Many people value Johnson County Library for its best-sellers, children’s literature, databases, author visits and enriching programs.
Local History Librarian Amanda Wahlmeier wants patrons to know the Library also has terrific resources for exploring history and genealogy.
“We see our role as providing access,” Wahlmeier said of her mission and that of the local history committee. “We’re trying to make sure people have access to the resources to help them know the history of our area.”
Want to find an obituary of a local family member dating to the 1800s? Or unearth a long-ago article from a Johnson County newspaper? Find information from the 1950 Census or historical military records? Or peruse Johnson County high school yearbooks from many years ago?
Johnson County Library may well be able to help, either with its extensive historical databases and indexes or its physical collection at Central Resource Library.
"Many times, historical records are kept at institutions with limited hours, by appointment only. The Library strives to remove those barriers", Wahlmeier said, "providing students, scholars and the general public with many useful research tools."
She points people to the Research tab at the top of the Library's website. From there, patrons can navigate to the Genealogy section for a vast array of materials. Johnson County Library recently became a FamilySearch Affiliate Library, giving patrons access to two million additional records. Patrons can access the full FamilySearch catalog from any Library branch.
Another new resource is Fold3, specializing in digitized military records. Patrons can also explore Ancestry.com at the Library.
For other local history information, from the Library website Research tab, patrons can click on All Topics and then Local History. Its treasures include:
- Access to multiple regional newspaper databases.
- Kansas State Historical Society records with information on countless notable people and events, plus digitized photos.
- Johnson County Museum and Johnson County Archive documents and photographs from the 19th century to the present, available through the JoCoHistory website. Other primary source documents cover Kansas Territory History, 1854-1865.
Central Resource Library’s physical collection has hundreds of materials, including old yearbooks and Polk Directories for people to do reverse address searches.
Wahlmeier is also proud of the Library’s Past is Prologue programs, first developed during the COVID pandemic. These programs, available every other month on Zoom, highlight social justice stories that are often neglected or misrepresented in history books. They feature outstanding presenters, often with help from the Humanities Kansas Speakers Bureau.
Past is Prologue programs have shined a spotlight on the Black pioneer community of Nicodemus, Kansas; Johnson County’s South Park desegregation case, a precursor to the landmark Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education ruling; and the National Orphan Train Movement, with a museum in Concordia, Kansas.
Patron interest in local history, especially genealogy, is booming. A capacity crowd of 500 people showed up March 11 at the Central Resource branch for Genealogy Day 2023. The Genealogical Society’s new Memory Lab equipment, allowing patrons to digitize old photos, videos and other materials, is in high demand. Appointments are available through the Genealogical Society; reservations open 60 days in advance and typically book up quickly.
Wahlmeier has been Local History Librarian since August 2017 and has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role. She majored in history and international studies at Baker University and has master’s degrees in both history and library science. She is passionate about assisting patrons in their own local history explorations and is reachable via email at wahlmeiera@jocolibrary.org.