Library Information

As you will learn when you explore the Paintsville Historic Walking tour, library service in Johnson County began with the pack horse library. May Florence Stafford was the first pack horse librarian, serving in 1913-1914. This effort was funded by John C.C. Mayo. Stafford later served as supervisor of 12-15 pack horse librarians in 1938-1943 under the WPA. This group operated out of the Frew Stafford building on the corner of Main and College Streets in Paintsville. The WPA program merged with the library in 1940 when federal funds began to dwindle. The library’s first bookmobile was donated in 1969. The Library opened in a WPA building on the corner of Second and College Streets and remained there until moving to its current location at 444 Main Street in 1970, a site on which once stood the first moving picture house in town (circa early 1900s) with a pianist on site. Wheeler’s Grocery then occupied that building after 1910.

Later, two renovations created nearly 8,000 square feet of space. A third renovation in 2004 included the purchase of the adjoining building to increase the space by roughly half again, to 12,180 square feet. A fourth renovation was completed in 2019. This renovation gave the entire interior of the library fresh, modern décor, an interactive play-on replica of the Library’s bookmobile in the children’s area, and the addition of the multipurpose/story hour room named after long-time Board of Trustees member Robert M. Conley.

Consistent with its mission and vision statements, JCPL leadership and staff strive to keep the Library a key innovator, partner, and gathering place for the community.

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 9:30 a.m – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday and Thursday: 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

2024 Closings:
January  1st – New Year’s Day
January 15th – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February 19th – President’s Day
May 27th – Memorial Day
July 4th – Independence Day
September 2nd -Labor Day
October 4th – Apple Day
October 5th – Apple Day
November 11th – Veterans Day
November 28th and 29th – Thanksgiving
December 23rd – 26th Christmas
December 31st – New Year’s Eve

President: Tom Salyer
Vice President: Stephanie Gillespie
Secretary: Cindy McCarty
Treasurer: Jennifer Wilson
Member: Rebecca Taylor

The JCPL Board of Trustees meets the third Thursday of each month at 4:00 PM in the Creekside Room of the Library.

Mission Statement:

Johnson County Public Library’s mission is to encourage imagination, nurture learning, and cultivate growth within our community through welcoming access to resources, programs, and services.

Vision Statement:

The Johnson County Public Library will be the premier partner for innovative initiatives, modeling and advocating inclusion of all citizens, and providing both human and information resources vital to a prosperous community.

JOHNSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

 STRATEGIC PLAN

2022-2025

 The Johnson County Public Library will provide excellent services and customer experiences with great spaces, extensive collections, quality programming and up to date technology.

  • Provide a balanced collection that meets the needs of our community in all formats.
  • Review and manage all aspects of the collection focusing on availability and timeliness of print and digital content.
  • Promote resources for independent and formal learning.
  • Offer a wide array of programs to meet the educational, economic, cultural and entertainment needs of people of all ages and abilities.

The Johnson County Public Library will optimize their library space to better serve patrons and the public, serving as an anchor for the community.

  • Study the current space available, the need for rehab of unused space and the expansion of the library by creating a spaces master plan using a space planning committee coupled with input from community stakeholders.
  • Create browsing-friendly environments including a quiet space for reading, expansion of the children’s area, a space for teens and a possible new space for the Kentucky Room.
  • Create and implement a Makerspace that serves the public with innovative learning opportunities that inspire curiosity and foster creativity.

The Johnson County Public Library will create a plan of action to increase the awareness of the community concerning library services, programs, and outreach.

  • Study ways to use social media and the library website to increase the awareness of the public concerning the library collections, services, and programs.
  • Update marketing and communications plans that explore messaging strategies to better promote all library offerings to the public.
  • Create targeted awareness campaigns to introduce the library to non-library users and populations that may lack familiarity with the library.
  • Identify both internal and external advocates of the library who will help promote and facilitate opportunities for deepening public understanding of how the library enriches the community.

