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Monticello Library is the newest facility in the Johnson County Library family. Its striking silhouette and bold site placement have already made it a western Shawnee landmark. When visitors enter the building on opening day – Sunday, August 5, 2018 if you hadn’t heard – they’ll find a colorful interior as dynamic and engaging as the exterior.

The Monticello exterior features black brick, white-painted metal and dark grey concrete surfaces. These could almost be called austere excepting the vigorous angles of the library’s two stories and the elegant floor-to-ceiling windows of the north and east facades. The handsome external textures and shadowy tones offer a tease and surprising contrast to the bright interior visual adventure.

The building's interior surfaces and textures are inspired by natural forms and colors composed to subtly define different Library spaces. Brilliant ‘high test’ carpeting is installed on both levels, in complementary and contrasting color compositions. Some walls in the roomy Kids areas feature woven acoustical wallcoverings. This makes them especially durable for the many Kids programs we’ll be offering, and useful for the easy display of drawings and posters often seen in our branches.

The richly hued floors lend their palette to feature walls in public areas and meeting rooms throughout the building. These occasionally are framed by subtle wood and brushed laminate textures. Restrooms upstairs and down feature entries and interior walls of shiny, generously proportioned primary-colored tiles set in white or grey mortar. Their vivid grids boldly contrast the planes of walls, ceilings and windows across the Library.

We are eager to welcome you to the new Monticello Library when we open, so you can experience this rewarding aesthetic tour de force yourself!

Bandit and Mr. Pickles, something tells us you know May is National Pet month! 

Who's a good boy! No seriously. Which one of you is the good boy who knows to go outside to take care of business and which one of you "made" on the carpet. No, the Library will not clean this up for your owner! But, with a Library Card anybody can access Consumer Reports and get the (poop) scoop on carpet stain removers.

But Bandit and Mr. Pickles, we don't blame you. You've had to learn so much. You've had to learn that shoes are not chew toys. You've learned that while it's OK for humans to yap nonstop, barking nonstop isn't considered "cool." And that even though you NOW there is something pretty amazing to be discovered just a few feet under the back yard, no digging. No, no, no! Well why can't your human learn how to tell you what the "rules" are up front?! Why not have them take our Pet and Animal Care course via Universal Class? Or why not checkout a Dog Training DVD? You could watch it together! In fact, why not make it a double feature? Better yet, a triple feature? Is there such thing as a quadruple feature? Benji? Marley & Me? The Adventures of Milo and Otis? 101 Dalmatians?

Bandit and Mr. Pickles, just remember these words of wisdom:

• The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.
• If you want the best seat in the house…you’ll have to move the dog. 
• Every dog will have its day! 

▼・ᴥ・▼           U ´ᴥ` U           U・ᴥ・U           ▼(´ᴥ`)▼           U・ﻌ・U           υ´• ﻌ •`υ

It's Throwback Thursday and May is National Pet month! The Kansas School for the Deaf introduced Johnson County to Buddy the deaf dog! Sure he wears a hat, eyeglasses and smokes a pipe - he's a working class dog!

See more local history at jocohistory.org or follow our hashtag on Twitter.