Every October, as the air turns crisp and leaves start to fall, Johnson County Library branches transform for the season with creative displays that celebrate Halloween and highlight all the Library has to offer.
At Oak Park Library, the video game cart marks the arrival of spooky season. Last year, it was transformed into a glowing jack-o’-lantern, and this year it’s carrying on the tradition, keeping the pumpkin spirit alive. 
At Blue Valley Library, a window display reads “Books Cast the Best Spells,” surrounded by a fantasy forest and a guessing game featuring the first lines of spooky reads. Each branch adds its own twist. Central Resource Library has a monster-themed selfie station, and its book return shows ghosts reading titles like “To Curse a Mockingbird,” “Romeo and Boo-liet,” and “Goodnight Broom.” At Gardner Library, there’s a pumpkin version of a Mr. Potato Head station where visitors can mix and match fall faces.
The creativity behind these displays is intentional. Across all branches, staff consider how to make the Library feel alive in every season, reflecting the energy of the community.
Visitors can join in the fun through seasonal programs. The Halloween Walk and Read at Strang Park, hosted with Johnson County Health and Environment Services and the City of Overland Park, invites families to stroll under the trees while reading “Bats at the Library” by Brian Lies and “The Hiccup Pickup’s Happy Halloween” by Jim “Mr. Stinky Feet” Cosgrove.
In the MakerSpace, visitors drop in to finish costumes, build decorations or try something new. It’s part workshop, part inspiration zone.
For quieter evenings, staff have curated book lists to match every autumn mood:
- Horror for Newbies
- Gargoyles, Ghouls, and Other Ghostly Things
- Poetry as Hope in the Autumn Dark
- Pumpkin Spice Season
- Horror Anthologies
Movie lovers get their own lineup, available on DVD and streaming through Kanopy. Try Creature Features and Scary Movies for the Faint of Heart for recommendations.
A few friendly ghosts have even been spotted around Johnson County Library – reading, using the free wi-fi and enjoying parks near local branches. See photos and videos on the Library’s social media channels.
Every season has a story. Let your creativity and imagination run wild with help from the Library.
