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Science Microhistories Deep Dive
Fun, Weird, Wild and Wonderful Science
Our librarians are back and this time Gregg Winsor brought a couple friends along—librarians Caitlin Perkins and Wendy Gish—to talk in-depth about their favorite weird and wild science books! "Microhistories" are a genre of nonfiction books dedicated to a deep-dive on one particular topic, like snails, psychedelics, or communication amongst trees.
Our recommendations:
Charles’ Choice: American Serengeti by Dan Flores
Dave’s Double feature: streaming video from Kanopy. Super Size Me: The Fast-Food Industry in America.
and NOVA Universe Revealed: Milky Way.
Weird and Wild Science Book Recommendations
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Meet The Authors: Sarah Henning, Julie Murphy, and Natalie C. Parker
Thursday, July 13, 2023
6:30-8p.m.
Monticello Library
Acclaimed authors, Sarah Henning, Julie Murphy, and Natalie C. Parker will be in conversation about their newest titles: Monster Camp, Camp Sylvania and The Devouring Wolf. Join us as they discuss all things wacky, scary, and campy in their new Spooktacular releases. Copies of these new title will be available for purchase. Q&A and book signing to follow.
This Week at the Library
Library OnDemand – Available anytime you like.
Healthy Living Class – Tuesday, May 30, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Community health workers from the Johnson County Department of Health & Environment will be onsite at Central Resource Library in Conference Room 20, to provide information about healthy living with a focus on quitting smoking.
Catholic Charities Kids Summer Food Program:
- Central Resource – Monday - Friday, weekly, May 30 – August 4, 11 a.m. – noon
- Antioch – Monday, Wednesday and Friday, weekly, June 5 – August 4, 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
- The Library will be closed June 19 and July 4 and the food program will not be available on those days. Children up to 18 years of age receive a free nutritious meal at the Library. Catholic Charities operates the Kids Summer Food Program in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Kansas Department of Education.
Meet the Author: All Together with Jacqueline Woodson– Thursday, June 1, 6 – 7:45 p.m.
Acclaimed author Jacqueline Woodson will join us at the Central Resource Library to launch the All Together Now 2023 Summer Reading program! She will share her insights on the meaning of inclusion, representation, and unity. Join fellow readers to discover why we read, why she writes, and the importance of stories to connect us all. In person attendees will receive a free Jaqueline Woodson book to add to their home library (while supplies last)! Q&A and book signing to follow. Registration is required as space is limited, but don’t hesitate to join the waitlist. The program will also be recorded for registrants to view online.
READ to a Dog or Cat with Pets for Life – Monday, June 5, 3:30 – 5 p.m.
Join us at the Leawood Pioneer Library. The Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program improves children’s reading and communication skills by employing a powerful method: reading to a registered therapy dog or cat! These animals volunteer with their owner/handlers as a team. Please note: space is limited for this program; kids will get a ticket at arrival and wait their turn to read to one of several animals.
All Together Now! Get Ready for Summer Reading 2023!
Johnson County Library is delighted to welcome everyone for Summer Reading 2023! The theme this year is “All Together Now” which is perfect to frame a rich roster of programming for the whole family. Johnson County Library is ready to invite everyone to book distributions and in-person events encouraging literacy and reading among children, teens and adults.
“We have really embraced this theme, thinking about programming that not only offers a variety of ways to get engaged in Library programming but also ways we can intentionally bring the communities of Johnson County together, all ages, all ethnicities,” said Elementary Coordinating Librarian Melanie Fuemmeler.
The Summer Reading theme is a nationwide campaign provided by the Collaborative Summer Library Program, with this year’s graphics done by illustrator Frank Morrison.
For many Johnson County Library staffers, Summer Reading is their favorite time of year. “I’m really excited about connecting patrons with new experiences,” said Monticello Youth Information Specialist Michelle Ranney. “Whether that’s going to a program or getting a free book or engaging with the Library for the first time. I love how it opens the community to all the different ways you can experience the Library.”
Answers to Summer Reading questions are available on the Library's Summer Reading webpage.
The kickoff is June 1 at Central Resource Library, featuring Newbery-winner Jacqueline Woodson, author of “Brown Girl Dreaming” and other acclaimed best-sellers. She will speak about her work, answer questions and do a book signing in an event that already has a waitlist. The program will be recorded for registrants to view online.
The Library will host free book distributions in its branches throughout June. It has ordered 25,000 books including picture books, Easy Reader, J Fiction, Non-Fiction and Teen selections.
Even before that, during April and May, more than 13,000 free books are distributed through Johnson County’s elementary schools and community partners like Merriam Parks and Recreation and the Jewish Community Center. This Library outreach began during COVID and has proven to be hugely successful.
“It’s getting a book in their hands, building those home libraries, giving out high interest titles,” Fuemmeler said. “So students have them before they even leave for the summer.”
This year’s Summer Reading events are particularly exuberant and fun. MakerSpace presenters will provide creative programming at Central, Antioch, Monticello and Gardner. Library favorites like Dino O’Dell and Mr. Stinky Feet will perform. MISTER G, a bilingual artist/musician/author, will do a book signing and concert at Central on June 24.
Other workshops will feature Drum Safari, breakdancing, circus performance arts, and science activities. Popular programs like Tabletop Games and READ to a Dog are back in person.
The season wraps up July 29 at Central Library and the adjacent Strang Park with a celebration including popular local performer Funky Mama (Krista Tatschl Eyler) and artist-musician Camry Ivory.
Reading logs are available to help kids keep track of what they’ve read, but the goal isn’t to plow through a ton of books.
