During a local Placemaking Conference, a need to increase the “openness” of our county’s residents was acknowledged. Aspire Johnson County, a community initiative of leaders and stakeholders, hosted the conference and JCPL worked with a team to provide opportunities for residents to learn about other cultures and cultivate a sense of belonging for all residents. This program series began in 2017 and continues on. We will be developing a mini-documentary series highlighting several residents.

During the Summer of 2017, we held five cultural showcases on India, Syria, Japan, Mexico and Burma (Myanmar) – representing countries from our county’s new residents. Attendees learned traditions, sampled food and engaged in arts. The international film festival presented four feature films; before each film was an activity to develop cultural knowledge. Working with local celebrities, we held a DNA and genealogical program to explore the ancestral roots of well-known personages in Franklin, Ind.

We had 721 total attendees at all of our At Home in Johnson County Series. Four hundred ninety people attended the international film festival; many attendees were not regular library users. Attendance compared to in-house films we’ve shown at JCPL is outstanding. We had an excellent mix of ages at the programs: 446 adults, 96 preschoolers, 147 school-aged children and 32 teens. Comments received at programs revealed that several attendees were not familiar with the different cultures.