Johnson County Library got its start in the 1950s in the homes of neighborhood families. Before they had funding, dedicated community members ran volunteer libraries out of their basements, schoolhouses, a barbershop, a plumbing company, a shopping center and a traveling bookmobile. Their hard work and passion soon led to an official Johnson County Library in Merriam, Kansas. Today, Johnson County Library serves over two million people from 14 library buildings in Northeast Kansas. And one thing hasn't changed — the Library staff are helped by 900 volunteers who donate over 50,000 hours of their time each year!