Building Our Future

Johnson County Library is beginning to explore options for a potential new facility in Prairie Village, which could eventually replace the existing and outdated Corinth Library. Corinth Library users and residents of the surrounding areas will have several opportunities to provide input into conceptual design options during the first half of 2024: 

In case you missed Public Meeting #1, there’s still time to provide comments and share your thoughts. If you were unable to attend the public meeting, complete the survey on the Community Center Campus Site Study page to provide your feedback.

Save the date for Public Meeting #2
The next in-person public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 4, 2024. The final public meeting for this phase of work is tentatively scheduled for June 2024. 

Follow us on social media and watch this page for more information.

Since starting as leased space nearly 70 years ago, the Antioch Library has been expanded twice, renovated extensively three decades ago, and served as system headquarters until the Central Resource Library opened in 1995.

In addition to serving generations of Library patrons, Antioch also housed classes for Johnson County Community College’s adult education program until it moved into a separate space along 87th Street.

On January 28, Antioch will close for good in preparation for the opening of the new Merriam Plaza Library this spring. Staff hold many fond memories of the location, starting with the maze of corridors and offices created through its history of renovations.

“It’s still really nostalgic to walk through the different parts of the building and imagine what they used to be,” said Branch Manager Amy Barclay. The vacant upstairs office space is eerie, she said, and office lore has it that a shy, friendly ghost frequents the premises (and may stick around when everyone else moves to Merriam Plaza).

When Barclay took over as branch manager two years ago, it was a homecoming for her. She started her library career in 2011 as a page at Antioch while working on her master’s degree in library science.

Antioch was also the launching pad for County Librarian Tricia Suellentrop, who officed at Antioch in her first professional job as a teen services librarian. She remembered having trouble finding her way out of the building through the byzantine back office after her first day of work.

Suellentrop also remembered the work environment as a “wonderful example of collaboration” because it served many different functions. It was a unique experience for her first job, she said, because it gave her a window into so many aspects of the system.

One of the fondest memories staff will take from their experience at Antioch is the connection the community has with a building that, as Suellentrop said, made so many “deep grooves in their lives.”

“Everybody just loves this branch,” said Assistant Branch Manager Sheida Bates, “and the people who grew up coming to the branch are now bringing their kids here.”

Patrons reminisce a lot about attending story times throughout the years, Bates said.

With the upcoming move to Merriam Plaza, Antioch staff has been encouraging patrons to record their memories on comment cards. Bates said they now have a few hundred cards that a staff member has digitally scanned.

One story that staff loved came from a man who met his future wife at Antioch, Bates said.

Through the years, Suellentrop has also encountered staff and patrons who remembered the great reading nooks at Antioch and an old clawfoot bathtub that at one time provided a reading spot as well.

Antioch patrons got an opportunity to put their stamp on Merriam Plaza when the builder provided sheets of drywall for them to sign, which were then installed in meeting room of the new Library (with the signatures on the back of the drywall).

Even with all the nostalgia for Antioch, Merriam Plaza will offer increased convenience with a drive-up window and a more pleasant space featuring a lot of natural light.

“It's always sad to say goodbye,” Barclay said, “but it’s exciting to have something new that will meet many more needs for the community.”

Every five years, the Library’s strategic plan evolves and changes to better serve patrons and to improve operations and programming. The 2024-2029 strategic plan highlights three areas: building projects (both a new building and improvements to existing buildings); a reorganization of staff and job descriptions; and a focus on diversity, equity, belonging and inclusion efforts.  

Merriam Plaza Library will open in spring 2024, but other building projects will also require focus, County Librarian Tricia Suellentrop said. These projects include maintenance work at the Shawnee Library, ongoing discussions in Prairie Village regarding a community center campus — that could include a new Corinth Library — and renovations to the Spring Hill and De Soto locations. 

The Library is exploring a key-card system that would expand Library hours at Spring Hill and De Soto without adding additional staff by allowing patrons into the buildings before and after staff are present. This might benefit students and others who need extended access to Wi-Fi and often use the Library’s parking lots to connect.  

Suellentrop and Deputy County Librarian Kinsley Riggs also highlighted anticipated service improvements resulting from a personnel reorganization within the system. 

