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    Olathe Downtown Library

    3.3 (21 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 8:30 pm

    Olathe Downtown Library Photos

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    Library hours
    Dana M.

    The new library is nice but the layout is odd. Like it was designed just for the modern look, not the full function. Not very handicapped friendly either. Opening day and the elevators aren't even working, I couldn't see any other way for people to get upstairs. It seems like a good space for small meetings or study groups and to take kids for a couple of hours so they can play video games. This place definitely doesn't have a library feel to it (except the 3rd floor) and if that was the goal then they have succeeded! Book selections are small but I have been informed that they are happy to request books from other libraries for you.

    3rd floor rooftop courtyard
    Rachel H.

    We loved our visit to the new library! Our city has worked very hard for a long time and it has paid off! There are tons of individual rooms to rent for studying and a teen gaming room (all glass walls so the younger ones can peek in too)! The 3rd floor courtyard is so beautiful! Full of beautiful flowers and ground cover greenery. Great views as well. Also love the cafe area, staffed and run by Sweet Tees. Always a delight to have STs in there! Of course the kids area has quite a few toy options to play with, or space to relax and read. Love it!

    Ribbon Cutting 4/29/23
    Blair J.

    I attended the ribbon cutting and grand opening of the brand new Olathe Downtown Library today. I am so glad Olathe chose to keep a library at the heart of downtown, and it is a beautiful building. Some of the best features of the new library include a large event space - "The Flex Theatre," an outdoor amphitheatre, a locally owned coffee shop, and a rooftop terrace. The building is full of windows with lots of natural light. Some of the downsides seem to be a very choppy layout spread across 4 pretty small floors. There isn't much on each floor, and overall - it really seems to lack a gathering place - a place to feel like you're amongst others at a community library. I was pleased that there seemed to be ample parking - I got a nearby spot despite the high traffic today. The outdoor Michael E. Copeland Civic Center Park on the front side of the library is beautiful, and will certainly be a focal point of the Olathe downtown for years to come. The library opening was absolutely packed, so it was hard to sense what the normal flow will feel like. I'll have to revisit and update my review later.

    One of the fountains outside level one
    Alana R.

    We love libraries and have visited many in Johnson County and other cities... this one is nice and shiny and new but left a lot to be desired. There are a few parking lots and some street parking, which is convenient. On level 1 you'll find a cafe with really reasonable snack and drink prices. You also pick up holds there. The second level has a small area for kids "play" that didn't have many available (yet?) play options, along with a somewhat confusing layout of kids books. Adult books are also on this level. It took us a few minutes to figure out how to access the outdoor area on the third floor--the stairway signs do not specify where to exit to find it, if you aren't already aware of the floor number. Walk through the small periodicals section on the third floor to find it. The outdoor area is beautiful and has plenty of seating and some shade. This (and the green space/fountains outside) was probably the best part of the new location. The employees we encountered were friendly and helpful! Unfortunately, the accessibility is not great. The disabled parking spots on the lowest parking level require you to navigate up a zigzag ramp to get to the first floor entrance. (There is a ground/basement level but the doors were locked and nothing was in there yet, that we could see) Two people stopped me to ask if I knew how to get in when we were walking to and from our car. When I asked inside, they seemed apologetic, however the only suggestion was to park on the upper level if they had accessible parking spots open there. The fountains were also hard to access if wheelchairs or walkers were used. Obviously, they had to meet ADA requirements so I'm hoping this is just a temporary problem. However, overall, I still felt like the layout and sparse collection of books didn't feel inviting. It almost felt like more of a meeting space or shared workspace than a library. If you don't have kids or accessibility needs, this location might be up your alley.

    Tresha G.

    I have been coming here for 8 years since I moved down the street. It is strange how this is part of the Johnson County library circuit, but still maintains a separate website and even their own library cards. It is the smaller of the two Olathe libraries. Even though it has the old Olathe downtown charm, many upgrades are continuously made to it. However, it has plenty of the basics of a library. The presence of a cop on the premises for security was a strange addition. I think it is more for keeping the younger crowd inline. As in the summer time and evening it can get to looking like a school house. Staff is helpful and nice when asked.

