required

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 of the program with instructions on how to access the Zoom meeting. You do not need to download any software or create an account.

Trivia will be played via the Kahoot platform. Registrants will need access to two devices, one for Zoom and one for Kahoot.

Book Sales Continue Online

It’s that time of year when we've historically hosted the Friends’ Sizzlin’ Summer Book Sale. Last year's sale was canceled owing to COVID, and we’re sorry to say that this year's sale has been canceled as well.

Never fear: you still have many ways to purchase lightly-used books and AV materials AND benefit JCL at the same time!

Themed sales have been running all year long at the two Friends Bookstores located at Antioch and Blue Valley Libraries. Many titles end up being cheaper than they might have been at a big book sale! Plus, Friends members receive 20% off regularly-priced items purchased at the stores. Bookstore information is posted on the Friends website.

Friends' internet sales have grown extensively over the past year. Shop their online storefront anytime, and save a few dollars on shipping by making arrangements for local pickup.

Stay tuned to the Friends website and social media for more sales news; in-person sales are returning this Fall!

Cedar Roe Reopening

Cedar Roe Library will reopen its doors on June 21 at 9 am, after the completion of a critical upgrade to the building's HVAC system, as well as other exciting improvements to enhance your experience.

During its recent closure, Cedar Roe Library received a new HVAC system, new shelving and a new building layout that maximizes natural light and patron convenience, a full inventory and a deep cleaning. We also piloted a curbside holds pickup service that allowed us to serve nearly 2000 patrons during the building's closure. This service will continue to operate after the building reopens.

We anticipate Cedar Roe closing briefly later this Summer for a roofing replacement. Watch jocolibrary.org and @jocolibrary on social media for announcements. Thank you for your patience as we improve our facilities!

Cedar Roe Library reopens today!

We are excited for patrons to return to Cedar Roe Library! You'll find all-new shelving and we've moved a few things around. We think you will really enjoy the new kids area and our relocated reading room. It was no easy task! We removed every book from every shelf. We then removed the old shelves and installed new ones. Want to see a month's worth of work condensed into a 90 second time lapse video?

Join Us in Merriam

Antioch Library is relocating to the Merriam Community Center campus, and we want to hear from you!

The Library is working with Dake Wells Architecture to design the new Library for the future, and to meet the changing needs of the community. Join us for a live input session where you will meet the architects, learn about the project, and ideate about your future library. 

When: Wednesday, July 7 from 6 - 7:30 PM*

Where: Future site of the Library @ Merriam Community Center campus

This open-house-style program will be outside in person. Travel to the Merriam Community Center parking structure, 6040 Slater St, Merriam, KS, and then join the team under the tents on the adjacent green space, the future site of the Library.

*Note: Due to wet site conditions and the chance of rain, this event was rescheduled from June 30.

Learn more about the Antioch Library Replacement project and additional ways of engagement via Library OnDemand. And, follow @jocolibrary on social media for project updates and photos. 

Construction will occur after the design is finalized with completion anticipated in 2023.

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We strive to host inclusive, accessible events and provide information online that enables all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully with Library services. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact us info@jocolibrary.org or 913.826.4600.