Building Our Future

The new Lenexa City Center Library will open its doors to the public on Sunday, June 2, when we'll introduce you to your new Library and its amenities. A ribbon cutting will open the doors promptly at 1 pm. There will be remarks from public officials, and a recitation of a work commissioned for the occasion from the emerita Poet Laureate of Kansas, Wyatt Townley.

Activities on June 2 will include tours of the new building and an opportunity to see award-winning children’s book illustrator Stephen T. Johnson’s new work of public art at the site.

The new 40,000 square foot building occupies two floors at the Lenexa City Center campus. In addition to high-quality Library services, the new space features public meeting rooms, public computers and a robust children’s programming area.

Special features                  

•   Kids area with dedicated storytime room 

•  Exterior Drive-Thru  

•   Holds Lobby  

•  Balcony with seating and device power 

Collection size                     

•    71,000 on Opening Day

Technology features          

•   Wi-Fi access 

•  20 public computer workstations

•  Comfy seating and tables equipped with device power stations 

•  Wireless AV in Study Rooms  

•  Collaboration Tables

To begin the history of the Lackman Library, one must delve back into the very early history of the Johnson County Library. Shortly after its 1953 founding, the Library opened the Lenexa Branch on November 2, 1954 in the Lenexa Grade School at 13400 W. 94th Street. It offered about 3,000 books for checkout and was open for only two hours a week--2:00 to 4:00 on Saturdays. Like all the others it was staffed by volunteers and offered donated materials. The most recent US Census in 1950 had indicated a Lenexa population of 803. That population soon began to burgeon. When the Library’s budget allowed, the branch’s hours were increased and it was moved into a rented storefront in downtown Lenexa.

In 1967, a bond issue was approved by voters to build the Oak Park Library, among other improvements. This branch at 9500 Bluejacket was intended to serve the library needs of the “southwest” portion Johnson County’s developing suburban region, including Lenexa. In preparation for the new branch, the Lenexa Library was closed in 1967. The city of Lenexa was promised that someday there would again be a library within its city limits. The Oak Park Library opened in 1970, after being housed in temporary space near 95th and Antioch. The population continued to grow and soon the need for a new library west of I-35 was apparent and was included in the 1979 facilities plan.

Ground was broken for the Lackman Library on March 5, 1986. The building was dedicated on November 14, 1986 and opened to the public on November 17. It opened with a collection of 22,000 items and was the first Johnson County Library location without a card catalog, as the Library made a leap into the computer age. During its first full year open—1987—the Lackman Library circulated 99,220 items.

An expansion of Lackman was never far from the minds of staff during the planning and opening of the Shawnee Library in 1992, the Leawood Pioneer Library in 1994, the Central Resource Library in 1995, and the renovated Antioch Library in 1996. By August 10, 1996 when the Lackman Library closed for expansion, it barely fit its building. The new facility, three times as large as its previous incarnation with almost 18,000 square feet, re-opened on August 12, 1997. 

The new Lenexa City Center Library will open its doors to the public on Sunday, June 2, 2019, 1:00 – 5:00 pm, the Johnson County Library Board of Directors announced at their February 14 board meeting. 

The June 2 event will be focused on the building and its amenities, according to Library Board chair Nancy Hupp. “This is a really striking and beautiful facility,” she says, “and we are eager to invite our patrons in so people can start using their new Library right away.”

A ribbon cutting will open the doors promptly at 1 pm. There will be remarks from public officials, and a recitation of a work commissioned for the occasion from the emerita Poet Laureate of Kansas, Wyatt Townley. Activities will include tours conducted by Library staff of the new building and an opportunity to meet Stephen T. Johnson, award-winning children’s book illustrator who is installing a new work of public art at the site. 

The afternoon event takes place during what will be regular Sunday service hours, confirming that Lenexa City Center joins 4 other branches which are open on Sundays.

The new 40,000 square foot building occupies two floors at the Lenexa City Center campus. In addition to high-quality library services, the new space features public meeting rooms, public computers and a robust children’s programming area. Construction cost is $21.1 million.

We placed a camera in a window of the Lenexa City Hall Communications office. It overlooks the site of the Lenexa City Center Library construction. For over 8 months we have captured the progress of our newest Library from an empty lot to what you see today. Take 5 minutes and watch this building take shape before your eyes. We're sure you'll say: "Wow!"

