Foundation Stories

Libraries are Unable to Dodge DOGE; Kansas Public Libraries Will Soon be Impacted
  • March 20, 2025

written by Shelley R. O’Brien

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is the link between the federal government and your local public library. They are responsible for distributing federal money to state libraries and administering grant funding. Last Friday (March 14th) the White House issued an Executive Order to eliminate “to the maximum extent of the law” IMLS and 6 other federal agencies. In 2024, IMLS distributed over $266.7 million to libraries and museums across the country with an estimated $2.1 million coming to Kansas public libraries.

This will impact all Kansas public libraries, but the impact on rural libraries could be significant. 

If federal funding is shut off to the State Library of Kansas, the over 300 libraries across the state will be financially impacted starting in 2026. The Johnson County Library, while in a better position than most, could see a significant decrease to our $165,810 distribution for this year. This funding goes directly to the purchasing of physical books for our 14 libraries. More rural libraries across the state are heavily dependent on their state funding, for some constituting the majority of their budgets.

Additionally, the State Library of Kansas is already fighting for its budget in Topeka including their 29 staff members who serve Kansas residents and researchers for legislators. Their annual budget is $7.3 million, which includes the $2.1 million coming from the federal government.

Since 1855, the State Library of Kansas has provided library and information services to the executive and legislative branches of state government and to deliver 21st-century library services and resources to all Kansas residents.

More updates to come on this developing situation. This is the time to remind everyone that you use public libraries – in person or online – this cut will impact you and your community. The Johnson County Library Foundation will start additional fundraising efforts to make up for this shortfall. More to come!

Donate
Learn More About Planned Giving

Library Giving Day 2025
  • March 19, 2025

written by Shelley O’Brien, Executive Director of the Johnson County Library Foundation

Library Giving Day is an annual event started by the Seattle Public Library Foundation. The idea was to create a national day of giving for public libraries to rally around and for the public to embrace. Libraries are the cornerstones of our community. Whether through our in-person or virtual services, libraries are inclusive spaces that offer innovative programs, promote lifelong learning and advance knowledge for all members of our community.

We hope you will join us in supporting Johnson County Library on Library Giving Day or any time of the year. We accept donations through online giving as a 50l(c)(3) organization that supports the Library – or feel free to email me at [email protected] to learn about other avenues of support.

One of the fantastic programs we raise money for is Brainfuse which offers one-on-one online tutoring for K-12 students. The Brainfuse website matches every student with a tutor on-demand based on the grade and subject matter. Struggling with a math homework problem? There is someone to help. Have an important paper to write? Submit your paper and within one business day receive feedback and learning suggestions. Want to learn Spanish? Meet with a tutor who can work with you to practice your vocabulary words. ACT or SAT prep? There are study guides and sample tests to get you ready.

Any student with a Johnson County Library card can access Brainfuse from any computer, anywhere, for unlimited one-on-one tutoring. This is at no cost to the student.

The Johnson County Library Foundation has several donors who designate donations to Brainfuse and other digital resources. This guarantees that the program will continue to help students and they can see it as a stable resource to help them through middle school and high school. Please consider making a gift to the Library Foundation to support Brainfuse and other digital programming from Johnson County Library on Library Giving Day or at any time. We appreciate your support of our Library and our community.

Donate to the JCLF eFund
Learn More About Planned Giving

  • February 21, 2025

written by Shelley O’Brien, Development Director

As part of Johnson County Library’s Comprehensive Master Plan, Spring Hill and De Soto branches will be undergoing renovations in 2025 to create and improve gathering spaces, update technology, and enhance kids’ areas. In addition to updating the building, there will be new finishes (new carpeting, paint, furniture) and more intuitive collection layouts.

While the Library is updating these two branches, the Johnson County Library Foundation is raising funds to add interactive early literacy units. Interactive literacy units are designed by educators and librarians to develop the same essential pre-literacy skills as JCL’s enormously popular early literacy program, 6 by 6, Ready to Read: letter knowledge, print awareness, phonological awareness, vocabulary, print motivation, and narrative skills.

These early literacy units are colorful and child-sized, drawing children to them and introducing the concept of letters as a 3-dimensional game or puzzle. They are also nearly indestructible, with sturdy, interchangeable panels that provide fresh experiences for children while using existing equipment. More like a playground to children, these are uniquely effective teaching tools.