The reorganization is intended to “turn the dial up” on customer service, Suellentrop said. Branches have the mantra of, "how do we get to ‘yes’?” in filling even the most difficult requests. “Staff will now have more time to get someone closer to what they need and what they want,” Suellentrop said. 

Changing job descriptions and duties and adding new positions focused on programming, Riggs said, helps the Library provide “the right programs in the right places based on what our patrons need and want.” 

Riggs notes that those programs could be online or in the branches; but the bigger hope is for the Library to get out into the community more by participating in school events, farmers markets, festivals and other gatherings and events. The intent is also to build on partnerships with other county departments, such as Johnson County Corrections or outside partners like Growing Futures Early Education Center. 

“It’s possible we will see an increase in programs,” Riggs said. “It just depends on when we hit the right stride.”

The third focus of the new strategic plan is an integration of county-wide efforts to improve diversity, equity, belonging and inclusion. In Library operations, these efforts will include working to ensure that both staffing and programming decisions (including author visits, program topics, storytimes, book groups and more) align with the vision and mission of Johnson County’s DEIB goals.  

As with the previous five-year plan, this updated version has five key performance areas (KPAs): education, operations, community, communication and convenience. Tweaks to the language in the vision for each KPA emphasize the Library’s focus on the Johnson County community. 

Also on the horizon in the coming years is a refresh to the Library website and security reviews at branches. 

Meanwhile, Library officials will continue managing consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, some positive and some not. One challenge is training staff to respond to an increasing unhoused population and their use of Library spaces.  

Because the Library learned during the pandemic that patrons appreciate curbside service when possible, the Library has continued curbside service at five locations. It will also remain fine-free, which Suellentrop said provided a “really great test for the Library board” and gave members the confidence to keep it in place moving forward. 

You can view the strategic plan as well as the Library’s mission, vision and values on the Johnson County Library website.  

When the Merriam Plaza Library opens next year, it will include a drive-thru, state-of-the-art technology, early literacy space in the kids section, and all the other amenities one would expect in a new branch built at a cost of nearly $14 million.

Adhering to patron feedback, the new branch at 6120 Slater St. will also have abundant natural light, a warm wood ceiling and a “green” roof with vegetation that provides a habitat for pollinators.

Yet the art integrated into the design of Merriam Plaza — which is replacing the aging Antioch Library — may well provide the most eye-catching connection to nature.

After evaluating nearly 180 submissions, the Johnson County Public Art Commission last year commissioned projects from Emily Alvarez of Kansas City, Missouri, and Sage Vaughn of Los Angeles.

Alvarez’s four-panel indoor mural will include deep blue teal and lime green among its vibrant colors and will have raised plexiglass panels featuring plants and side profiles of residents of diverse races.

The mural also has a portion with people standing on roots to pay homage to the groundbreaking work of the Webb family, leaders of the 1940s movement to desegregate schools in Merriam. The hardiness of the prairie grass she features celebrates the “community aspect of developing roots in your community that make it easier to withstand hardship,” Alvarez said.

With its emphasis on diversity, the art commission carved out a portion of the budget to include Alvarez’s work. She is awed and humbled at the confidence the commissioners placed in her against much more experienced applicants.

Vaughn’s outdoor installation features his sketches fabricated into four prairie flowers in two groupings of two apiece. The metal sculptures, some reaching taller than the building itself, are made of Corten Steel, which has a weathered, rust-colored exterior.

The flowers featured in the installation include Mexican Hat (prairie coneflowers) and a sunflower variety. Vaughn collaborated with a computer effects designer who loaded a 3D model of the Merriam Plaza building into software that, by simulating how sunlight would hit the sculptures, helped determine the placement of the installations.

Vaughn considers a project for a local library as the “absolute pinnacle” of public art and said his goal is “to take some of those flowers that are common and make them remarkable, with the idea being that it's a public space, that it is something that can help inspire memories and kind of make things locatable even for the very, very young people who access that space.”

The green roof captivated Vaughn.

“Geez man, this is perfect,” he thought. “That’s my whole jam. It’s flowers and butterflies and insects and birds. It was really fun to just say great, you guys set it up, let me just hit it, and if you guys are into this you are into it, if not, I totally get it.”

