Now’s a great time to get some gift shopping done, and don’t forget to pick out some items for yourself. Start by shopping at the Friends of Johnson County Library Pop-Up Sales. You’ll find a wide selection of lightly-used materials for bargain prices all while supporting your Johnson County Library.
Pop Up Sales:
Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. (closed for holidays, inclement weather closings announced on Facebook)
In the Pine Ridge Office Park
8279 Melrose Dr.
Lenexa, KS 66214
The Friends started selling used books more than 30 years ago, and they are still going strong. Their 16,000+ item inventory is restocked weekly and comes mostly from generous community donations, with the balance from books periodically weeded out of the Johnson County Library’s circulating collection.
Friends’ net proceeds are paid into the Library’s Collection budget, to help the Library buy new books. “We’re really proud of this success,” says Friends president Chris Meier. “Not only are we repurposing books in our community and giving them longer lives, we’re supporting our favorite public place: the Library!”
The Friends sell books in-person and online. They launched Pop Up Sales earlier this year at their donation processing headquarters in Lenexa. The Pop Ups are a sort-to-sell experience right at the source of the Friends broad and robust donated inventory. A corps of dedicated volunteers scan, examine and sort gifted materials for subject and quality. A lively Sale audience can generally be found at the door awaiting the weekly Saturday start time of 11:30 a.m. Friends members receive a 20% discount on the already very reasonable prices. Gift cards are available, too!
The Pop Ups launch was a prelude to closing the two branch bookstores at Antioch and Blue Valley Libraries in July. After careful monitoring of sales activity at both stores, the Friends noted that sales continued to lag behind pre-pandemic levels. They made this bittersweet decision, after 26 years, so that the organization could focus resources toward their mission of supporting the Library.
Friends’ online sales are divided among international, national and local customers who peruse the broad selection on popular platforms like Amazon and eBay, and on the Friends web site. Free shipping and the Friends reasonable prices are sure to wow. Top sellers tend to be first editions or hard-to-find items like out-of-print technical manuals. “The selection changes quickly,” says operations director Shanta Dickerson, “because we sell frequently and replace with new material that arrives every day.”
Friends of Johnson County Library is a member-supported nonprofit organization promoting community awareness and participation in library services. They serve as library advocates, raise supplemental funds, and promote literacy and lifelong learning. The funds raised from your book purchases and your membership support library collection development, 6 by 6 Ready to Read, Incarcerated Services, staff education and much more.
For details on sales and how to become a member, visit the Friends of Johnson County Library website. You can also browse their selection of used books any time through their online store.
Johnson County Library – Nurturing the Community’s Collective Wisdom
