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Johnson County Library’s Corinth branch, at 8100 Mission Road, is popular with patrons from Prairie Village and beyond. It opened Feb. 24, 1963, so 2023 will mark its 60th anniversary milestone.  

In 1967 Corinth expanded on both the north and south sides to reach its current size of 20,475 square feet. In 1988 it had an interior renovation, with the addition of an elevator and east side windows.  

The building has had some major maintenance in recent years, including a new roof and updated electrical and heating/cooling work. It has a well-stocked children’s section and a spacious computer area and remains a favorite Library destination for young families and adults.  

“We are quite busy. We are well loved,” says Amy Barclay, who has been branch manager since January 2019. “Corinth is known for being a place for families to come and meet and connect. We have tutors here all the time. We often rank quite high on customer service.” 

But there’s also a recognition that the community could use a more modern facility. The current land-locked location is not conducive to expansion. The 2015 Comprehensive Library Master Plan identified the need to replace Corinth with a new building, but no timeframe was specified.  

A more immediate branch task is the Merriam Plaza Library project, a replacement for the current Antioch branch. The final design has just been completed for the new branch, with construction planned in 2023 and a grand opening in 2024.   

The Library Board has been weighing how to prioritize the timing of new construction for Corinth and the best way to work with Prairie Village city officials. 

Very preliminary talks began in 2019 between the Library and Prairie Village leaders over possibly collaborating on a civic campus that could include a new community center and Library, in proximity to Harmon Park. Survey results in December 2019 showed strong support for the Library in Prairie Village overall, and support for the Library being included in a shared campus. Talks were then put on hold due to COVID-19. 

Stakeholders from the Library and city of Prairie Village resumed conversations earlier this year and indicated a willingness to keep working together.  

Barclay and other Library leaders would love to see a new Corinth branch with a convenient drive-thru, larger meeting rooms, better accessibility for people with disabilities, and other amenities found in the newest branches — Monticello and Lenexa City Center — and in the renovated Central Resource Library.  

The Prairie Village City Council is beginning to explore the feasibility of building the community/civic center, but this remains very tentative. On Oct. 3, the City Council debated whether to conduct a survey to gauge citizen support for the project, but postponed a decision. At their November meeting, the City's ad hoc civic center committee elected to send an updated version of the survey to residents. If citizen support exists, the city would still need to figure out a location, conceptual design and how to pay for it.   

The Library, which has its own dedicated funding source, will also pursue its own areas of inquiry, including programming and how much space will be needed; site feasibility including traffic flow, parking and potential phasing; and cost estimating. 

In the meantime, Barclay says Corinth is doing well and enjoying the return to in-person programming, with its popular Storytimes, book groups and Legislative coffees. 

“It is really refreshing to be in a branch where the community is so invested in this building,” Barclay said. “I do still think the community pretty much loves this branch. We’re not losing patrons to the prettier branches. There’s a lot of loyalty to Corinth and to Prairie Village.” 

Today's Staff Pick comes to you from our librarian Jesseca, who gives FIVE STARS to The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn by Amber Logan.

We all have secrets, but some people are better at hiding them. Mari learns this firsthand when she accepts an offer to professionally photograph Yanagi Inn in Kyoto, Japan. She grew up in Japan before her parents split up and her mother moved Mari and her sister to the United States. Upon her return, she adjusts to the familiar culture of her childhood and initially enjoys exploring the grounds of the inn, especially photographing the overgrown garden. However, supernatural elements soon reveal secrets from the inn's history that touch upon her own past.

I loved the atmospheric descriptions. I was really transported to the grounds of Yanagi Inn! I would describe the writing as tender and eerily beautiful. Mari is a fantastic character; I was completely consumed by her story and I was rooting her on while she uncovered mysteries that no longer wanted to be buried. While the title references The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgeson Burnett, I would say the most significant similarity between the two is the way both books enchant the reader. If you like books with any of these elements: Japan, a touch of the supernatural, complex family dynamics especially between mothers and daughters, and/or books that pair well with a cozy cup of tea; then this is the book for you!

Friends of Johnson County Library want to sell you some used books!

Pop Up Sales:

Saturdays, 11:30 a.m.-5p.m. (closed for holidays,  inclement weather closings announced on Facebook)

In the Pine Ridge Office Park

8279 Melrose Dr.

Lenexa, KS 66214,

The Friends of Johnson County Library want to assure you: the used book business is great.

The Friends started selling used books more than 30 years ago, and they are going strong still. Their 16k item (or more!) weekly inventory is restocked weekly and comes mostly from generous community donations, with the balance from books periodically weeded out of the Johnson County Library’s circulating collection. Friends’ net proceeds are paid into the Library's Collection budget, to help the Library buy new books. “We’re really proud of this success,” says Friends president Chris Meier. “Not only are we repurposing books in our community and giving them longer lives, we’re supporting our favorite public place: the Library!”

The Friends sell books in-person and online. They launched Pop Up Sales earlier this year at their donation processing headquarters in Lenexa. The Pop Ups are a sort-to-sell experience right at the source of the Friends broad and robust donated inventory. A corps of dedicated volunteers scan, examine and sort gifted materials for subject and quality. A lively Sale audience can generally be found at the door awaiting the weekly Saturday start time of 11:30 a.m.. Friends members receive a 20% discount on the already very reasonable prices. Gift cards are available, too!

