After a year of construction, Johnson County Library’s Central Resource Branch (9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park, KS) will fully reopen to the public Tuesday, Feb. 22. The location’s front lobby operated as “Little Central” while the majority of the building was closed, offering limited services such as holds pickup, materials return and public computers.

Beginning Feb. 22, visitors to the Library will enjoy several new amenities and refreshed spaces, including a convenient new drive-thru window for holds pickup and an expanded and relocated Kids area. The Kids area features large windows and window-seating overlooking Strang Park, updated kid-friendly shelving and furniture, a dedicated Storytime room and new activity units promoting early literacy (a gift from the Regnier Family Foundation, John W. & Effie E. Speas Memorial Trust, and Johnson County Library Foundation). A gated outdoor patio off the Kids area is coming soon.

Long considered a third space for Johnson County residents to study, work and gather, the location now offers 20 reservable spaces of various sizes and layouts. The Library’s existing conference and study rooms were updated with fresh paint, new furniture, and wireless AV technology, and two new media rooms were added adjacent to the Teen collection. Behind the scenes, staff spaces were reconfigured and consolidated to create a more efficient flow of materials throughout the entire 14-branch Library system.

Central Resource Library’s popular genealogy resources and the Black & Veatch MakerSpace will also reopen to full in-person services, though with temporarily reduced hours. The MakerSpace facility received new paint and flooring and new or upgraded equipment, including laser and vinyl cutters, 3D printers, sewing machines, larger computer monitors and a large-format CNC router. Equipment reservations and tutorials can be accessed at jocolibrary.org/makerspace.