The Johnson County Public Library will grow collaborative partnerships with community groups, advocacy partners, donors, and elected and appointed officials to ensure the ongoing success and vitality of the library in our community.

  • Remain the key leader in the development of the Early Learning Collaborative promoting early learning and early childhood literacy.
  • Conduct interviews with new and existing community partners to study the alignment of JCPL goals and objectives with their goals and objectives.
  • Host partnership meetings to increase partners’ awareness of collections, services and programs and ask for their advocacy in the community to increase patronage.
  • Maximize community impact by aligning library efforts with those of other community-focused groups.
  • Enhance community engagement by having a staff person showcase the library at one community event per month.

The Johnson County Public Library will cultivate the optimization of their staff, technology, collections, and programming through their commitment to innovation, inclusivity, and imagination.

  • Provide and promote meaningful substantive collections and programming for every segment of the community.
  • Build outcome-based programs and activities that enhance literacy and quality of life in the community.
  • Implement the newest and best technology to enhance patrons’ library experiences.
  • Fulfill staffing levels that meet the needs of the library and promote professional development opportunities to help staff provide cutting edge programs and services to the public.

The Library’s Complete Policy Manual is available upon request.

The Basics
Check out physical items using your library card, a photo of it, or your card stored in a digital wallet. Use the bar code from the back of your card to check out digital items from Hoopla or Libby at jcplky.org.

Important exceptions to the above:
Hoopla is limited to Johnson County residents and students attending any school within the county.

Only those ages 18 and older may borrow DVDs.

How many items may I borrow and how long can I keep them?

New Cardholders: Up to 3 books for 2 weeks. Once the books are returned, we have an ID or photo on file (ages 18 and older), and you have returned the address verification postcard you’ll receive in the mail (Please notify us if you don’t receive this within 1 week), you will be upgraded to a card with full privileges, and follow the checkout guidelines below. 

Digital Downloads: These vary by service. Explore your favorites at jcplky.org to learn more.

Books: Borrow up to 25 books for a 2-week period 3 renewals for books with no wait list. 

DVDs: Borrow up to 7 DVDs for 7 days, with 1 renewal if there is no wait list.

Reservations and renewals may be made online, by phone or in person. If items are not renewed, you will receive an overdue notice in the mail.

You may use the book drop on our front porch for after-hours returns.

Are there fines or fees?
There are no fines for books, but there is a $2 late fee at the end of each 7-day checkout period for each DVD that is not renewed or returned.
The only other fees we charge are for copies and fax. However, you must pay the replacement cost for any lost or damaged items.

I don’t see what I’m looking for on the shelves.
Ask a member of our staff for assistance. We are trained to help with catalog and resource searches, are familiar with our collection, and have access to storage areas outside the main library. If the item you want isn’t available, a staff member can help you place a hold, complete an ILL request (see below), find alternative items that might be of interest to you, or request that the item be purchased.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is available to any Johnson County resident with a full privilege card in good standing and two valid phone numbers or a phone number and a working email address. Wait time for the item, length of the loan, and options for renewal vary depending on the policy of the lending library.

Help! I can’t use digital services.
If you’re new to digital, you may call to schedule an appointment with a staff member for a tutorial. We are happy to help with this. Without an appointment, there may be a wait during busy hours.

There are various reasons for interruptions in service. One common problem is that your card has expired. This happens yearly so that we can keep your contact information up to date. Call us at 789-4355 to update registration.

Please call if you experience any issues with digital services, and we will work to solve the problem as quickly as possible. If the problem occurs outside business hours, you may contact us using Facebook Messenger or call and leave a detailed message, including your name and phone number. We don’t guarantee that service will be restored outside library hours, but having your name and number will allow us to reach you if it isn’t a system-wide problem but a problem with your card registration. 

Mailing Address:
JCPL
444 Main St. Paintsville, KY 41240. Get Directions.

Phone: (606)789-4355
Fax: (606)789-6758

E-mail: helpdesk@jcplky.org