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The Library has always been a valued and important place in my life.  My earliest and happiest memories of the library are from childhood when my mother would take me to the Corinth Library to the children’s area in the lower level where we would select as many books as we could carry to take home and share together.  My parents nurtured a love of reading from as early as I can remember.  Inside those books were adventures, places, and lessons that would help shape me as I grew up. They also were the foundation, not just my love of reading, but also set me on a course for success with a strong foundation. On many evenings after dinner all through elementary, middle, and high school, my parents and I would go to the library and seek out the books or materials each of us liked to read – the library was the setting for time spent together.  As I grew up, the library continued to be the place for study and research all through school.  As a working adult, the library has been a place where I could go to research or write to support my work in education and post-graduate studies.  My husband grew up in a small town in Kansas, and his mother, who was an avid reader, shared a passion for reading and the value of the library with their family.  Today, Bill and I enjoy finding great books to read and enjoy at our local Johnson County branch.

Through my lens as an educator, daily I see the value of our Johnson County Library as a place of support for children and families.  The six-by-six program offers families with young children tools and information to encourage early literacy development.  Story times, interactive exhibits and book walks that families can enjoy together are so important to instilling a love of reading in children and helping parents partner in shared literacy with their children.  The Homework Help program along with wonderful youth-focused library initiatives like elementia that allow students leadership experience and a platform through which to hone their creative writing and storytelling talents positively support young people in our community. 

Johnson County Library continues to evolve to support the needs of a changing society and community.  The Library as community hub where people can come to support their needs no matter their age or stage in life is a mission to which our library has been very committed.  Offering access to technology for those who may not have it for workforce needs or to connect with critical resources can be lifechanging.  The Black & Veatch Makerspace provides opportunity for individuals of all ages to explore a hobby, create an invention, or launch a small business concept.  It is the diversity, not only of who the library serves but also what the library offers that makes our Johnson County Library such an important part of our community.  It is not only a love of books and the library and nostalgic memories of special times spent with family, but it is also the valuable programs and services offered that are making a difference in our community that inspire my husband and I to support the Johnson County Library Foundation. 

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 Bilingual Storytime / Hora de cuentos bilingües en línea – Monday, March 14, 10-10:30 a.m.  

The whole family will enjoy this flexible Storytime. 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.

Toda la familia disfrutará de esta especial hora de cuentos bilingües. Escucha historias con tus hijos y ayúdales a cultivar el amor por la lectura. Al contar cuentos, interpretar canciones, hacer juegos con los dedos y realizar actividades de movimiento fomentamos las habilidades previas a la lectura. ¡Diversión para toda la familia!

One-on-One Genealogy Help via Zoom – Tuesday, March 15, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.   

Basic Genealogy and DNA one-on-one help sessions are now being held online via Zoom specific to your questions and research. Visit the Johnson County Genealogical Society at www.jcgsks.org to schedule an appointment. A volunteer will email a personal Zoom meeting link to you prior to the scheduled date.

Maintain Your Ride – Thursday, March 17, Noon-1:30 p.m.  

DIY bike maintenance made simple! Get your hands dirty and learn to keep your bike in tip-top shape with this FREE virtual class from Johnson County Library and BikeWalkKC. Our instructors will teach you how to keep your bike in good working order with a few basic tools and some practical know-how. 

Facebook Live Book Party – Thursday, March 17, 7-7:30 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.

And much more happening this week »

One of the featured activity areas in Central Resource Library's new Kids area is a Burgeon pre-literacy learning space, graciously funded by the Regnier Family Foundation, John W. & Effie E. Speas Memorial Trust, and Johnson County Library Foundation.

These interactive units  are designed by educators and librarians to develop the same essential pre-literacy skills as the Library’s signature program, 6 by 6: Ready to Read. The units are colorful and child-sized which draws children to them and introduces the concept of letters as a 3-dimensional game or puzzle. More like a playground to children, Burgeon units are effective teaching tools. You'll see unique Burgeon units at other Library locations as well!

Special thanks to the funders and our Early Literacy Team!

Library events help tell the Story of Your Life

How do we conjure our long-forgotten stories? And how can we recall those details from the past that we thought had vanished? There’s a technique for that. On Saturday, March 26, author B.J. Hollars will provide a series of generative writing prompts that will be sure to spur your memory, bring your past to the present and help you write your life’s story.

The virtual workshop, presented by the Library’s Local Writers group, is one of a three-part program series featuring Hollars, an award-winning author of several books and English professor at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. His most recent book “Go West Young Man: A Father and Son Rediscover America on the Oregon Trail” is the story of an eye-opening 2,500-mile road trip with his six-year-old son, Henry.

Make Every Mile a Memory: A Reading and Presentation with B.J. and Henry Hollars on “Go West Young Man.” 
Tuesday, March 22, 6:30 p.m.

Travel Writing for Dummies: On Rattlesnakes, Wagon Ruts and Making the World Feel Like Home 
Wednesday, March 23, 6:30 p.m.

The Story of Your Life: Writing Your Forgotten Past Workshop 
Saturday, March 26, 9 a.m.

Looking for more events along these lines? The Library loves writers just as much as readers! To support writers at every stage, from a casual hobby to a life’s calling, Johnson County Library has developed a suite of programs, resources and opportunities to develop your craft and grow your portfolio. If you are a writer, we want to meet you, read your work and celebrate you in the community.  There is even a writing contest with a $200 honorarium!

Visit For Writers for more information about the Library’s writing programming and go to Events to register for upcoming events and workshops, including the B.J. Hollars events.

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 Process Art with the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art – Tuesday, March 8, 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.

The Past is Prologue: The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In – Thursday, March 10, 7-8 p.m.  

In July 1958, Black students gathered at downtown Wichita’s Dockum Drugstore to stage a peaceful protest against the unequal practice of segregation. Tired of being denied access to the city’s movie theaters and restaurants, students took action and turned their attention to the lunch counter at the popular drugstore. What happened during the three-week sit-in? What caused it to end? And why was its importance recognized by so few at the time? This presentation discusses the details of the sit-in, explores how these protests helped transform the struggle for racial equality in America, and considers contemporary non-violent protests.

Legislative Coffee Series – Saturday, March 12, 10-11 a.m.  

Discover what's percolating in the Kansas Legislature. Representatives and Senators with constituents in Johnson County will discuss the new legislative session, followed by Q&A. You bring the questions!

• Senator Ethan Corson, District 7
• Representative Stephanie Clayton, District 19
• Representative Lindsay Vaughn, District 22
• Representative Heather Meyer, District 29
• Representative Brandon Woodard, District 30

And much more happening this week »