A major benefit of the interactive units is that they are available during all open hours of the Library. This means that even if there are no scheduled storytimes or other Library activities, families are able to enjoy the Library and have meaningful, interactive experiences on their own–especially important for parents and caregivers who can only bring their children to the library in the evenings or on weekends.

The Johnson County Library Foundation’s goal is to raise $40,000 total for an early literacy unit in both Spring Hill and De Soto. After these two units are placed, every single Johnson County Library branch will have an early literacy unit – which is amazing and shows our commitment to childhood literacy!

So far, the Foundation has raised $5,000 from an individual contributor towards the goal. If you are interested in donating, please know all amounts are welcome, and may be reserved to this fund. Fundraising for these funds will be a group effort to enhance these two new children’s areas.

If you are interested in learning more about Spring Hill and DeSoto early literacy units, or making a contribution to this fund, please email or call Shelley O’Brien at [email protected] or (913) 826-4720.

Donate to JCLF
Learn More About Planned Giving

Behind the Scenes at the Library: The Times They are a Changin’
  • January 8, 2025

written by Shelley O’Brien, Executive Director of the Johnson County Library Foundation

As a child I spent a lot of time in the basement ‘rec room’ of our home playing with my toys and listening to music on my parents 8-track stereo system. I had 5 albums on 8-track tapes to choose from which included the Doobie Brothers and the Bee Gees. It’s no wonder why I still love yacht rock and disco!

8-tracks were seen as a technology upgrade in the 1960s and 70s. You could play your music in the car, unlike vinyl. Like all technology, 8-track became a way of the past as we upgraded to cassette tapes in the 1980s, then DVDs in the 1990s, and now streaming. 

At the Johnson County Library, we love to provide different material formats to our library patrons. We have an extensive collection of DVDs and music CDs available for you to check out. Unfortunately, obtaining and replacing these materials is getting more and more difficult for the Library. Just like 8-track tapes, DVDs are an industry that is starting to go away.

“Unfortunately, DVDs are part of a trend towards licensing instead of ownership. In other words, fewer people own physical copies in an era when we can easily stream or download instead. Whether streaming caused the DVD decline or vice-versa, many production companies just don’t create DVDs of their movies”, says Beth, our DVD selector for the Johnson County Library.

“It’s more profitable to charge for streaming access than selling copies people can own and lend out. Streaming access is a contract that does not allow redistribution by third parties (like the Library). In other words, the company that owns the intellectual property gets to choose who can watch it and where.”

You may not have noticed that Best Buy stopped carrying DVDs and Target is limiting shelf space. What you see now is Blu-Ray and 4K formats being sold to collectors. Beth continues, “limited copies of special Blu-Ray and 4K editions of some films are for sale, but the decline in physical media isn’t limited to DVD. Blu-Ray production also continues to decline. LG was one of the last big electronics companies still making Blu-Ray players, but in 2024 they announced they were ending production.”

Additionally, DVD distribution companies are now creating DVDs in a way that doesn’t work with some older DVD players. Beth continues, “many DVD players have a built-in feature to help stop bootleg movies. They won’t play DVDs that were burned onto DVD-R (or DVD-Recordable) type discs. When lots of stores sold DVDs, wholesalers had warehouses of ready DVDs to sell that were not on DVD-R. Lately, it’s much more economical for those same retailers to purchase a contract that lets them legally burn movies on DVD-R discs once an order is placed. This means DVD-R movies are pretty common in stores and libraries now.” Nothing is more frustrating than checking out a DVD at the Library to get home and it doesn’t work.

Some public libraries across the country are removing their DVD collections — and music CD’s, large print books, physical newspapers, and physical magazines. All are getting more difficult to purchase and maintain for library usage.

The world is changing rapidly, which is good and bad. For the moment, we see that physical books are here to stay. Our collection at the Johnson County Library is 50/50 physical books and digital book/audiobooks. It will be fascinating to see how the publishing industry adapts in the future.

Some say change is inevitable. We know that a lot of people love and depend on DVDs from the Library for their entertainment. At the Johnson County Library, we will try to keep this service going as long as we can, while maintaining a quality collection. Unfortunately, like the 8-track tape, DVDs may be on the decline and phasing out due to forces beyond the Library’s control. We will continue to assess and keep you updated as we navigate this new world together.

Donate to JCLF
Learn More About Planned Giving

Shelley's 2024 Book Recommendations
  • December 30, 2024

written by Shelley O’Brien, Executive Director of the Johnson County Library Foundation

At the end of every year, I make book recommendations for my family and friends.

