Gift Cards Available

A Friends gift card is the perfect present for teachers, book lovers, your best friend, your neighbor, your aunt, your accountant...we could keep going. 😉
Physical cards are available to purchase in person at our used book sales.

Libraries for all! All for Libraries!

We are Friends of
Johnson County Library

Friends of Johnson County Library is a member-supported nonprofit organization promoting community awareness and participation in library services. We serve as library advocates and promote literacy and lifelong learning.

Great Friends make great libraries! Great libraries make your community a great place to live!

Giving Back to the Library

The Friends are the single largest donor to the Johnson County Library.

18,000+

hours given by volunteers in 2023.

 600,000

donated items processed by volunteers each year.

$2.5+

million given since 1999
as of July 2024.

New! Friends Merch

We now have shirts and sweatshirts for sale that declare your support for public libraries, intellectual freedom, and Friends of Johnson County Library.

New designs coming soon!

Car Donations

Are those car repair bills piling up? 🚗💸 Don’t let them give you the chills and donate your vehicle to support the Friends of Johnson County Library! We make it easy: free pick-up, tax-deductible, and zero hassle. We accept cars, trucks, boats, RVs, and more. Start your donation today!

Selling your car = an emoji of a sad face followed by donating your care = an emoji of a happy face with a halo.

Friends Used Book Sales

Find great deals on gently-used books! Fantastic quality and popular titles every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm.

FEBRUARY 8 FINAL SALE HOURS | 11:30 am – 5:00 pm at 8279 Melrose Drive, Lenexa, KS.

16k+

Items for sale!

25¢

Prices starting at just a quarter!

All Friends members receive 20% off of their purchase. Join now!

All Sales Located at Friends Headquarters:

8281 Melrose Drive, Lenexa, KS 66214

Book Donations

Do you have gently used books to donate to the Friends?

We hold Drive-up Donation Events every Saturday (except during inclement weather).

Volunteers will be available to accept your donations on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 11:00 am at Friends Headquarters – 8279 Melrose Dr., Lenexa, KS 66214.

National Friends of Libraries Week is October 20 - 26.

We celebrated National Friends of Libraries Week (October 20 – 26) by presenting the winners of our annual Bookmark Design Contest! The winning illustrations will be printed as bookmarks and distributed during the year at the 14 branches of the Johnson County Library and at Friends book sales. This yearly competition celebrating the love of reading and the talent of our community has been going strong for over 30 years.

The winning 2022 bookmark designs

Shop our Online Used Book Stores!

Need to shop online – but still want to support the Friends? Check out our selections on Amazon, Ebay, or Abe Books!

Amazon

Shop our Amazon storefront!

Ebay

Over 3,500 items available to browse on Ebay!

abe Books

Do you love vintage books? Shop our specialty selection!

February 14 is not just Valentine`s Day – it`s also #LibraryLoversDay!

(Although we think that EVERY day is a good day to love your Library…)

Libraries for All! All for Libraries! 💖

#ILoveMyKansasLibrary #KansasLibraries #ILoveTheLibrary #JocoLibrary #JohnsonCountyLibrary #PublicLibraries

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Join the Friends on March 20 from 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm for Banned Books Book Club!

Our Executive Director Shanta Dickerson will lead a discussion of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝘆𝗲 by Toni Morrison, which is #10 on the American Library Association`s list of Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books: 2010-2019.

Banned Books Book Club will be hosted by our Community Friends, Serendipity Labs, located in the Creative Planning building at 5440 West 110th Street, Suite 300, Overland Park, KS, 66221.

Registration is not required!

#FriendsofJohnsonCountyLibrary #JCLFriends #FriendsoftheLibrary #BookClub #KCBookClub #KCBookstagram #JoCoLibrary #JohnsonCountyLibrary

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Meet Friends of Johnson County Library board member Andrea Artist! We asked her some questions about why she loves the Library – and why it`s important to her to volunteer.

📚Why did you volunteer for the board?

"I love the Johnson County Library, and I have been in constant awe of learning of all the programs and services it provides to the community. Whether it`s providing a venue for people to exercise their rights to vote to serving as a safe place to study to offering storytime to littles to giving access to information and media to all members of the community, the list of benefits that the library provides is endless."

📚What do you love about the Library?

"The opportunities and accessibility it provides to all members of the community. There aren`t many places in the world where every person can feel like they belong, and I believe the library is one of few harbors that has a place for and welcomes everyone. Libraries can be any number of things: an escape, an opportunity, an outlet for creativity. There are programs, media, and services for all members of the community, and a significant majority of these offerings are free to the public."

📚What was your favorite childhood book and why?

"`Shiloh` by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor; I love dogs!"

📚What are you reading right now?

"`The Life We Bury` by Allen Eskens and `The Friend Zone` by Abby Jiminez, two wildly different books!"

📚What are three books you recommend?

"`Beartown` by Fredrik Backman, `The Book Thief` by Markus Zusak, and `Remarkably Bright Creatures` by Shelby van Pelt."

📚What are some reasons that you think someone should become a Friend of the Library?

"In Johnson County, we are incredibly fortunate to have the quality and number of programs and services our library offers. I have a daughter, and I want our libraries to continue to provide her the same or more opportunities to safety, information, and entertainment. With the scrutiny that libraries are faced with on a daily basis, our libraries need their friends to stand up and continue to advocate for them. …Plus, the discount at the weekly book sales is a huge perk." 🙂

#FriendsoftheLibrary #ILoveMyKansasLibrary

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to the big book sales?

Through careful research and financial analysis, we have found that the “big book sale” business model is a poor one. It’s extremely expensive and puts most of our inventory in passive storage for most of the year. It just doesn’t make sense to squirrel those treasures away for months at a time when we have people eager to support us year-round!

We now offer weekly sales on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in our very own sale space in Friends Headquarters at 8281 Melrose Drive, Lenexa, KS, 66214. We hope to see you there!

When is your next book sale?

Our used book sales are every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (year-round) at 8281 Melrose Drive, Lenexa, KS, 66214, except for holidays or inclement weather. Please see the upcoming schedule here – or check out our social media for any cancellations.

Are you located at a Library?

No, Friends of Johnson County Library is not located at a Johnson County Library branch. We accept book donations and hold our weekly book sales at our headquarters located at 8279 – 8281 Melrose Drive, Lenexa, KS 66214 in the Pine Ridge Business Center.

Can I drop off book donations at the Library?

Small-quantity donations (one bag, small box, or armful) are now accepted during Library business hours at most Library branches. Library staff will not be available to help you unload your donation. Please look for donation bins.

  • Blue Valley
  • Cedar Roe
  • Central Resource
  • Corinth
  • De Soto (no donation bin)
  • Edgerton (no donation bin)
  • Gardner
  • Leawood Pioneer
  • Lenexa City Center
  • Merriam Plaza
  • Monticello
  • Oak Park
  • Shawnee
  • Spring Hill (no donation bin)

If you need help unloading your donation, please visit the Friends sorting center during our donation drop-off hours on Saturdays between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. More information can be found here.

Can you find a specific book for me?

We are happy to help you look for a book during our Saturday sales. However, our inventory is not computerized, and we do not offer private shopping via email or social media messaging.

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