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TBT: Get ON my lawn! Please.
As you very well know, it’s Lawn and Garden Month!
It's the age-old spring tradition: lawn work. Whether it's 2020, or 1935, having nine boys helping out certainly makes the job easier!
Remember, jocohistory.org is the place to time travel through local history. Be sure to follow our hashtag on Twitter!
Happy Throwback Thursday! Some call it the best day of the week.
MakerSpace Mask Delivery
You may have caught Johnson County Library in the news recently—our Black & Veatch MakerSpace facilitators have been hard at work during our branch closure, running 3D printers from our MakerSpace and JCCC’s Maker Lab 24/7 to make desperately needed PPE for Johnson County healthcare workers. Last week they handed off their first 80 face shields to Johnson County EMS. Assembled from 3D-printed headbands and plastic dividers, the shields will be sanitized and distributed to Johnson County Developmental Supports for immediate use. In addition to the face shields, Library staff from across all departments have sewn nearly 1,000 fabric masks, with another donation to EMS happening later this week.
New Podcast Episode: Miki P
This is the last episode we recorded at the Central Resource Library before the stay at home order. Local Arts Librarian Bryan Voell joined Dave Carson to host local music sensation Miki P! We’re not sure which you’ll enjoy more: our interview with her, or her jaw-dropping, mind-blowing, ear-pleasing live musical performance! Plus, more of your favorite Librarians have phoned in with their best eLibrary picks and favorite author quotes.
TBT: Can you dig it?
As you very well know, it’s National Safe Digging Month!
Whether you're digging up a new garden bed, digging a hole for planting a new tree, or if you're breaking ground for a Waids Restaurant like these fine folks in this picture, do it safely!
Remember, jocohistory.org is the place to time travel through local history. Be sure to follow our hashtag on Twitter!
Happy Throwback Thursday! Some call it the best day of the week.
Brainfuse HelpNow
Brainfuse HelpNow has several ways to get homework help:
- Live tutoring daily 2 - 11 p.m.
- Writing Lab to get feedback within one business day
- SkillSurfer for study resources and test prep
- Send Question to get a response within one business day
- LEAP to create a customized learning plan
elementia encore
This year elementia has gone digital due to the COVID-19 situation. But that won't stop these teen literary voices from being heard. We give elementia writers the platform to perform live, albeit remotely. Kate McNair interviews a few of the publication's editors and producers as well. We also hear from our Librarians as they offer eLibrary suggestions and some of their favorite young adult author quotes. This is can't miss stuff. Did you hear? We've got some amazingly smart and talented teens right here in Johnson County!
Writing Contest Winner
Johnson County Library is pleased to share the work of our most recent Writing Contest winner, Martha Gershun. We love so many things about her essay Emma Goldman’s Amber Necklace. It’s a perfect blend of family lore, tradition, and anarchy! Gershun’s stellar writing style is quite familiar; she has won our writing contest twice previously.
First was Channeling Marjorie, an essay from the Women’s Voices theme, about her relationship with the yarn she inherited from a dear friend’s mother. The Hatch was selected during our Universe of Stories theme, in which Gershun shares her father’s involvement with NASA and the space program.
We also offer contests for poetry and short story writers. We’re wrapping up our current Connections prompt, and May brings our summer prompt: Imagine Your Story.
One core source of human happiness is engaging with stories. We find our identities in the stories we tell about ourselves, and we connect with others through theirs. We find entertainment and escape when we immerse ourselves in stories that capture our imaginations. This summer we hope to inspire writers of all ages to imagine, write, and share stories. Even stories about stories; we want to learn about the writers who have delighted you and ignited your curiosity.
Tell us about stories that have brought you joy. Or try telling your own. We can’t wait to experience them with you.
We also offer our JoCoWrites blog for those of you who love to share your work, regardless of contests. For the month of April we’re accepting haiku. Submit one or several of your own, or just look for a favorite to share with your friends!
National Library Week 2020
The theme for National Library Week 2020, "Find your place at the library," was chosen some time ago, before any of us could imagine the emergence of a global pandemic that would force most libraries to temporarily close their physical spaces. But you can still find your place at the library because libraries are open for business online, providing the virtual services and digital content their communities need more than ever. You can access eBooks, streaming movies, music, virtual storytimes, and so much more — all from the the comfort of your home. The new National Library Week 2020 theme, "Find the library at your place," was born.
This year during National Library Week, let’s celebrate by showing our appreciation for the many innovative ways libraries, librarians and library workers are continuing to serve their communities during a time of crisis.
Food Pantries
If you need food assistance during the COVID-19 crisis, Johnson County Library keeps an updated list of area food pantries. We encourage you to call the organization to double-check its hours, as many are operating on different schedules. Local schools have also been passing out school lunches for kids ages 1-18. Many provide breakfasts or a few days of both breakfast and lunch, and homeschoolers are eligible, as well. Check the web pages below for information specific to your area:
- Blue Valley School District
- DeSoto School District
- Gardner/Edgerton School District
- Olathe School District
- Shawnee Mission School District
- Spring Hill School District
As always, our staff are standing by (virtually) for any questions you might have and to offer one-on-one assistance.