(Once a librarian, always a librarian.)

Fiction – “The Women” by Kristin Hannah

2024 Book Recommendations: The Women

I believed nothing would be as great as Kristin Hannah’s “The Nightingale”. I just didn’t think she could outdo herself. Then came the book, “The Women”. Vietnam War story of Frankie who enlists in the Army as a nurse to serve her country and please her father. This is an epic tale of her journey that tells the story of women’s roles in the war – during and after. A book I will never forget. The book app Goodreads listed “The Women” as the most-read new book of 2024.

Non-Fiction – “The Third Gilmore Girl” by Kelly Bishop

2024 Book Recommendations: The Third Gilmore Girl

Many of us know Kelly Bishop thanks to Amy Sherman-Palladino shows including “Gilmore Girls”. But Kelly is no Emily Gilmore. Bishop describes what it is like to be a working dancer and actor in New York. She inspired the role of Sheila in the Broadway production of “A Chorus Line” which included winning a Tony Award for Best Supporting or Featured Actress in a Musical in 1976. Bishop tells many heartwarming stories about creating “Gilmore Girls” which will make you love the show even more.

Non-Fiction – “Be Ready When the Luck Happens” by Ina Garten

2024 Book Recommendations: Be Ready When the Luck Happens

While we’ve watched Ina Garten on TV for years, I knew very little about her. In this autobiography, Garten shares the origin story of her store and brand, the Barefoot Contessa, as well as personal stories. This includes telling of a separation between her and her beloved husband Jeffrey. Towards the end of the book, she offers business wisdom which makes me wonder if another book is in the works. While this is not a cookbook, Garten highlights three of her best recipes, including Banana Crunch Muffins, which were a hit at the Central Resource Library office.

Donate to JCLF

Amber's Bookmas Reading Recommendations
  • December 27, 2024

written by Amber Bourek Slater, Volunteer and Friends Engagement Coordinator

This year I read well over 50 library books. Although I’ve always enjoyed reading, the Libby app has been a game changer. Yes, listening to an eAudiobook counts as reading a book. (Ask any librarian.) I often listen to books during my commute to work, while cleaning up my house, and when I can’t sleep. Here are a few of my favorites from 2024.

“Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books”
by Kirsten Miller

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books

This is the story of what happens when Lula Dean gets books banned at the public library and the daughter of her arch nemesis sneaks them into the free Little Library on Lula’s property. The impact of people reading the books changes lives throughout the community. I loved all the twists and turns of lives impacted by reading a book.

“Paris – The Memoir”
by Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton is an heiress, model, and an original social media influencer. You will learn that she is also a smart and strong survivor. This book is a raw look at her life experiences including years of abuse at “residential treatment facilities” as a teenager. Her work to stop these facilities resulted in the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act. This is the best book I’ve read all year.

“Romantic Comedy”
by Curtis Sittenfeld

If you are a fan of SNL, you’ll enjoy Romantic Comedy. It is the story of a sketch comedy writer falling for a Justin Bieber-type character. I loved the smart, funny, and self-deprecating protagonist Sally. Bonus, Sally’s hometown is Kansas City.

“Roctogenarians”
by Mo Rocca

I’d highly recommend this one on Libby eAudiobook as it is read by author and CBS news reporter/podcaster, Mo Rocca. This book tells short stories of people living their best lives later in life. Stories range from Rita Moreno to Colonial Sanders to the founders of OXO kitchen gadgets. A great reminder that we have so much to give in our third acts.

“Walk Through Fire”
by Sheila Johnson

I’ll admit that I knew nothing about Sheila Johnson before watching an interview where she was promoting her book. This cofounder of BET, the first African American women billionaire and the only Black female co-owner of three professional sports teams is very personable. This book highlights her love, losses, and resilience. It is a great memoir where you’ll become a Sheila cheerleader.

“Antoni in the Kitchen”
by Antoni Porowski

Cookbooks are the hidden gem of the library. My husband and I frequently check them out to make new dishes. This is probably one of three we liked enough to purchase for our cookbook collection. You may recognize the author from streaming shows Queer Eye and Easy Bake. He was just as delightful in person when a local bookstore brought him back to Kansas City to promote his second cookbook. Antoni in the Kitchen is my favorite of the two cookbooks. Lots of simple tricks to make your dinner delicious.

