Johnson Dictionary thumbnailIt’s week 15 of our Kansas sesquicentennial video series and we’re celebrating the 256th anniversary of the April 15th publication of our Johnson Dictionary.

“In the first half of the eighteenth century there was no rival in the English language to the dictionaries until until Samuel Johnson started work on A dictionary of the English language, which was published in 1755. Johnson’s dictionary was not the first English dictionary to have been compiled, however, it was the first in the English language to match in scope the dictionaries produced by the continental academies.” [1]

About 52 for 150

Every object has a story, and stories build history. To celebrate 150 years of Kansas statehood we’re featuring 52 objects (or collections of related objects)—something new each week throughout the year—from the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library’s 130-year-old special, and permanent collections, that represent our collective state history and cultural diversity.

Our collections are available for teachers, students, researchers and general interest, and we hope this online video program will provide insight into what’s so “special” about Special Collections. Your library’s commitment to collecting art and preserving local history makes it possible for users today and in the future to have immediate access to invaluable research material and cultural artifacts.

To make an appointment to see our Johnson Dictionary, or get help finding other books or videos related to this topic, call or stop by the Topeka Room (785-580-4510) on the Library’s second floor. We’re located at the top of the stairs on your left.

[1] http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/iss/library/speccoll/littre/jd.html