“We want quality and engagement over quantity,” said Central Information Specialist Christin Devonshire, part of the programming committee. “We are not trying to treat it like a homework assignment.”
Monticello Youth Services Librarian Jennifer Reeves can’t wait to see the branches full of parents and children this summer. It’s also a celebratory time for staff. “There’s just a buzz,” she said. “I love the excitement.”
For Devonshire, the summer reading season exudes joy, particularly this year. “The theme feels so timely when we have felt distanced from each other and had all these barriers,” she said. “The Library is the place that will bring us together.”
Old Yearbooks Tell So Many Stories
Shawnee Mission Yearbooks
It’s another grand Throwback Thursday where we encourage you to time travel through Johnson County's history. JoCoHistory is a collaborative presentation of history from the Johnson County Museum, Johnson County Library and many JoCoHistory partners. Explore historical photographs and documents about the people, places and organizations of Johnson County, Kansas, from the 19th century to the present.
About this collection: Shawnee Mission Rural High School published its first yearbook, The Indian, in 1923. As Johnson County's population increased, the district opened more high schools, each with its own yearbook. This collection contains many of those annuals.
Titles and schools, by order of first publication:
- Indian - Shawnee Mission Rural High School, later Shawnee Mission High School, later Shawnee Mission North
- Hauberk - Shawnee Mission East
- Saga - Shawnee Mission West
- Heritage - Shawnee Mission South
- Lair - Shawnee Mission Northwest
- Horizon(s) - Alternative Education Program, later Horizons
An Interview with Acclaimed Author Jacqueline Woodson
JoCoLibrary Uncovered Presents
Acclaimed author Jacqueline Woodson—who will join Johnson County Library* to launch the All Together Now 2023 Summer Reading program—talks about her writing and reading with Readers Advisory Librarian Gregg Winsor. Woodson discusses how she navigates jumping between genres and audiences, her writing process, collaborating with illustrators, and connecting with communities through outreach. She even gives us a glimpse into her upcoming book!
*Please note: Although registration is currently full for Meet the Author: All Together with Jacqueline Woodson, we encourage you to join the waitlist because that will give you access to the recorded program after the event.
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Posedla Joyseat 3D-printed custom saddle
May is Bike Month
It’s still Bike Month, but it feels like bike year at Johnson County Library with all the upcoming bike related programs! See below for more information and to register.
- Panel Discussion and Bike Ride: Inclusive Ride Groups Saturday, June 10, 1:30– 3:30p.m.
- Panel Discussion: Bike Shop 101 Tuesday, July 18, 6:30-7:30p.m.
- Keynote Address: Women’s Bike Summit Tuesday, Aug. 15, 6:30-7:30p.m.
- Women's Bike Summit Saturday, September 30
More information coming soon. Check out the series of warm up events and how to get involved.
Check out our bike-themed booklist with some great titles, check out Bikes, Books, and Beyond!
From valve caps to mud flaps, get some ideas for fun and functional 3d printed bike accessories »
This Week at the Library
This week at the Library, you can join us at:
Library OnDemand – Available anytime you like.
Healthy Heart Nutrition Seminars – Tuesdays, May 23, June 27, July 25 & August 29, noon – 1 p.m.
Community health workers from Johnson County Department of Health & Environment will be onsite at Central Resource Library in Conference Room 20 to provide healthy heart nutrition guidance.
Tabletop Games – Tuesday, May 15, 6 – 7:45 p.m.
Join us for a fun-filled event at the Monticello Library with family and friends and become a part of the Johnson County tabletop gaming community. Discover new games from our collection or bring your personal favorite to share – you might get creative with a round of Dixit, collaborate to escape the Forbidden Island or strategize your way to victory as King of Tokyo! Come and go as you please. Refreshments are provided.
Young Adult Literary Council – Wednesdays, May 24, June 28, July 26 & August 23, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Teens are invited to join the Young Adult Literary Council at the Monticello Library to share favorite books, pick up advanced reader copies of teen books to read and review, and participate in other fun activities such as author visits, game days, event planning and more. Meet new people and receive volunteer credit hours for your time with us.
Open Mic – Fridays, May 26, June 23, July 28 & August 25, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Johnson County Library is teaming up with Bear Necessities Coffee Bar (9609 W 87th St, Overland Park, KS 66212) to bring you an Open Mic from 6:30 – 7:30pm on the 4th Friday of every month. Bring poems, short stories, essays, and excerpts to share on the stage. Or come just to listen. We’ll feature readings from our contest winners and the rest of the time is for you.
Sign up at the event, 3-minute limit.
Walk and Read at Strang Park – Saturday, May 27 – June 4, All day, anytime
Johnson County Library and Overland Park Parks and Recreation Department invite you to visit the Walk and Read at Strang Park. Two stories, Group Hug by Jean Reidy and The Day You Begin by Jaqueline Woodson, will be posted. Walk and Read creates a reading opportunity for all, in various parks throughout Johnson County. Those who participate will read two stories posted around a path, one going each direction. When you finish one story, you can turn around to the other side of the sign and begin the next story, which will lead you back around the path. The Walk and Read program encourages physical activity, literacy and family time. The paths are stroller and wheelchair friendly, allowing for all to join in the fun! Dates are subject to adjustment due to inclement weather conditions.
elementia Celebrates 20 Issues!
elementia is a literary arts magazine edited and designed by teens in the Kansas City Metro area and published by Johnson County Library. The publication aims to represent and uplift young adults by presenting their original poetry, fiction, nonfiction, graphic stories, photography and illustrations. elementia takes on a new theme each year; this year’s submissions were inspired by cycles.
The 20th anniversary edition is available now in branches and online.