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

Library OnDemand – Available anytime you like.

Your doorway into live and archived programs. Arts & Culture, Career & Finance, Community Matters, Writers and more!

Caregiver Workshop: Power of Play in STEM Exploration with Museum at Prairiefire – Tuesday, Apr. 5, 7-8 p.m.

Whether it's finding activities to keep them busy or understanding what's going on inside their heads, being a caregiver of young children can be challenging. Each month's caregiver workshop explores a different topic to support and enrich relationships between kids age birth to 6 and their caregivers.

Facebook Live Book Party – Wednesday, Apr. 6, noon -12:30 p.m.

Facebook Live Book Parties are live events where a library staff members will booktalk a short list of titles around a certain genre or theme and staff will interact with patrons in real time. This Book Party will be held on Facebook live. Visit JoCoLibrary on Facebook and be sure to ‘follow’ us to get notifications when we go Live if you have a Facebook account. You do not need a Facebook account to watch our Book Party.

Which Senior Housing Option is Right for You? – Saturday, Apr. 9, 10 a.m.- noon

While many of us would like to "age-in-place" in our own homes, for most of us, this isn’t a realistic option. We need to develop a "Plan B." As you explore various retirement communities, it's easy to become overwhelmed with the many options and providers available. Navigate through this maze of options in a unique, two-part program developed by The Education Group, an organization of retired seniors who have lived the experience, studied the industry, and want to share what they have learned. You will learn the lingo, the pros and cons of various options, what to look for in a community, and questions you need to ask. The presenters will share information that you won't hear at a community's sales presentation. They'll explain why delaying a move may not be in your best interest, how some facilities enable you to extend the time you're able to safely live independently, and the costs of the various options.

  And much more happening this week »

They say April showers bring May flowers. For Johnson County Library, the new month brings change. Big change! We're making a number of improvements:

• Branch-to-Branch Monorail Coming Soon
  What can we say? We got a good deal from Disney on used stuff. Is the Teacup ride next? One can only hope!  
• New Genre! Neverending Stories
  Literally. You only have to check out a neverending story once. Don’t worry about returning—or reading anything else—ever.
• Library Blimp Permanently Grounded
  Well, it was fun while it lasted. The Library blimp is no more. In hindsight, a simple bookmobile would’ve been great, but we went big. According to County Librarian Sean Casserley, “It turns out, a blimp just isn’t a very efficient way to deliver books to the neighborhood children.”
• New format: Introducing Our “Imagination Series” books
  These novels are word-free and picture-free to allow you to take control of the story! Don’t let some author or illustrator decide what your tale should be! We know you'll love these blank pages. Come up with your own story today! Imagine the possibilities. 

We hope these changes excite you. However, none of this is written in stone. We VALUE your opinion!!! What do you think about these growth opportunities? Share your opinion in this survey.

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of #NewTitleTuesday, where we look at a new release that hits the shelves of bookstores (and your local libraries!) today.

Camilla Sten, the Swedish author responsible for 2019's sleeper hit The Lost Village and the daughter of best-selling Swedish crime novelist Viveca Sten, returns with a new novel that has serious breakout potential. The Resting Place focuses on Eleanor, a young woman who suffers from prosopagnosia, a real condition that prevents people from recognizing facial features. Hair, nose, eyes, lips - they're all a blur. Eleanor's been living with her grandmother, Vivianne, who is murdered right in front of Eleanor - but of course, because of her condition, Eleanor cannot recognize the culprit and cannot help the police. Eleanor inherits her grandmother's large country house, and she soon moves in, looking for clues from her grandmother's childhood that might provide some answers to her murder. She brings along her long-time boyfriend, an estate lawyer, and a lurking aunt, among some others. At the country estate, a secret diary is found, the power goes out, and a blizzard cuts off the grounds from the outside world. Plot threads intertwine to a powerful and dramatic conclusion. 

The novel starts off at a steady pace, and then quickens as Eleanor arrives at the country house and then reaches a feverish crescendo at the end, with stunning reveals on every page. The Resting Place lies between two genres that share similar DNA - one is the psychological thriller that relies on shocking crimes, buried secrets, and plot twists hiding behind every page. The other, the gothic thriller, relies heavily on a menacing, brooding atmosphere, with looming ancestral homes and dark family secrets passed down from one generation to another. The Resting Place deftly balances between the two, and alongside the success of her previous novel, this has the potential to be a crossover hit. We hope you enjoy, and be sure to place your holds now!

No April foolin’ – it’s a 1950 Census Sock Hop! The 1950 Federal Census will be released on April 1 and the Johnson County Genealogy Society and the Library are celebrating with a Virtual 1950 Census Sock Hop. Don’t be a square, daddy-o! Come groove on this new record set and hang with other genealogy hepcats for a crazy evening of fun, ’50s music, and genealogy games. Open to the public. 1950s attire is highly encouraged but optional. It will be held via Zoom and if you are interested, please send an email to info@jcgsks.org to receive the Zoom link. 

Johnson County Genealogical Society 1950s Sock Hop
Friday, April 1
6 - 8 p.m.

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

Library OnDemand – Available anytime you like.

Your doorway into live and archived programs. Arts & Culture, Career & Finance, Community Matters, Writers and more!

Online Storytime – Wednesday, March 30, 10-10:30 a.m.

The whole family will enjoy these flexible Storytimes. Hearing stories is a great way to spend time with your kids and help them foster a love of reading. Stories, songs, fingerplays and movement activities foster pre-reading skills. Fun for the whole family!

Johnson County Genealogical Society 1950 Sock Hop – Friday, April 1, 6-8 p.m.

No April foolin’ – it’s a 1950 Census Sock Hop! The 1950 Federal Census will be released on April 1 and the Johnson County Genealogy Society, and the Library are celebrating with a Virtual 1950 Census Sock Hop. Don’t be a square, daddy-o! Come groove on this new record set and hang with other genealogy hepcats for a crazy evening of fun, ’50s music, genealogy games and refreshments. Open to the public. 1950s attire is highly encouraged but optional. It will be held via Zoom and if you are interested, please send an email to info@jcgsks.org to receive the Zoom link. 

Which Senior Housing Option is Right for You? – Saturday, April 2, 10 a.m.-noon

While many of us would like to "age-in-place" in our own homes, for most of us, this isn’t a realistic option. We need to develop a "Plan B." As you explore various retirement communities, it's easy to become overwhelmed with the many options and providers available. Navigate through this maze of options in a unique, two-part program developed by The Education Group, an organization of retired seniors who have lived the experience, studied the industry, and want to share what they have learned. You will learn the lingo, the pros and cons of various options, what to look for in a community, and questions you need to ask. The presenters will share information that you won't hear at a community's sales presentation. They'll explain why delaying a move may not be in your best interest, how some facilities enable you to extend the time you're able to safely live independently, and the costs of the various options.

 And much more happening this week »