    If u stay inside all the time u will never see beauty

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    Thanks for lookin out for us, Olathe. Good stuff. I like it. I love it, I gotta have it ;)

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    Ask the Community - Olathe Downtown Library

    Is this the location of the library that used to be on Blackbob and 127th area?

    No they have their own place use to be hyvee

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    Review Highlights - Olathe Downtown Library

    This library is funded by Olathe, but partnerships with Johnson County.

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    Olathe Indian Creek Library

    Olathe Indian Creek Library

    4.2(23 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    I tried out this library for the first time today. What a wonderful, Modern, fun, and interesting…read morelibrary! The kids area is perfect and fun for small children. They have a great selection of books and play items. I love all the places to enjoy reading a book throughout the whole library and the huge wall fireplace and all the windows for natural sunlight. I was glad to see a bookstore and also a coffee shop with snacks available and lunch items. Will definitely go back! The staff was also nice that I interacted with.

    We visited public library to meet up some healthcare workers will basically we were trying to find…read morea conference room where we can have a private conversation and we had a bunch of friends who also wanted to take advantage of the place to have their kids play around and also have their teenager kids spend time reading some interesting books. Guess what this place has it all there's a kids area where they can play outdoors if the weather permits and there is an amazing collection of books, Internet, and conference room for private conversations if you have something to talk about with a business related or something more private, this place is extremely neat well organized and has an amazing ambience. There's also a mini coffee bar inside where you can buy beverages there is Internet for a very cheap price. If people are looking for any of these options from what I've mentioned, you deserve to visit this place.

    Photos
    Olathe Indian Creek Library
    Olathe Indian Creek Library
    Olathe Indian Creek Library

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    Johnson County Library - Monticello - Baby story time

    Johnson County Library - Monticello

    4.6(5 reviews)
    8.8 mi

    Yesterday I took my 14 month old grandson to this location. It's a nice modern building with lots…read moreof natural light. Very clean and they were cleaning while I was there on a continual basis. On this visit, we mostly visited the kids section even though I have been in the other areas when I've been alone. The children's section has a lot of nice resources and several computers for older children. There is and enjoyable discovery section for smaller children with activities next to large windows and some tables with age-appropriate chairs with a variety of learning toys. We checked out some toddler board books for my grandson. I do wish they had a better selection of board books. I feel like it was difficult to select appropriate books for him from the selection they had.

    First of all the architectural design is INSANE. From the roof top patio to the circular conference…read moreroom. This Library is for all ages and is very inclusive. I was surprised to see all of the diverse books on the shelves and pamphlets available with information for what Juneteenth means! The library staff aren't the most welcoming, but if you have questions they will answer in depth. This place just isn't for books, they have dvds, host book discussions, art and exhibitions. So cool that they offer FREE career development classes from finance to sewing! The new Black & Veatch MakerSpace is dedicated to those wanting to learn or refresh sewing skills or basics of metal casting. The BEST part is that they have book clubs for kids in 1st grade all the way to high school and a few that get active! With all of the events no local child should be bored this summer!

    Photos
    Johnson County Library - Monticello - Conference room

    Conference room

    Johnson County Library - Monticello - Downstairs view

    Downstairs view

    Johnson County Library - Monticello - Upstairs view

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    Upstairs view

    Johnson County Library - Lenexa City Center - Very cool lighting

    Johnson County Library - Lenexa City Center

    4.7(14 reviews)
    6.2 mi

    I went to this library for the first time and it's a newer library with bright colors and modern…read moredesign. The librarian was helpful and pleasant and of course I like their check out scanner that can take a stack of books and check them at one time. Some libraries do not have the newer scanner. They had a good selection of children's books, which is where I was at primarily. They have some activity tables for children as well. I also liked the family restroom for when a diaper needs to be changed. There is parking that is covered next to it.