“Unreasonable Hospitality”
by Will Guidara

I’d recommend this as a great leadership, hospitality, and customer service book. Author Will Guidara talks about how little things make a memorable experience and propelled his restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, to the number one restaurant in the world. I enjoyed all the fun stories about everything from special ice cream spoons to brining in sled for someone who had never experienced snow.

“The Kansas City Royals”
by Matt Stewart

Baseball holds a special place in many Kansas Citians’ hearts. My husband and I got engaged the night the Royals won the 2015 World Series. This book by local reporter and author Matt Stewart helps you understand its history with fun facts as well as help you relive some of the unforgettable moments.

“Nothing to See Here”
by Kevin Wilson

This is the story of Lillian and Madison, who were once inseparable friends. After one of the girls leaves their boarding school in the wake of a scandal, the two lose touch. Years later, Madison reaches out to Lillian pleading for her help when two stepchildren move in. Lillian must learn how to manage children who catch fire when they become agitated. It sounds totally crazy but is such a good read.

“The Wedding People”
by Alison Espach

This recommendation came from a volunteer. Set in Newport, Rhode Island’s Gilded Age mansions, The Wedding People is the story of what happens when Phoebe – a St. Louis college professor – checks into a fancy hotel that is booked entirely by a wedding party. Phoebe gets caught up in all the wedding hoopla that helps pull her out of a depression. It is a fun outside look at all the chaos that weddings ensue.

“Funny Story” and “Happy Place”
by Emily Henry

This is a two-fer recommendation. I just love audiobook narrator Julia Whelan. These fun beach reads have great female leads.

In Funny Story, Daphne is a youth librarian whose love life is turned upside down when her husband-to-be decides he is love with his lifelong friend Petra. Daphne ends up having to room with Petra’s jilted ex-boyfriend. The story of how these two get through this devasting experience.

Happy Place is about a group of college friends who get together for a summer vacation every year at a cottage in Maine. Unbeknownst to their friends, Harriet and Wyn broke up six months ago. Now these two decide to pretend to be the “perfect couple” for one last vacation before the cottage is sold. The group of friends reveal lots of secrets over the vacation.

“Rebel Rising”
by Rebel Wilson

You know her from iconic roles in Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids. In Rebel’s memoir, you learn about a lifetime of struggle – first and foremost with her weight. Rebel turns out to be a super smart lawyer and a renegade actress. You’ll love her stories about her experience with the Pitch Perfect women and how she found her Disney Princess.

“Let’s Pretend This Never Happened”
by Jenny Lawson

The cover of this mostly true memoir features a taxidermy mouse in a cape. That is your first clue that you’ll be laughing out loud at stories from author Jenny Lawson’s real life. Just one example of her crazy antics is buying a giant metal rooster to sit outside the window of her husband’s home office.

“A Very Punchable Face”
by Colin Jost

I think I’ve read almost every book written by an SNL actor in the last few years. Although I didn’t really know much about Colin Jost outside of his relationships with Ariana Grande and Scarlett Johansson, I read a positive review on A Very Punchable Face that intrigued me. His experiences growing up in a firefighter family on Staten Island to his emotional story of his mother responding to the Twin Towers collapse will show you why he is the head writer for SNL.

Donate to JCLF

  • December 20, 2024

One of the things that makes Johnson County great is our shared values and commitment to both community and education. We know that working together we can give ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren a terrific place to grow, learn, and prosper. We can both navigate an increasingly complex world and create a community where we welcome the world here.

An important element to our community is the Johnson County Library. Fourteen branch libraries that are key to early literacy for children, with the 6 by 6 program getting them ready for learning. A place where parents can find the resources to support their family’s education and entertainment. A safe spot for teens to be themselves and get needed educational support. A place for everyone to participate in arts and culture, through our gallery walls, the Berkley Writer’s Conference, programming, classes, and literature on our bookshelves. Online, our library is a place of convenience, where you can access books, newspapers, magazines, one-on-one tutoring, and on-demand educational classes with your library card.

All of these services are free for patrons to access but not free to the Library. Staff do a wonderful job of stretching our tax dollars support the basics. But a lot of the books, resources, and programming you depend on come from donations from people like you. Donors who support the Library through the Foundation. It is your support that keeps the Johnson County Library a high-quality place for everyone’s learning.

We try to be careful how many times we ask you each year for a donation. We understand there are many terrific philanthropic organizations to support. But we do hope you will consider supporting the Library here at the end of this year. Like everything, prices are going up. With public libraries the online services are well used, and prices are growing exponentially.