The Pop Ups launch was a prelude to closing the two branch bookstores at Antioch and Blue Valley Libraries in July. After careful monitoring of sales activity at both stores, the Friends noted that sales continued to lag behind pre-pandemic levels. They made this bittersweet decision, after 26 years, so that the organization can focus resources toward their mission of supporting the Library.

Friends’ online sales are divided among international, national and local customers who peruse the broad selection on popular platforms like Amazon and Ebay, and on the Friends web site. Free shipping and the Friends reasonable prices are sure to wow. Top sellers tend to be first editions or hard-to-find items like out-of-print technical manuals. “The selection changes quickly,” says operations director Shanta Dickerson, “because we sell frequently and replace with new material that arrives every day.”

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!

Our eCollection with eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, eMusic, eNewspapers, Research and Streaming Video –

Available anytime you like with so many titles including bestsellers, classics, nonfiction, storybooks and more for all ages. Download and stream audiobooks whenever and wherever you want. Discover newsstand favorites and hard-to-find publications with something for everyone. Stream classical, jazz, world and folk music from then to now and catch up on the latest from The New York Times, The Kansas City Star, Shawnee Mission Post and more.

Johnson County Genealogical Society Monthly Meeting – Saturday, Nov. 26, 10 a.m. – noon

Enjoy a genealogy program and visit with JCGS members about your research and family history. Free and open to the public. Meeting will be held in person at Central Resource Library in the Carmack Community Room as well as virtually via Zoom. Members will automatically receive the Zoom link. If you are not a JCGS member, please email info@jcgsks.org to receive the Zoom link. The November meeting topic is, “Fraternal Organizations: the Original Social Networks”.

And much more happening this week »

The Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, held its 2022 national conference Sept. 29 – Oct. 1 in Kansas City. And Johnson County Library youth specialists made the most of the opportunity. 

Fifteen youth information specialists and youth librarians attended the ALSC National Institute workshops, panel discussions and other sessions in downtown Kansas City. It was a rare chance for staffers to attend the ALSC Institute’s national meeting in their own backyard. Participants said it was hugely worthwhile. 

“To be in the same room with librarians who all share a passion for serving children was something truly special,” said Early Literacy Coordinating Librarian Shannon Goebel. “It was such a joy to learn shoulder to shoulder with my fellow colleagues at the ALSC Institute.” 

The Institute holds its national conference every two years. The 2020 conference was virtual because of COVID-19, but this year it drew several hundred attendees in person from across the country. 

“It’s designed for front-line staff that are serving youth,” Goebel explained. “It’s really the world’s largest organization that is dedicated to the support and advancement of library services for children.”  

Staffers heard from wonderful authors and illustrators and got great book recommendations for children and teens. They heard a fascinating presentation about the importance of open-ended play as a literacy skill and how to create enriching playtime activities in the Library. 

They took a tour of The Rabbit hOle, a phenomenal project under construction in North Kansas City. It will be a children’s literature museum, with an immersive experience of walking into a picture book. 

While Library staffers got great ideas from other librarians, they also had a featured exhibition table and shared information about Johnson County Library’s innovations, including the 6 by 6 Ready to Read program and Race Project KC’s Dividing Lines Tour. The Library also had a full-page spread in every attendee’s conference booklet. 

Lisa Nason, who concentrates on early literacy for the Library, said the chance to network with librarians from other cities was wonderful, and the visitors loved Kansas City and Johnson County. 

“One of the first people that came up to us in Vendor Hall was from Boise,” Nason recalled. “She said, ‘I use materials from your online Kids’ page all the time to write blogs and get ideas.’ It’s exciting to think that people all over the country are seeing our work.” 

Youth Services Information Specialist Mary Shortino said the author presentations were particularly thought-provoking. Authors of diverse backgrounds poignantly described how they never saw themselves in literature growing up, but they now write characters like themselves as protagonists in stories. 

“I adore hearing authors talk about their work,” Shortino said. “That’s stuff I can share with kids and families when I’m doing Readers’ Advisory.” 

Youth Information Specialist Tami Thomas said attendees were encouraged to seek out the youngest potential library patrons which they might be missing or forgetting. 

Thomas enjoyed a presentation on rethinking summer reading programs to appeal to reluctant readers. One library system held a nighttime hike that involved the whole community. Another put early literacy activities in laundromats where parents and kids congregate. 

Goebel was grateful that such a large Johnson County Library contingent could benefit from this learning experience. Those participants will share insights with the rest of the youth services staff. 

She also thanked everyone who pitched in to cover those staff slots in the branches. 

“It’s not an opportunity that comes up every day,” she said, “so we are really grateful for everyone who supported the people attending.”  

It’s another grand Throwback Thursday when we encourage you to time travel through Johnson County's history. JoCoHistory is a collaborative presentation of the history from the Johnson County Museum, Johnson County Library and many JoCoHistory partners. Explore historical photographs and documents about the people, places and organizations of Johnson County, Kansas, from the 19th century to the present.

Collection spotlight: Johnson County Museum

About this collection: The Johnson County Museum has a wide range of images dating from the late 19th century to the current day. A major focus of the collection centers on individuals and groups of people in domestic, recreational, scholarly and business settings.