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Connect with Your Community
Learn how your tax dollars are put to work to make our community a better place to live. Meet hard-working members of the Johnson County Government and find out how they help every day. Our guests for March 2 are from the K-State Research and Extension Office.
Connect with Your Community March 2, 6:30 pm
This Week at the Library
This week at the Library, you can join us for:
Ask-a-Maker Session – Monday, March 1, 10 – 11 AM
If you're a Maker working on a current project, register for one-on-one help with a MakerSpace Facilitator, hosted live via Zoom. Whether you need help using hand tools, software or specific equipment, our Makers can answer your questions.
Connect with your Community – Tuesday, March 2 , 6:30 – 7:30 PM
Learn how the Johnson County Extension office has access to the latest research-based information from universities across the county. Extension agents are Kansas State University faculty members living in the community and offering classes and information on a wide variety of subjects ranging from nutrition, to money management, to horticulture. They’ll help you apply information to your own specific issues here in Johnson County.
Book Party – Wednesday, March 3, 2 – 2:30 PM
Get some fresh reading and listening recommendations from one of our Librarians! Join us for a Book Party where a librarian will "booktalk" a short list of titles centering around a certain genre or theme.
Young Adult Literacy Council – Sunday, March 7, 2-3 PM
Teens are invited to join the YA 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.
The Greeting Committee
Our Local Music blog featured The Greeting Committee a few years ago. Recently, their music can be heard in Netflix's new film To All the Boys: Always and Forever. Enjoy our interview with them!
TBT: Black History Month Concludes
Family comes into focus with the 2021 theme for Black History Month, The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity. While family gatherings may look a little different this year, the joys of sharing memories, photos and stories strengthen connections.
Johnson County Library has so many resources it might be hard to choose which to read, listen to, or participate in, so it’s good we get to celebrate all month long. Black History Month begins February 1 and ends March 1.
This photo of the McCallop Family can be found at jocohistory.org.
Explore:
Primary Sources
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Associated Press Collections Online – Includes news coverage on Martin Luther King, Jr., Freedom Riders, desegregation, voting rights and more.
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American Civil Liberties Union Papers – 20th century ACLU records focusing on race, civil rights and more.
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Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive – Documents and research guides related to the history of slavery, abolition and emancipation.
Local History
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The Legacy of Corinthian Nutter – Learn about the major contributions Ms. Nutter made in Webb v. School District 90 (located in Merriam, KS), which ended segregation five years before Brown v. the Board of Education.
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JoCo History Collections - Historical photographs and maps documenting the people, places and organizations of Johnson County.
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The Midwest Afro-American Genealogical Interest Coalition (MAGIC)- Promotes genealogy and family history through presentations, monthly meetings, a quarterly magazine, exhibitions and tours of Kansas City.
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Olathe’s early African-American community –Kansas’ anti-slavery legacy offered a fresh start for many former slaves and their families after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Watch
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African-American Stories on Kanopy – Hundreds of films, documentaries, and series exploring everything from current events to the history and cultural legacy of African-Americans.
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The Past is Prologue - A series of programs featuring topics that were often left out, glossed over or misrepresented in our history books, such as The Kansas City Monarchs and the Negro National League , Corinthian Nutter and the South Park School, and The Town of Nicodemus, KS
Read
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Celebrate 100 Years of the Negro Leagues - 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues – learn about its development, players, and legacy.
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Read More Black Authors: Kids and Teens – Celebrate Black voices with this collection of both fiction and non-fiction titles for younger readers.
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Upbeat Black History Month – A collection of uplifting African-American stories from throughout our country's history, with an emphasis on the underknown.
Share
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Take the Black History Month Kahoot quiz for some fun and to test your knowledge:
Little Central is Still a Big Deal
Here's a glimpse of Little Central!
We are making areas of Central Resource Library even better in 2021! In addition to its public service staff, Central is home to many departments that support all 14 branches. Once the work at Central is complete, you will feel the positive impact across the Library system.
We know you probably have many questions about what to expect over the next year, so we’ve put together a Construction FAQ that addresses the status of popular services like the Black & Veatch MakerSpace and Genealogy resources, more details about Little Central and where to find alternate services.
Services available at Central during construction include:
- Holds pick-up and self-check.
- Materials return inside the building (for exterior book drops, we recommend patrons use a nearby location such as Oak Park, Leawood, or Corinth).
- Nine public PCs
- Public printing / copying / scanning
- Access to public restrooms
- Community information, including tax forms
This Week at the Library
This week at the Library, you can join us for:
Money Mondays – Banking Basics: Modern Money – Monday, Feb. 22, 6-7:00 PM
Join Dana Branham, Director of Community Affairs, Kansas Office of the State Bank Commission, to get an unbiased view of the different banking options available to consumers. Learn to shop for a financial institution, the types of accounts, what to expect when opening an account, and how to use apps to stay on track.
Artists in Sight – Tuesday, Feb. 23, 6:30-7:00 PM
Since we can’t go to live concerts these days, here’s an opportunity to get a glimpse into the local music scene with an interview with Fally Afani, award-winning journalist and photographer. Her photography captures the electric energy and urgency of the Kansas City and Lawrence music scenes.
Book Party – Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2-2:30 PM
Exposing the Myths of Retirement Investing – Thursday, Feb. 25, 2-3:00 PM
This week’s session is titled, “Taming the Emotions That Hurt Investments”, presented by Emerson Hartzler, pro bono financial advisor, exposing this and other “myths” and providing practical and understandable strategies for retirement investing.