The last day of services at Johnson County Library’s Antioch location (8700 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Merriam) will be Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024.

Library users may continue to pick up and return materials, browse the collection, use public computers and meeting rooms as normal until close of business on that date.

The building will permanently close to transfer materials and staff to the new Merriam Plaza Library, located a quarter mile to the north of Antioch at 6120 Slater St. on a shared campus with the Merriam Community Center.

The Merriam Plaza location is anticipated to open in spring 2024; the Library will be able to set an official ribbon-cutting date once the moving process is underway.

Antioch Library is Johnson County Library’s first and oldest branch, serving Johnson County residents since 1957. It also was Library headquarters until 1995, when Central Resource Library opened in Overland Park.

Though beloved, the building’s aging infrastructure and limited parking made construction of a replacement location most cost-effective. In 2017 the Library’s Board of Directors approved a proposal from the City of Merriam to co-locate a new library facility with their planned Community Center, which opened to the public in 2020.

Construction began on the new Merriam Plaza Library, named for its location within the overall Merriam Municipal Plaza, in December 2022. The architect on the project is Dake Wells, and the contractor is Titan Built, LLC.

About Merriam Plaza Library

Designed with input from the local community, the 15,000 square foot new Library is approximately the same size as Antioch’s branch space. It will feature modern amenities like updated A/V technology and a drive thru lane for materials returns and holds pickups.

A green roof with over 7,000 native plantings will help with HVAC efficiency and expand the roof’s lifespan, and a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces provide opportunities for work or play.

Learn more at jocolibrary.org/merriam.