Foundation Stories

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

Need a last-minute gift? Make something customized at the Johnson County Library Makerspace! Check out this video for a quick tour and a few ideas about what you can create.

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 1/3^rd 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.

written by Lisa Larson-Bunnell, JCL Foundation Board Member

Library Lets Loose is one of my favorite events of the year. It’s a night where we can have fun and support the Library system that we all love. And supporting our libraries is more important than ever. 

Theme and Dress

The theme for this year is Top Secret: An Evening of Espionage. Yes, a “spy” theme!  Who wants to be James Bond for the evening, or Julia Child? I would love for you to join me in dressing to theme. I can’t wait see what you have planned!

Dancing, Food, Drinks and Other Classified Information

DJ Stann will be with us once again, playing a lot of great music for dancing. We will have 15 local restaurants with bite sized samples including Betty Rae’s Ice Cream, Korma Sutra, Weiner Kitchen, Whole Harvest Kitchen, and many more. J. Rieger & Co. is making our ‘Let Loose Juice’. And, shout out to Jay Sanders with Wild Child (Shawnee) who is making a fun non-alcoholic mixed drink.

Raffle for Experience Prizes

Raffle tickets are $100 each. They can be purchased before or during the event. You don’t need to be present to win. No clandestine operations here. Prizes this year include a 4-night stay at the Hyatt in Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic, join KCUR’s Steve Kraske for a taping of his morning radio show and lunch, tour the Johnson County Sherriff’s Crime Lab, and much more. Check out our website for prizes being added daily.

Secret Mission

Every guest has the opportunity to be a Secret Agent for the night. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: apprehend the crime syndicate who wants to get rid of the Dewey Decimal System. They must be brought to justice for all library lovers. The reward will be a chance to win a secret mission prize. As always, should you get caught, we will disavow any knowledge of your actions and your library card will be permanently revoked.

Volunteers and Leadership — Spies are not made, they are Bourne

A BIG thank you to everyone who has made this event a success. Starting with Anne and Bill Blessing who are the Honorary Hosts. Co-Chairs of the event are Sarah Page and Anjali Pandya. Sarah is a local realtor who loves to read. Anjali is a Library Foundation board member who has a killer British accent. Thank you to everyone on the Library Lets Loose Committee, the Library Foundation Board, DJ Stann, and Julie Steiner, Board President.

Library Lets Loose
Saturday, September 21^st
6:30 PM – 10:00 PM

at the Central Resource Library
9875 W. 87^th St. Overland Park, KS 66212

Tickets are on sale now! We do expect this event to sell out this year, so purchase your tickets early.

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

There are very few leaders in the Kansas City area who have had such a positive influence on our community as Bert Berkley. We want to take a moment to tell you about how Bert and his family have impacted the Johnson County Library.

Please take a moment to read his obituary which lists the amazing accomplishments of one man. Bert passed away in mid-July at 101 years young.

Bert and his wife Joan, who died in 2012, were committed to many, many non-profits and outstanding organizations in both Kansas City and Johnson County. Joan was a volunteer leader three times for the Library – for her service on the Library Board, Friends Board, and the Foundation Board. Only four other people have completed this volunteer accomplishment – the Triple Crown.

In the 1990s, in the early days of the Johnson County Library Foundation, Joan and Bert were encouraging and asked their friends and peers to donate to the Library’s fundraising campaigns. It was one of the boosts the Foundation needed to start an endowment and to support library programming with private funds.

After Joan passed away, Bert continued her legacy by establishing the Joan Berkley Writer’s Fund at the Library Foundation. This fund has assisted local writers by offering programming to further their creativity, including the Library’s Writer’s Conference.  This annual gathering engages hundreds every year in person and online. It continues to be free and open to the public thanks to the generosity of the Berkley family and friends. In 2023, the Writer’s Conference created their annual journal and anthology to highlight Bert’s love of fly fishing by using “fishing” as an artistic prompt.

On behalf of everyone at the Johnson County Library – patrons, staff, volunteers, donors – we thank Joan and Bert, and the entire Berkley family, for their love of lifelong learning and public service. Your dedication to the Johnson County Library is one of the reasons our library system is one of the best in the country.

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

Summer reading is the busiest time of the year for public libraries. For example, one day this past week at the Central Resource Library, we had story time, the County Manager’s Office hosting an information session on the 2025 budget, and Catholic Charities feeding children – all in the same noontime hour and space. It was great to see so many people, even if I had to dodge a couple of strollers.

Later in the afternoon, the American Red Cross hosted a blood drive, people were in the Genealogy section digitizing their family photos, and teens were using public computers. One high school student asked me to help him print information on getting a Kansas driver’s license. **Jackson — good luck on the driving test. My fingers are crossed for you.

Public libraries are our community. They provide access to information and resources that people need and want. In short, they are amazing. Of course, I’m just a librarian and not always eloquent with my words. If you don’t believe me, how about this social media post from the wonderful author Candice Millard.

“Tell me libraries don’t matter.” Boy, that sums up my feelings, Candice.

Occasionally, someone will say to me, “Shelley, people don’t use libraries anymore. Not like when we were kids.”

Umm, what? Many people use public libraries, both in person and online. Johnson County Library had over 1.7 million physical visits last year. That’s more people than saw a Chiefs game at Arrowhead in the 2023-2024 Superbowl season.

Over 8.3 million ebooks and eaudiobooks were checked out online from Johnson County Library in 2023. Yes, you could buy a book from Amazon, but why are you giving Jeff Bezos your hard-earned money? It’s the exact same book. In fact, by using the Libby app, you get the book via Amazon.

If you don’t know that libraries matter and are very popular, you are missing out. Come by this summer and see everything we have to offer. I bet you will be pleasantly surprised.

**But do be careful dodging the strollers around story time. Some moms and dads are moving pretty fast.

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

If you are like me, I spend more time in the summer with a good book in hand. Be that at the pool, in my backyard, or on vacation; I’m always reading in the summer. Adults should embrace summer reading just like when we were kids. Maybe we should even celebrate by ordering a pizza for every 5 books you read? Just a thought. So, place a pause on Netflix and check out my summer book recommendations.

Have a terrific summer and enjoy reading!

Fiction – The Women by Kristin Hannah

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.

Non-Fiction – Burn Book: A Tech Love Story by Kara Swisher

My current journalist crush is on Kara Swisher. I regularly listen to her podcast “Pivot” on Vox Media, where she is smart, well-connected, and sassy. On the podcast she trades barbs and banter Scott Galloway (Prof G — NYU) for a humorous take on the daily news through the lens of tech. Swisher has creditability within Silicon Valley to get access and insider scoop. “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story” is part personal memoir, part 2000s-tech memoir. New stories and insights are shared; many funny stories about the tech-bro leaders.

Fiction – Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era by Laurence Learner

If you have not watched FX’s “Capote vs. The Swans” as part of the Ryan Murphy FEUD series, get to Hulu immediately. This show is captivating, and the casting is magnificent. There is only one thing better than the show – the book “Capote’s Women” by Laurence Learner. Many more stories and unique characters from Capote’s world in Manhattan.

After Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood, Capote had writer’s block and an amazing social life with the rich and famous of New York. Relationships were damaged when he disclosed their personal secrets as thinly veiled fiction.