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Executive Assistant Brings Rich Background, Skills to her Job

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Patti Kangethe is marking her first anniversary as Executive Assistant to the Johnson County Librarian. She still feels surprise and joy at the opportunity to serve the Library’s vital mission. 

“This is where I never knew I was meant to be,” she says. “It uses all the things that I love. It supports all the things that I love.” 

Kangethe brings an impressive set of experiences and skills to the job, as well as a special perspective. As a child, she struggled to learn to read. That gives her extra empathy for others with literacy challenges, and a real appreciation for the Library world of books, audio books and free access to information and services. 

This is her first Library job, but she has been an administrative assistant in many capacities, so she is used to helping her professional colleagues do their jobs well.  

That’s the role she fulfilled for Sean Casserley, just retired as Johnson County Librarian, and now for his successor, Tricia Suellentrop. Kangethe also serves as liaison between the staff and Library Board.  

She grew up in Rockford, Illinois, where her mother taught art. Kangethe loved art and math, but reading strained her brain. She worked hard at spelling and comprehension to overcome those difficulties. 

Eventually she and her mother moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin. For her high school senior year, Kangethe commuted daily by train to the Chicago Academy for the Arts, a fantastic experience. Many of her teachers were Kansas City Art Institute graduates, so that inspired her to attend there as well. 

From 2003-2007 she reveled in art, majoring in sculpture. She also gained valuable experience as administrative assistant to the sculpture department chair.  

After college, she worked briefly for Stephany Leedy, daughter of her teacher, legendary Art Institute professor and Crossroads Art District founder Jim Leedy. She continues to volunteer and support their gallery, the Leedy Voulkos Art Center. 

For 10 years, she was an administrative assistant for the SFS Architecture firm in Kansas City. She got married in 2013 and in 2018 earned a master’s degree from Avila in organizational development, learning a lot about management and strategic planning. 

She also has a heart for volunteering, and was a crew leader from 2008-2016 with Kansas City Habitat for Humanity, putting her artistic and building skills to use. 

“The best part of that,” she said, “was it wasn’t necessarily about building the best house but giving the best experience to the volunteers while making sure the house was safe.” 

She and her husband Tony have two sons, Isaiah, 5, and Ezra, born in April 2020, right after the pandemic shutdown. Fortunately, everyone stayed healthy and it was a nice family time.  

The family lives in Olathe, and in 2018, Kangethe became development services coordinator with the Olathe Planning Department. She worked closely with developers and the Planning Commission. 

When the Library position came open, Kangethe realized she had the right skill set, and she was hired in September 2021. Working with Casserley and now Suellentrop has been wonderful. 

“This organization is so committed to supporting its employees,” she said. “They are so forward thinking and allow people the time to think about things and plan for the future.” 

She and her family love visiting the Lenexa branch and she can also flex her artistic muscles at Central’s re-opened MakerSpace. 

After a year, she’s thriving and learning to anticipate the Library Board’s needs. “They are so supportive,” she said. “They support the work that our staff does and they want our mission to succeed.” 
Cinematographer

Cinematographer with a motion picture camera in Aviation Park.

Quarterly Newsletter of the Johnson County Museum

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It’s another grand Throwback Thursday where we encourage you to time travel through Johnson County's history. JoCoHistory is a collaborative presentation of the history from the Johnson County Museum, Johnson County Library and many JoCoHistory partners. Explore historical photographs and documents about the people, places and organizations of Johnson County, Kansas, from the 19th century to the present.

Collection spotlight: Album, the Quarterly Newsletter of the Johnson County Museum

The ALBUM newsletter, a quarterly publication from Johnson County Museum, introduces Johnson County's history through articles and photographs.

eLearning Spotlight: Brainfuse HelpNow

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“Ask for help. Not because you are weak. But because you want to remain strong.”

— Les Brown

Brainfuse HelpNow has several ways to get homework help:

  • Live tutoring daily 2 - 11 p.m.
  • Writing Lab to get feedback within one business day
  • SkillSurfer for study resources and test prep
  • Send Question to get a response within one business day
  • LEAP to create a customized learning plan

Plus several more tools to collaborate and learn using the website or mobile app.

This resource is generously supported by the Louis and Elizabeth Nave Flarsheim Charitable Foundation.

Learn more about Brainfuse HelpNow

This Week at the Library

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This week at the Library, you can join us at:

Library OnDemand – Available anytime you like.

Your doorway into live and archived programs. Arts & Culture, Career & Finance, Community Matters, Writers and more!

Step-by-Step through the FAFSA – Tuesday, Oct. 18, 6:30 – 8 p.m. 

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is the federal application necessary to get free and low-cost money for college. Join Jason Anderson, CPA, CFP®, managing member and senior consultant at Gradmetrics, at Central Resource Library, as he walks line-by-line through the FAFSA form and explains the ins-and-outs of the college admissions and financial aid process. Registration is required

Maintain Your Ride – Thursday, Oct. 20, noon – 1:30 p.m. 

Get your hands dirty and learn to keep your bike in tip-top shape with this free class from Johnson County Library and BikeWalkKC. Live and in-person at the bicycle fix-it stand in front of Central Resource Library, our instructors will teach you how to keep your bike in good working order with a few basic tools and some practical know-how. You will learn how to clean and lubricate your chain, fix a flat, adjust shifting and braking, and basic bike maintenance skills. We’ll also show you how to use the fix-it stand. This is a hands-on class! Registration is required.

Small Business Administration Funding for Your Business – Thursday, Oct. 20, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. 