Get a glimpse into the future of your new Library at Lenexa City Center. Click the images to interact with a 360 degree panorama!

Our newest location, Monticello Library, is designed to be as flexible as possible. We know that our community’s library service needs change over time, so we’re eager to help Library buildings adapt to properly meet those needs. 

For those of you who have visited our newest branch, you’ll notice there are few permanent interior walls. To add to all that open space, we’ve taken the additional step of installing raised floors throughout the building. They make it easy to route power and communication cables wherever they are needed, and allow quick reconfiguration of service areas within the library.

Enjoy this time-lapse video of the raised floor installation earlier this year. And if you feel taller when you go to Monticello Library, just think: you are!

The new Lenexa City Center Library is taking shape! In recent weeks structural steel, the elevator shaft, stairwells and pre-cast concrete wall panels have emerged on the site. And now, you can get a better glimpse as construction progresses on our next Johnson County Library.



“Portholes” have been installed in the construction barrier wall around the Library site. These windows allow for safe viewing of the progress going on behind those walls -- the new home for Lackman Library patrons.

When it opens in late 2019, the two-story Lenexa City Center Library will house a collection slightly larger than the current Lackman Library, and will feature:

• Kids’ area and Holds on the upper level, with convenient access from the adjacent parking garage and Lenexa Commons area
• An “extended hours” Holds pick-up lobby for picking up your items after hours
• Adults and Teens sections on lower level, featuring a cultural commons area, tech bar, and public art
• A drive-through kiosk in the adjacent parking garage for convenient holds pick-up and material drop off
• Study and conference rooms in a variety of sizes

In collaboration with Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture, Hollis + Miller Architects designed the roughly 40,000 sq. ft. facility to seamlessly fit into the Lenexa City Center plaza and public market while still providing a distinct image for the Johnson County Library.



The exterior of the Library will feature textured walls with deep stone ledges that will engage patrons and the community by allowing for seating within the public plaza. The large roof is designed with an overhang that caps the building – to not only provide shade but also visual prominence. Limestone terrace seating will also be built into the exterior landscaping.

The Lenexa City Center Library features two entrances- the upper level providing easy paths to the Civic Plaza, Lenexa Rec Center, and City Hall; and the lower level entrance is right across from the Public Market.

And while you eagerly “watch” our progress at Lenexa City Center, continue to check back here for more updates!

Since its inception in 1952, the Johnson County Library has grown to 13 (soon to be 14) locations! In this blog post we feature the history of the Cedar Roe Library.



By 1965 the Johnson County Library District had reached a population of 165,000. The Library consisted of Headquarters (Antioch), Corinth, Mission, Lenexa, and Gardner. The last three were small storefront branches. The Mission branch had space for about 3,500 books. News stories at the time referred to the crowded conditions as students packed the libraries after school and in the evenings to study and do homework. By 1966 a plan for expansion of the Johnson County Library system had been formulated, and a bond issue went before voters on February 11, 1967.

The $1.5 million plan called for expanding Antioch and Corinth, and constructing new “Northeast” and “Southwest” branches to replace the Mission and Lenexa branches. The package sailed through with a “Yes” vote of 69% of the total vote.

Planning for the “Northeast” library began immediately. A site was chosen about a mile north of the Mission Branch at 6500 Martway. The new library was to be a block west of Roe Avenue on Cedar Street in Roeland Park. A contest was held to name the branch was held and “Cedar Roe” emerged as the winner.

The Cedar Roe Library opened on June 2, 1969. The total cost of the land, materials, construction and equipment was $470,950. The new library had 17,157 square feet, including a balcony originally used for library programs. Today changes in building codes that mandate improved emergency egress have relegated the balcony for use as storage. Dedication of the facility took place on November 16, 1969. The following year, the Cedar Roe Library received the Excellence in Design Medal from the Kansas City Chapter of the American Institute of Architecture.

Since the mid-1990s the Cedar Roe Library has received updating and refurbishing. With the interplay of wood and brick on the interior, Cedar Roe remains one of the most attractive and interesting of the Johnson County Library public facilities.