How one young traveler collected over 100 library cards across America 

At 7 years old, Aaralyn Yarsulik worried about leaving behind one of her favorite places in the world: Johnson County Library. 

 

In 2020, her family hit the road full time in an RV, traveling the country to visit national parks, historic sites and cities across America. For Aaralyn, the biggest question was: What about the library? 

 

"She was notorious for bringing massive collections home to pore over,” her mom, Maci, said. “We decided to help her adjust by turning it into a fun collection, where she could ask each library for a card after she visited.” 

 

Six years later, the collection has grown to more than 100 library cards from across the country, currently displayed at Lenexa City Center Library while the family spends time back in Kansas. 

 

The cards themselves are mostly inactive – many libraries have restrictions on issuing cards to out-of-state visitors – but that was never the point. 

 

“It's not just the library cards,” Aaralyn said. “It's the memories you make while collecting them." 

 

Now 12, Aaralyn has visited libraries in 28 states, plus Canada and Mexico. Wherever the family travels, libraries are usually part of the plan. 

 

Along the way, she’s seen grand state libraries, small-town branches and striking architectural landmarks. One of her favorites was in Vancouver, where the coliseum-style design left an impression. She also loved the State Library of Kansas in Topeka and received a private tour of a Tennessee law library near the state capitol. 

Libraries have become both keepsakes and classrooms for the family, who homeschool their four children while traveling. 

 

Aaralyn has loved books for as long as she can remember. As a young child, she completed the “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” program, earning her first library card – a family tradition. 

 

Today, physical books anchor much of her learning. 

 

“We’re not really big on reading electronically,” she said. “We’ve always been very rooted in paper. I feel like it's a lost art.” 

 

The family regularly reads nonfiction books for research and writing projects, while video resources help supplement lessons with shows like “The Magic School Bus” and “Bill Nye the Science Guy.” 

 

Travel has shaped Aaralyn’s education just as much as books have. 

 

"My mom was really focused on taking us to different historic sites,” she said. “We could see things that a lot of kids only see in textbooks.” 

 

That meant visiting places like Mount Rushmore and Hawaii – places her mother only read about growing up. 

 

Last year, Aaralyn traveled to Japan, a longtime dream destination. 

 

“It was definitely life changing,” she said. “It was really awesome getting to see how amazing that country truly was.” 

 

She didn’t have time to visit libraries there, but she hopes to live there in the future. 

 

Her growing collection has opened unexpected doors along the way. She has toured the Library of Congress, visited the U.S. Senate Law Library and met Senator Jerry Moran. At the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, she was invited into the library stacks. In Florida, she won a library-sponsored writing contest for a fairy tale short story and later received a publishing offer. 

 

She has also had extraordinary experiences, including “putting historical documents to sleep” at the National Archives, sleeping in front of the case containing the U.S. Constitution and having breakfast with the first female archivist of the United States. 

 

One of her favorite memories came on her 10th birthday, when a South Carolina library surprised her by making her an honorary librarian for the day. 

“They invited her to process books and do shelving,” Maci said. “She had no idea.” 

 

Aaralyn still lights up talking about the moment. 

 

“I got out of bed thinking it was going to be a normal birthday,” she said. “Nope. It was such a good surprise.” 

 

For Aaralyn, libraries are places to explore and discover. 

 

“You can find new stuff that you like and venture outside your own collection,” she said. “That’s one of the most glorious things about libraries. It’s not just books. They offer so many resources.” 

 

The display at Lenexa City Center Library tells the story of those travels, but Aaralyn hopes it also sends a message about curiosity and learning. 

“It’s amazing how much these travels have made an impact on my life,” she said. 

 

As Aaralyn says, it’s a “great blessing” to discover libraries and make memories. Start exploring your own possibilities at jocolibrary.org. And if you have a collection you’re proud of, several Johnson County Library branches host patron collection displays where community members can show what they love. Visit a Questions desk to learn how to participate.