Are you looking to start a new business or expand an existing one? Attend this webinar to learn about different types of business funding available in our market. Sheila Forrester, economic development specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration, will explain how to determine which loan program is the best fit for your business, what a lender looks for when reviewing your loan request, and how to get in touch with an SBA resource partner who can help you along the way.

Friends of the Library Pop-Up Book Sale – Saturday, Oct. 22, 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.  

Shop gently used books and items at the Friends of the Library headquarters!
20% Friends members discount all day!

Teen Book Swap Cafe – Sunday, Oct. 23, 2 – 4 p.m.

Refresh your bookshelf and bring a stack of books, audiobooks, and advanced reader copies of books (ARCS/galleys) to swap with other teen readers at the Antioch Library! Get to know your community as you grab a snack, chat, and trade new or lightly-used books. This program is trade only, no selling will be allowed. Limit of 10 books per person to trade. Registrants will get a free tote to carry all your new books.

And much more happening this week »

 

SPECIAL EDITION - 2022 Writers Conference

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Our eighth annual Writers Conference will be Thursday, Nov. 17 - Sunday, Nov. 20.

In this episode, Readers' Advisory Librarian Helen Hokanson and Adult Services Specialist Lisa Allen talk about our 2022 Writers Conference. How do we choose our faculty? Do we take potential presenter suggestions? How does the in-person experience differ from the virtual version of the past couple of years? We have fun taking a deep dive into these questions and feature readings by authors Anne-Marie Oomen and Polly Alice McCann. 

Writers Conference Highlights Craft and Creativity

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Johnson County Library’s Writers Conference is back in person this year and staff couldn’t be happier! 

After two challenging years hosting the conference online, the Library is delighted to welcome writers back to the newly refreshed Central Resource Library Nov. 17-19. Participants will share ideas and inspiration, meet with authors and other creatives and have a chance to network and learn from each other. 

“Part of our purpose statement for the conference is that we build community,” said Helen Hokanson, the reference librarian who spearheads local writers programming. “Just coming back in person, we feel we are getting our mojo back.” 

The conference will feature the book Creative Acts for Curious People, with the subtitle “How to Think, Create and Lead in Unconventional Ways.” This collection was curated by Sarah Stein Greenberg of Stanford’s design institute. Attendees will receive a free copy of the book, and Greenberg will attend the Library event. 

“This is a book of exercises designed to get you looking at the world in a different way,” Hokanson said. “As writers, that’s something we are always trying to do.” 

This year's conference kicked off with “Pre-Game” celebration on Sept. 22, where writers could pick up their free book at Central and register if they hadn't already. Those who couldn't make it to that event can retrieve the book at Central before the conference, while supplies last. 

“The Pre-Game is a way for us to get people excited about the conference,” said Joseph Keehn, event producer for Johnson County Library. “It’s kind of a little teaser of getting people together.” 

Conference registrants are invited to respond to a writers’ prompt from the book and post it to the JOCO Writes blog. Some of the best entries will be shared at the Nov. 17 kickoff. 

This year’s theme is “Art For Impact.” Works by artist Patricia Streeper will be on display at Central. Participants in the writing contests will be asked to respond to her art. 

This year’s conference, which is expected to attract about 300 attendees, features 22 presenters including favorite returnees like Jessica Conoley and Polly McCann. Beloved musician and author Jim Cosgrove will present. Other unique voices will include Brendan Kiely, Ann-Marie Oomen, Justin Nogy and Steven Kolbe.

The Library encourages in-person attendance for workshops sharing original writing, yoga and meditation sessions, writing in Strang Park behind Central and just stimulating conversations. 

But for those who cannot attend in person, the lectures and panel discussions will be available in Library OnDemand, to view live or later. 

Hokanson and her conference committee — Diane Haner, Katt Cooper, Lisa Allen and Jesseca Bear — work hard all year to make this a success.  

Keehn said it’s a labor of love for this “small but mighty” committee of very dedicated individuals. "The Writers Conference is a signature event for the Library,” Keehn said.  

Creative Services Coordinator Cindy Frazer designs the signage, notebook and other materials for the conference.  "I enjoy it immensely,” she said. "We are supporting the local writers and authors in our community, and artists in some cases.” 

As always, this is not an event about publishing but about the writing craft: skill-building, learning, and having work edited and critiqued.   

"We want to connect writers with readers and writers with other writers,” Hokanson said.  "Our goal is to get people in the best place possible to be ready to publish, to be ready to pitch. So we really focus on the front end, the process and the product.” 
cook with eAudiobooks

Cook with eAudiobooks!

Bike with eAudiobooks

Bike with eAudiobooks!

Walk the dog with eAudiobooks

Walk the dog with eAudiobooks!

Jog with eAudiobooks

Jog with eAudiobooks!

Paint with eAudiobooks

Paint with eAudiobooks!

eAudiobooks allow you to multitask!

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Are you a multitasker? We have found it's difficult to read a book while also:

  • Jogging
  • Cooking
  • Painting
  • Driving
  • ...and, well, it's a long list!

Our solution? Checkout our eAudiobooks:

eAudiobooks on Libby
Our largest eAudiobook collection! Listen to popular fiction and nonfiction books for kids, teens and adults.

Naxos Spoken Word Library
Classic fiction and nonfiction streaming audiobooks.

eAudiobooks on cloudLibrary
Great listens! Popular fiction and nonfiction collection provided by the State Library of Kansas.

Listen and multitask! You're welcome.