    This customer service at this library deserves 5 stars by itself. We are always greeted and made to…read morefeel welcome here and I really appreciate that. The architectural design and all of the features included just makes the experience even better! The area for children has everything you could ever think of. From a large coloring table, to books for all ages & ethnicities. Regular tables and chairs to innovative reading nooks and huge lounging chairs. Whoever took on this project creating this library should be declared an artist if they aren't already. It is as if they are trying to prove a point that libraries don't have to be boring or just a place for books, but truly a spot to spend time with your family and everyone can find something to enjoy. These 5 star reviews tell no lies and I just had to add my 33 cents, since only 2 would just not be enough. Catch me at the library how about that?!

    Photos
    Johnson County Library - Lenexa City Center - More seating areas

    More seating areas

    Johnson County Library - Lenexa City Center - Soft reading nook

    Soft reading nook

    Johnson County Library - Lenexa City Center - Love this high-backed chair to relax and read in!

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    Love this high-backed chair to relax and read in!

    Johnson County Library - Leawood Pioneer - Smaller kids

    Johnson County Library - Leawood Pioneer

    4.3(8 reviews)
    9.8 mi

    Public libraries are amazing, and this is a particularly wonderful branch of our own JCL system…read more The ease of holding books/DVDs (and as long as you avoid placing a hold right before/during the weekend, JCL is really impressive at transferring items from branch to branch promptly) and checking out/returning items (with the self-service checkout stations and automated return slots) makes borrowing library content a delightful, hassle-free experience. The JCL system's catalog is pretty expansive too. It's also just a nice, relaxing place to study/read when you need to kill a couple hours or get out of the house for some reason (and unlike with coffee shops, you don't have to buy anything to justify your presence there). I really can't sing JCL/Leawood Pioneer's praises highly enough.

    I had never tried this particular library out before so I decided to bring my grandson and try out…read morethe children's area. I was disappointed as the smaller children's area was quite small in comparison to other libraries. They did have some nice toddler board books and the children's area in general had the normal amount of books that the other libraries typically have. The teen area is in the youth/kids area. As you enter the library, it's to the right in a separate room. I think what I find disappointing is that I have visited almost all of the libraries in Johnson County except two, which I plan to visit soon. And I find that the children's librarians tend not to be very friendly. They're usually sitting behind their desk often with a scowl on their face or hiding their face and really never offer any help. If they're approached, they seem irritated. The 95th St. library in Overland Park tends to be the better and more welcoming library for children. The adult section was typical of an adult section. So I would say this library is fine for adults or probably teens that want to study as they have steady areas, but there are better libraries for smaller children.

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    Johnson County Library - Leawood Pioneer
    Johnson County Library - Leawood Pioneer - Small area for kids

    Small area for kids

    Johnson County Library - Leawood Pioneer - Leaving kids section into adult section

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    Leaving kids section into adult section

    Billington Library - Johnson County Community College

    Billington Library - Johnson County Community College

    3.5(2 reviews)
    5.6 mi

    People genuinely can be so loud here sometimes. It can be frustrating, so bring noise cancelling…read moreheadphones.

    This rating is for the Johnson County Community College Billington Library's culinary arts…read morecollection. JCCC has one of the largest and best-regarded culinary arts programs in the U.S. and the library reflects that. They have quite a large cookbook collection! Not very well-known is that non-college people can check out books at the library, especially if they're Johnson County residents or business owners. (More info on the library's website.) The circulating collection is on the library's second floor, but there is also a large non-circulating culinary arts reference library in OCB 153. Ask at the library for directions and hours the reference collection is available. The online catalog is easy to use -- you'll get great browsing results if you're making a general search by entering the values "(nationality/ethnicity/style)" and "cookery", like French cookery or Brazilian cookery or Jewish cookery. You can also use terms like "desserts" or "baking" or "vegetarian." Of course, you can also search by a book's title or author if you already know them. There are quite good cookbook collections at the Johnson County Library (I know they're pretty extensive at the Central Resource Library and Oak Park branch) but when you can't find the cookbook you're looking for at your local public library, JCCC's Billington Library is where to look next! Especially if it's an older, expensive or out-of-print cookbook! Thumbs up for a great local culinary resource! Professional chefs and curious home cooks will love this library!

    Olathe Downtown Library - libraries - Updated May 2026

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