If you use our libraries, check out books, download books on the Libby app, read an online magazine, reserve a meeting room, call with a question, or just love the concept of public libraries, please consider being a donor this year.

Together, we can continue to have amazing libraries that serve everyone with outstanding features to help people learn and grow.  

Giving is easy. Make your gift now online via the button below – or to donate through the mail with a check, please send to:

Johnson County Library Foundation
P.O. Box 2933
Shawnee Mission, KS  66201

On behalf of everyone at the Johnson County Library, thank you for being a donor this year. We are grateful for your generosity.

Sincerely,

Julie Steiner
President, Johnson County Library Foundation

Donate to JCLF
Learn About Planned Giving

Johnson County Library 2023 Annual Report
  • October 21, 2024

written by Shelley O’Brien, Executive Director of the Johnson County Library Foundation

I must be getting more sentimental as I age, because I felt all the feelings from reading the Johnson County Library’s 2023 annual report, that was just published.

First, the document is colorful and very attractive, thanks to the Johnson County Library Communications team. They knocked it out of the park with this document. Not your typical boring document. Additionally, I’m so proud of everything we accomplished in 2023.

Here are a couple of highlights:

  • The Library went fine free, allowing for great access to information.
  • A record number of new library cards were distributed, with over 259,000 people having active library cards – almost 1/3rd of Johnson County.
  • Digital materials collection exploded with the use of Libby and other online resources.
  • More people attended Library Lets Loose than ever before with a record 625 participants.

What may be less obvious, but more important, is that the Johnson County Library improves the quality of life here in our community. In fact, the Library is the highest-rated county public service with an 87.9 approval rating (page 19). Which is amazing, especially considering we live in a world where it sometimes feels like we agree on nothing. Maybe this is because the Library has something for everyone to enjoy, while bringing people together.

Take a moment and enjoy the 2023 Johnson County Library’s Annual Report. I think you too will be proud of the Library and feel joy for our community.

Read the Report

Behind the Scenes at the Library: Access to Information via Demand-Based Purchasing
  • September 4, 2024

One of the reasons the Johnson County Library is an outstanding library system is the attention to detail in improving systems, procedures, policies, and even state laws to serve patrons at the highest quality levels. Staff work collaboratively behind the scenes to increase efficiencies and develop innovation around the most basic of library values: access to information.

Like many public libraries, the Johnson County Library is a popular collection library. Unlike archives or historical collections, a popular collection tries to meet the information needs that are currently popular within a community. In Johnson County, the Library has moved to a floating collection. This means that books in the 14-branch system do not have one home, but float among all branches as needed and requested by library patrons. Refining the approach to see the Library as one system, increases access to materials and provides efficiencies that benefit the Library Patrons.

Couriers move physical books daily in between the branches, but only moving books that are requested by patrons. When the book is returned, it goes on the shelf at that library branch, if there is not another pending request. This allows the Library system to focus on getting the book to the patron, instead of moving the book a second time, back to its home branch.

Adam Wathan, Associate Director for Branch Services, shared a story of the old system.

“In the past, librarians made decisions on which branch books should be shelved. For example, books on horses where often shelved at the Gardner Library because they are geographically in the country. But when we switched to one floating system, we realized that patrons in other parts of the County were more interested in books about horses. What we learned is to not make assumptions about what people want to read.”

The collection development team responds to selection requests and holds utilizing demand-based purchasing. This system is highly responsive to fluctuations in requests. For example, if a book is popular and holds are coming in at a fast rate, collection development purchases additional book copies to immediately meet the demand knowing that through word-of-mouth and the media, the requests will continue. By responding quickly, the holds list can flatten the curve, and become more manageable with the number of books the Library owns. This is not a process that allows for guessing or preference but instead is based in data and modeling. This system is applied to both physical and digital books.

Additionally, the Johnson County Library weeds physical books more quickly than other library systems. Newer books can be sold by the Friends of the Johnson County Library often getting a better price than they might receive in 6 months or a year later. The money raised is then placed back into the collection development fund to purchase more books.

The result of this innovation is increased access to information by the Library patron. The student can access the newest history book about a president for their paper, or an adult’s wait is shorter for the New York Times best seller. For a popular library collection, the Johnson County Library is meeting the patron’s needs by following and responding to their collective actions. The system is learning how to catch a trend as it starts.

Donate to JCLF
Learn More About Planned Giving

Your investment in Johnson County Library generates a 300% return.