The height and scale of Vaughn’s pieces is an aspect of the work that will spark intrigue and conversations among patrons, said commission Chairman Larry Meeker. He said the colors in Alvarez’s mural might also spark debates among visitors who love the vibrancy and others who think a library should be more muted.

The fact that both of the art projects are open to interpretation is exactly what public art is supposed to do, Meeker said, offering a “double barreled” benefit to the library to complement its collection.

“Good pieces of art are open-ended,” he said. “That is also what makes a good piece of literature.”

Art installation is set to begin at the site this fall.

Oak Park Library, located at 9500 Bluejacket St. in Overland Park, has been a cherished neighborhood branch since 1970. It has a cheerful, family-friendly atmosphere that’s popular with patrons who walk or drive in from nearby residential areas. But the building needs updating, which is due to happen later this year.

Oak Park Library will be closed for renovations beginning Monday, Aug. 7 through mid-December. In addition to infrastructure upgrades to electrical and HVAC systems, a few of the changes you’ll notice include paving and entry enhancements and remodeled public restrooms. 

No services will be available at Oak Park during the closure period. Returns, holds pickup, public computers, printing and copying, meeting rooms and access to the collection are available at our other 13 locations across the county, including Central Resource Library (9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park). Central Resource is less than two miles from Oak Park and features a convenient drive-thru for holds pick-up and materials return. 

Here are a few important dates to keep in mind: 

• Friday, July 21 is the last day to request an item for holds or Interlibrary Loan pick up at Oak Park. After this date Oak Park will no longer show as an option for a holds pickup location.
   
• On Tuesday, Aug. 1, all not ready/pending holds with a requested pickup location of Oak Park will be reassigned for pickup inside Central Resource Library. You can also log into your Web Catalog account and change the pickup location, or suspend your hold until Oak Park reopens.
   
• Saturday, Aug. 5 is the last day of services at Oak Park. Available holds not picked up by close of business at 5 p.m. will expire.

​​​​Branch Manager Jared Harper said those renovations will help ensure a bright future for this wonderful branch. “What distinguishes Oak Park now is it is an older Library that has charm to it,” Harper said. “It is a branch that is really well loved in the community.”

Harper said many parents fondly recall visiting the branch as children and now enjoy bringing their own children there. One added amenity is its location adjacent to Overland Park community garden plots. Oak Park was built during a time of great population growth and new residential development in Johnson County. Voters approved a $1.5 million bond issue in 1967 to expand Antioch and Corinth and to build two new branches: Cedar Roe and Oak Park (originally called the Southwest Library and then renamed for the adjacent Oak Park neighborhood).

Oak Park opened Nov. 3, 1970 and held an open house dedication in February 1971. It expanded in 1982.

After Central Resource Library opened in the mid-1990s on 87th Street, just two miles north of Oak Park, Library leaders briefly considered closing the Oak Park branch in 1999. But countless patrons sent postcards, pleading to keep it open. They praised the convenient location, the collection, the friendly staff and the vibrant atmosphere. Oak Park stayed open.

“It’s such a fixture in the community,” Harper observed. 

Oak Park is in the middle of the pack as far as busyness, but it has the largest circulation of any Johnson County branch without an automated sorter. In 2018, it recorded more than 197,000 visits and circulated more than 291,000 materials.

In the early 2000s, Oak Park was known as the hub for Latino services, including English Language Learner classes and other programs. Then-branch manager Maggie Vallazza was passionate about reaching out to the Latino community, as were Spanish-speaking staffers Christine Peterson, German Perilla and others.

In 2015, Harper explains, Spanish services were expanded throughout the system. Vallazza has retired and Peterson is now based out of Central, concentrating on youth Latino services. But Perilla continues to serve Spanish speakers who visit the branch, which retains the largest Spanish-language collection in the Johnson County Library system.

Now, Oak Park is known for serving young families, with a large and diverse children’s collection, heavily-used computer stations and a popular Holds service. 

