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Special Feature Storytime with Sherry Norfolk: Hear the Beat
Join award-winning storyteller Sherry Norfolk for Hear the Beat, a rollicking storytelling program filled with tales of rhythm, rhyme and music! Listen to stories, engage in rhyming activities (a crucial early literacy skill), and move and groove to the music with your kids in this highly participatory and fun program!
Special Feature Storytime with Sherry Norfolk: Hear the Beat
Friday, Dec. 3
10 a.m.
Register now »
This Week at the Library
This week at the Library, join us discovering eLibrary, available anytime!
Our largest eBook collection! Find great reads for kids, teens and adults including fiction and nonfiction.
Download or stream audiobooks for everyone, whenever and wherever you want.
Newsstand favorites and hard-to-find publications with something for everybody.
Stream classical, jazz, world and folk music from then to now.
Award-winning features, documentaries, rare finds and kid-approved content.
And much more happening this week ….
Also, check out our always-available programs OnDemand.
Throwback Thursday: History's Mysteries
Over at our partner site jocohistory.org, we sometimes get historic photographs with little or no information. That's right! These photos are History's Mysteries. Clues? Culprits? Cover ups? Probably not. But, you can help solve the mystery behind the 1,524 photos that are cold cases. Not a gumshoe? No worries. You can just have a whole lot of fun perusing random photos that only have one connection: they're mysteries. Don't forget to follow our hashtag on Twitter.
One-on-One Genealogy Help via Zoom
Basic Genealogy and DNA one-on-one help 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.
Tuesday, Nov. 16
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Online event
This Week at the Library
Online Bilingual Storytime – Monday, Nov 15 , 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.
One-on-One Genealogy Help – Tuesday, Nov 16 , 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Basic Genealogy and DNA one-on-one help 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.
Facebook Live Book Party – Thursday, Nov 18, 7 – 8 p.m.
Facebook Live Book Parties are live events where 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 week we’ll be talking about great historical fiction. 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.
Young Adult Literary Council – Sunday, Nov 21, 2 – 3 p.m.
Teens are invited to join the Young Adult Literary Council to share favorite books, review titles for the Library website and participate in fun activities. You can meet new people and receive volunteer credit hours for your time with us.
And much more happening this week…
Also, check out our always-available programs OnDemand.
Central Resource Library Reopening
We are excited to announce that we will celebrate Central Resource Library's reopening on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022.
While the majority of work -- including improvements to the building's exterior and mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems -- is nearly complete, we will spend the next few months returning a construction site to a library, moving back in furnishings, equipment, staff, and, of course, our collection! During this time, you are still welcome to visit us at Little Central for holds pickup and returns, public computers and printing.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by County Librarian Sean Casserley will be live-streamed on our Facebook page at 2 p.m. that day. We can't wait for you to see the wonderful changes our facilities and construction partners and staff have implemented, including:
- An expanded, relocated Kids area with more natural light, window seating and a storytime room.
- A new drive-thru for returns and holds pick-up.
- More study and conference rooms, including a dedicated media room with flexible seating.
- Upgrades to the Black & Veatch MakerSpace.
There are also many updates you may not see on the surface but will experience when using the Library, such as a reorganization of our staff spaces, a new materials sorter, and improvements to our delivery dock. As the "hub" of the Johnson County Library system, these improvements at Central will help get materials into your hands more quickly and efficiently, regardless of which branch you visit.
Thank you for your patience as we work to improve your Library experience. We look forward to seeing you at the reopening!
Gardner Library Turns 20!
1960s to 2000
Did you know the first Gardner Library opened in 1960 at 134 E. Main in a rented space that formerly housed a grocery store? Before that, Gardner had a small self-service collection in a local building and was also served by bookmobile. In the early 1970s it was increasingly obvious that a larger Gardner Library was needed. In 1982, new Libraries were built in the Blue Valley area, Spring Hill, De Soto and on Main Street in Gardner.
By 1990, Gardner's population had grown significantly. An even larger Library was needed. But then the area began growing even faster than anticipated. In 1999 the city proposed that Johnson County Library trade its space on Main Street for a nearby site at Shawnee and Elm Streets. It was a win-win solution for everybody. The Library was kept downtown in a good location, and the Library and city hall could share parking.
2000s
Ground was broken for the new Library on Sept. 26, 2000. The new Library opened on Nov. 13, 2001. The new building was almost four times the size of the old building.
2020s
The current Gardner Library will turn 20 years old on Nov. 13, 2021! Happy Birthday!
Maintain Your Ride
DIY bike maintenance made simple! Learn to keep your bike in tip-top shape with this free virtual class from Johnson County Library and BikeWalkKC, focused on basic tools and practical know-how.
Maintain Your Ride
Thursday, Nov. 18
12 – 1:30 p.m.
Register now »