Johnson County Library
🏢 Johnson County Library · Buffalo, Wyoming
Johnson County Library
Born from a $12,500 Andrew Carnegie gift in 1909, the Johnson County Library in Buffalo has served the high plains of north-central Wyoming for well over a century. Its local history room holds thousands of digitized photographs, microfilmed newspapers back to the 1880s, and oral-history manuscripts documenting the infamous 1892 Johnson County Cattle War.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–6pm |
| Thursday | 10am–6pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 10am–1pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 171 North Adams Street, Buffalo, WY 82834
Phone: (307) 684-5546
Website: jclwyo.org
Plus Code: 85PM88X2+67 (Buffalo, WY)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Johnson County Library
Johnson County Library traces its founding to February 5, 1909, when the county commissioners appointed a board of directors and drew up articles of incorporation to put Carnegie's $12,500 grant to work. The main branch at 171 North Adams Street in Buffalo serves as the county seat library and is complemented by a small branch in Kaycee. The library's mission is to Collect, Share, Promote, Learn, Adapt & Grow, with users at the center of everything it does. Three study rooms and two meeting rooms are available for community use, and the library participates in the Wyoming Library Database (WYLD) network, giving cardholders access to GoWYLD's statewide digital resources as well as Libby and LinkedIn Learning through the consortium catalog at johnson.wyldcatalog.org.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded in 1909 with a $12,500 Andrew Carnegie grant — the library's articles of incorporation were drawn up on February 5 of that year
- Extensive local history room with microfilmed newspapers (Buffalo Echo, Bulletin) from the 1800s and thousands of digitized vintage photographs
- Over 400 oral-history manuscripts and detailed records documenting the 1892 Johnson County Cattle War
- Genealogy resources including Ancestry Library Edition, obituary indexes, census microfilm, and family history vertical files
- Two meeting rooms and three study rooms available for community reservation, plus free Wi-Fi and public computers with printing
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Johnson County Library cardholders can access Wyoming's statewide digital collections and professional databases free of charge:
📚 Services
- Public computers with internet access and black & white / color printing
- Free Wi-Fi throughout the building
- Flatbed scanner and fax service
- Three study rooms and two meeting rooms available for reservation
- Local history and genealogy room with microfilm, digitized photos & Ancestry Library Edition
- Interlibrary loan (small donation requested)
- Book, magazine, DVD, audiobook & Playaway lending
- Dolly Parton Imagination Library enrollment for young children
🎸 Programs
- Story Time for preschoolers — Thursdays at 10 a.m. & 2 p.m.
- Imagination Station for elementary students — 1st & 3rd Fridays at 2 p.m.
- Bits & Pieces teen program — 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, September through April
- Friends of the Library Book Club — second Tuesday of each month at 3 p.m.
- Annual Friends of the Library Book Sale
- Dolly Parton Imagination Library early-literacy mailing program
📍 Nearby Libraries in Northern Wyoming
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How did Johnson County Library get its start, and what is the connection to Andrew Carnegie?
On February 5, 1909, three men appointed by the Johnson County Commissioners drew up articles of incorporation to create the library using a $12,500 gift from the Andrew Carnegie foundation. That Carnegie grant paid for the library's original building, making it one of hundreds of Carnegie libraries built across the United States in the early twentieth century.
What local history materials does Johnson County Library hold?
The library's history and genealogy room contains thousands of digitized vintage photographs, microfilmed issues of the Buffalo Echo, Buffalo Voice, and Buffalo Bulletin going back to the 1880s, over 400 oral-history manuscripts collected by the WPA and DAR, and eight vertical-file cabinets of materials on local people, the Indian Wars, and regional events including the 1892 Johnson County Cattle War.
Does the library have a branch in Kaycee, and what are its hours?
Yes. The Kaycee Branch Library is located at 233 Ritter Avenue in Kaycee. Its hours are Tuesday 10 a.m.–noon and 1–7 p.m., Wednesday 1–5:30 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.–noon and 1–4 p.m., and Saturday 2–5 p.m. It is closed Sunday, Monday, and Thursday.
What digital resources are available with a Johnson County Library card?
Cardholders get free access to GoWYLD.net (Wyoming State Library's statewide database portal covering health, genealogy, business, law, and more), Libby for eBooks and audiobooks via the WYLD consortium, LinkedIn Learning for professional courses, NoveList Plus for reading recommendations, and the Ancestry Library Edition database in the library's local history room.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
📚 This library has study rooms. See how library study rooms work — booking, time limits and quiet vs group rooms — and find other libraries with study rooms libraries with study rooms by state.
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