Last year, the branch shut down for about a week to remodel the circulation area for better work-flow and to update the staff break room. This year’s improvements will require a prolonged closure but are timed to come after the busy summer rush. Harper said patrons can visit Central Resource Library during that time. More changes are expected in 2024, when the branch is due to get new shelving and some new furniture.

“Getting new shelving next year would just really brighten up the space,” Harper said.

One of the amazing features of the new Merriam Plaza Library, now under construction, will be a “green” roof. It’s an environmental innovation that preserves the roof’s lifespan while providing a vibrant native habitat. 

The Merriam branch, 6120 Slater St., will open in 2024, replacing the Antioch branch at 8700 Shawnee Mission Pkwy. Antioch staffers anticipate having a wonderful new space for learning and enrichment. The green roof can be seen from the street and from atop the adjacent parking garage, allowing visitors to experience a prairie landscape changing throughout the year.

“There are a wide variety of native grasses, wildflowers and other species that will really kind of shift and change from season to season,” said Dan Maginn, director of the Kansas City office of Dake Wells Architecture, which designed the building. “Libraries are places where transformation happens. The idea that the building and the landscape itself can transform was really interesting to us.”

Maginn said it’s been great working with Johnson County Library administrators, who challenged the architects to create something unique to the site. Dake Wells collaborated with Confluence, a Kansas City landscape architecture firm, to design a setting welcoming for birds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators. 

“It’ll be a little wild,” Maginn said. “It’s not a golf course. It’s really meant to be kind of a native, shaggy environment that’s got a lot of life and change.”  

Antioch staffers saw the green roof as a catalyst for programming even before the new building opens.  

On April 18, Antioch hosts a class on pollinators from 4-5 p.m. The same program will be offered April 25 from 2-3 p.m. at Gardner. This workshop, presented by Johnson County Master Gardeners, focuses on bees, butterflies and bats and their environmental impact. 

Youth Librarian Christi Haines was eager to bring this program to Antioch, especially because of its relevance to the green roof.  

“Back in the fall, when we were looking at what we would do in the spring, this was one of the program possibilities that the programming team came up with,” Haines said. “When I heard that was a programming option, I felt like we really ought to get it since we were going to have a green roof.” 

Youth Information Specialist Heather Miller said other programming also has an environmental motivation. Last October, Antioch hosted a “book swap” in which teens exchanged gently used books at the Library.  

“We created the logo “Reduce, Reuse, Read” so teens could come in and swap out their old books and get a refresh for their book shelves,” Miller explained. “It was bringing in that sustainability element.” 

Miller is encouraging other Library staff to consider an adult and family/kids swap, especially after the Merriam branch opens. 

Libraries are examples of sustainability and responsible materials reuse, said Youth Information Specialist Grace Bentley, who specializes in working with young children.  

“The Library in general is a green enterprise,” Bentley pointed out. “Young kids go through books really quickly.” She reminds parents that rather than buying dozens of books, they can check them out from the Library and return them for others to enjoy.  

Miller looks forward to offering innovative science-oriented programming in the Merriam branch that will emphasize fascinating aspects of the natural world. 

A scale model of the new branch is displayed at Antioch, getting lots of attention from kids. “I think it’s going to be really great to talk to kids about what they are seeing on the roof, tracking those changes, making sure they notice what’s happening,” Bentley said. “It will be another big draw and a point of interest for our families.” 

This is the first video in a series we’re rolling out during the construction process as we build Johnson County Library’s newest branch, Merriam Plaza Library. These videos will be released at the end of each month, so check back for the new episodes. Future topics include design, structure, art, interior finishes, and of course, the collection! We will also have time lapse videos each month as well. 

This video, How to Build a Library: Merriam Plaza, reveals all the details that go in to building this location. 

Merriam Plaza Library is currently under construction and anticipated to open in 2024. Co-located on the same campus as the Merriam Community Center, the new branch will replace the existing Antioch Library and will feature the same great collection and staff. 

Get more information on the construction process and see a fly-through video of the architectural renderings on our FAQ page.

Oak Park Library, located at 9500 Bluejacket St. in Overland Park, has been a cherished neighborhood branch since 1970. It has a cheerful, family-friendly atmosphere that’s popular with patrons who walk or drive in from nearby residential areas. But the building needs updating, which is due to happen later this year.

