Search Stories
This Week at the Library
This week at Johnson County Library, kids can get practice reading out loud with Read to a Dog, you can enjoy Poetry and Prose with local writers, and teens and adults can join a book group! See you there!
Turn O’ The Century Kansas City Amusement
Nowadays, if you want entertainment, you don’t even have to leave your couch — seasons of “Friends” are just a Netflix log-in away. The more adventurous types can head to First Fridays or take a ride on the Mamba roller coaster at Worlds of Fun.
But what about a hundred years ago? What did people do for fun? Read about it here »
Time Travel to 1953: The Library’s History Runs Deep in Shawnee
If you want to know how the Shawnee library got its start, you’ll have to travel back 65 years to a charming little school house. It was there, on June 3, 1953, that the Shawnee Volunteer Library opened in the Dunbar School at 57th Street and Reeder Road. Although the library only stayed in that location for a few years, there is something about its start in a sweet little school house that adds a layer of historical richness to the Shawnee branch. Read more at JoCoHistory »
Books to Go!
We've got Books to Go kits on a lot of topics, so when you're in a hurry to grab some fun reading and activities for your little ones, we've got your back! Books to Go kits include audiobooks, books, activity suggestions and more all in one. Whether your little one's current obsessions is weather, opposites, or bugs, we've got those fun topics and many more!
Did you hear that Libraries rock?
We partnered with the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center and all summer we've brought you some pretty impressive free concerts! In case you missed Local Music Live: Rewound this past Friday, fear not! We will post the full concert a month from now. In the meantime, here is the full concert from last month: Local Music Live: Duncan Burnett! Enjoy!
Did you hear about Movie in the Park?
Library event coordinator Joseph Keehn talks about Movie in the Park. He gets quizzed on his knowledge about Mary Poppins, Cabaret and just how many movies star Kevin Bacon!
Be sure to get all of the Movie in the Park dates into your calendar!
"Did you hear?" is where you'll find all things audio that we produce here at the Library. That might be Librarians talking about upcoming events, guest speakers, interviews with your favorite authors, or live local music recorded at one of our branches.
National Book Lovers Day
Fall in love with your favorite book all over again! Or, discover a new book that you just won’t be able to put down. Johnson County Library has the collection and the experts to help you find whatever you’re looking for.
- Find out what We Recommend
- You'll always pick a winner with our Staff Picks
- Recent lists, reviews, ratings, tags? Check all Recent Activity
- Explore New Titles
- See what's winning Awards
- Good? It certainly has sold a lot! See the Bestsellers
There's something for everyone. Make National Book Lovers Day a holiday!
We Have a Winner! Several, In Fact.
The Writers Place, Uptown Arts Bar, Rainy Day Books… our metro community boasts many superb venues where writers can share their work. Our favorite is – no surprise – Johnson County Library.
It’s no wonder we love our Library as a home for authors. Since September 2015 Johnson County Library has provided monthly writing contests and we couldn’t be more proud of the results. Check out our past winners here, or come hear local poet Natasha Ria El-Scari introduce four of our recent winners on Wednesday, August 15th at 6 pm at Leawood Pioneer Library. Annie Newcomer won in the open category for the theme Build a Better World with her poem Caregivers. Marcia Hurlow, Kristin Pitts and Lisa Allen all won under the Ain’t it the Truth theme. Marcia Hurlow won with her poem Maps; Kristin Pits with her short story Last Night; and Lisa Allen won in the Open Category with her poem Adoration.
Our current theme is Music, followed by Women’s Voices in the Fall. There is no cost to enter and winners receive a $200 honorarium and an opportunity to read at a library or Writers Place event. Contests are cosponsored by the Johnson County Library Foundation and The Writers Place. Enter our contest now »