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Throwback Thursday
Are you ready for spring? We sure are. Here's a photo of a snow plow from the Johnson County Archives. There's something cathartic about seeing this truck plowing away the snow. Perhaps it can push warmer temperatures our way!
See more local history at jocohistory.org or follow our hashtag on Twitter.
It's Spring!
Even though it's not quite as spring-y outside as we'd like, we can still enjoy reading about Springtime with our little ones. See our picks for picture books about Spring!
Music Monday!
Pablo Sanhueza is many things: bandleader, Latin jazz percussionist, musical scholar, master and student. The Chilean-born musician is perhaps best known for leading the KC Salsa & Latin Jazz All Stars ensemble, but his musical imprint does not stop there. He is a songwriter who has toured widely, sharing the stage with the likes of Poncho Sanchez, Titos Sompa, Dave Valentin and Bobby Watson. We are honored to share an interview with Sanhueza. Enjoy!
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This Week at the Library
This week at Johnson County Library, you can up your audio game, play some board games, enjoy the intersection of science and art, and listen to a talk on our perception of time.
Drop In Sound Studio Help (register here) Tuesday, April 3, 4 - 7 pm @ Central Resource Library
Table Top Game Night Wednesday, April 4, 6 - 7:45 pm @ Antioch Library
Up Close with Science and Art Wednesday, April 4, 6 - 7 pm @ Cedar Roe Library
Dr. Jean Rioux on Time and Philosophy Thursday, April 5, 6:30 - 7:30 pm @ Central Resource Library
Year round at the all of our libraries, you can bring your little ones to a storytime! We have more than 30 each week »
What Would the X-Men Read?
The Library hosted a panel at the recent Planet Comicon (2018) entitled What Would the X-Men Read? During the panel, Librarians Gregg and Stefanie were joined by comic creators Seth Peck, Dennis Hopeless, and artist Mark Brooks. The panelists came up with some great pairings as to what a particular X-Men character might like to read. Check them out here »
Look at Life Through Ruby Printed Glasses!
Here's a close-up video of a 3D print job on our Ultimaker 2 Go. Check out all of the cool equipment you can use in our MakerSpace or join us for a Maker event soon »
What Makes up the Library’s Collection?
The mission of Johnson County Library is to provide access to ideas, materials, experiences and information that support and enrich people’s lives. A library’s collection touches each of these ideals and is a major part of patron experiences system-wide.
At the Library, we have a centralized collection development team whose sole job is to provide a collection rich with ideas, information and viewpoints from all walks of life and all sides of a topic. We do not place restrictions on access to the collection because of origin, age, background or views of the patron. These principles of intellectual freedom are outlined in a series of documents endorsed by the American Library Association and are found the in appendix of our collection development policy.
Why We Buy
Purchasing collection is a main way for us to provide this service and meet our mission to provide patrons access in a free and unbiased environment. Service can also be met through inter-library loan (ILL), internet access, database access and a host of other services.
How We Choose
The policy of Johnson County Library strives to be inclusive. We do not censor materials by omitting to select them. We want to represent all voices in the collection and purchase so we have something for every part of our community. We also consider format and how we choose to provide access to the materials.
Whether in print, in a database or on a website, we look to offer the information in a format that provides access and avoids duplication of a collection. Tools used when selecting materials include: publisher information, marketing information, professional journals for book reviews, social media/websites/blogs for reader reviews, patron/staff suggestions, ILL requests, checkout (ROI and turnover rates), holds, quality of binding (will it fall apart during checkout), wide coverage of subjects and viewpoints, and local interest.
What We Weed ('Weeding' means removing from the collection)
- Condition – remove when damaged
- Disuse – if the item has not checked out for a certain length of time
- Extra copies – once demand for an item begins to fall, the number of copies is reduced
- Extra titles – when new titles on a topic are released older titles may be weeded
- Revisions – as a general rule, we keep the newest edition of a title or series
- Overall health of the collection
We hope this sheds a little light on why you see what you do online and in our Library locations!
Last Day of Sale!
Don't miss the last day of the Cabin Fever Book Sale!
Saturday, March 24 is your last chance to score some amazing deals and build your home Library! The sale will continue at the Central Resource Library from 9:30 am – 3 pm.
Can't make it tomorrow? Don't worry, we have more sales for you to add to your calendar. Also, there are plenty of treasures to be found with our online sales options!