Oak Park Library will be closed for renovations beginning Monday, Aug. 7 through mid-December. In addition to infrastructure upgrades to electrical and HVAC systems, a few of the changes you’ll notice include paving and entry enhancements and remodeled public restrooms. 

No services will be available at Oak Park during the closure period. Returns, holds pickup, public computers, printing and copying, meeting rooms and access to the collection are available at our other 13 locations across the county, including Central Resource Library (9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park). Central Resource is less than two miles from Oak Park and features a convenient drive-thru for holds pick-up and materials return. 

Here are a few important dates to keep in mind: 

• Friday, July 21 is the last day to request an item for holds or Interlibrary Loan pick up at Oak Park. After this date Oak Park will no longer show as an option for a holds pickup location.
   
• On Tuesday, Aug. 1, all not ready/pending holds with a requested pickup location of Oak Park will be reassigned for pickup inside Central Resource Library. You can also log into your Web Catalog account and change the pickup location, or suspend your hold until Oak Park reopens.
   
• Saturday, Aug. 5 is the last day of services at Oak Park. Available holds not picked up by close of business at 5 p.m. will expire.

​​​​Branch Manager Jared Harper said those renovations will help ensure a bright future for this wonderful branch. “What distinguishes Oak Park now is it is an older Library that has charm to it,” Harper said. “It is a branch that is really well loved in the community.”

Harper said many parents fondly recall visiting the branch as children and now enjoy bringing their own children there. One added amenity is its location adjacent to Overland Park community garden plots. Oak Park was built during a time of great population growth and new residential development in Johnson County. Voters approved a $1.5 million bond issue in 1967 to expand Antioch and Corinth and to build two new branches: Cedar Roe and Oak Park (originally called the Southwest Library and then renamed for the adjacent Oak Park neighborhood).

Oak Park opened Nov. 3, 1970 and held an open house dedication in February 1971. It expanded in 1982.

After Central Resource Library opened in the mid-1990s on 87th Street, just two miles north of Oak Park, Library leaders briefly considered closing the Oak Park branch in 1999. But countless patrons sent postcards, pleading to keep it open. They praised the convenient location, the collection, the friendly staff and the vibrant atmosphere. Oak Park stayed open.

“It’s such a fixture in the community,” Harper observed. 

Oak Park is in the middle of the pack as far as busyness, but it has the largest circulation of any Johnson County branch without an automated sorter. In 2018, it recorded more than 197,000 visits and circulated more than 291,000 materials.

In the early 2000s, Oak Park was known as the hub for Latino services, including English Language Learner classes and other programs. Then-branch manager Maggie Vallazza was passionate about reaching out to the Latino community, as were Spanish-speaking staffers Christine Peterson, German Perilla and others.

In 2015, Harper explains, Spanish services were expanded throughout the system. Vallazza has retired and Peterson is now based out of Central, concentrating on youth Latino services. But Perilla continues to serve Spanish speakers who visit the branch, which retains the largest Spanish-language collection in the Johnson County Library system.

Now, Oak Park is known for serving young families, with a large and diverse children’s collection, heavily-used computer stations and a popular Holds service. 

Last year, the branch shut down for about a week to remodel the circulation area for better work-flow and to update the staff break room. This year’s improvements will require a prolonged closure but are timed to come after the busy summer rush. Harper said patrons can visit Central Resource Library during that time. More changes are expected in 2024, when the branch is due to get new shelving and some new furniture.

“Getting new shelving next year would just really brighten up the space,” Harper said.

Johnson County Library began construction on its newest branch, the Merriam Plaza Library, after a groundbreaking ceremony on Nov. 29.

Construction Manager Titan Built has mobilized to the site. Their first few activities have included securing the construction site for safety and beginning sitework.

The new building, co-located on a campus with the Merriam Community Center, is expected to open in 2024. The 15,000-square-foot branch will replace the much-loved but outdated Antioch Library, which has served Johnson County since 1956 at the corner of Antioch Road and Shawnee Mission Parkway. Staff and the collection will move from the existing location to the new building.

Read about the project on the FAQ, and check back on the Library’s website and social media sites for construction progress photos and updates.