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Johnson County Library’s newest Board member, Jeffrey Mendoza, brings a passion for public service to this position.

Nominated by County Commissioner Janeé Hanzlick, Mendoza was appointed in May. He’s pleased to be part of a crucial community organization.

“I’ve always been a huge supporter and fan of libraries everywhere I’ve lived,” Mendoza said in an interview. “I felt this was a great place to give back and to sustain the high quality of libraries for future generations. I figured this is a place I could make an impact and give back and help Johnson County and Overland Park.”

Mendoza and his wife Elizabeth have a one-year-old son, Julian, and are excited to put down roots in Johnson County. Hanzlick was impressed with his background and commitment.

“As an attorney with the Department of Labor, a Marine Corps Reservist and a representative of the Latino community, Jeffrey brings valuable skills and perspectives to the work of the Library Board,” she said. “I especially appreciate that he is the father of a young child and is looking to build a strong foundation for the Library’s future.”

Mendoza is the son of immigrants (his mother from the Dominican Republic and his father from Peru) and grew up bilingual in New Jersey. He saw how hard his parents worked and the value they placed on education. He was instilled with a great work ethic and desire to succeed in school and professionally.

“I used the library all the time, both public and in school,” he recalled.

He also joined Junior ROTC and had mentors who inspired his patriotic ambition to serve in the military.  

He graduated in 2013 from Rutgers University, majoring in Political Science and Spanish. He was commissioned as a Marine Corps Second Lieutenant upon graduating and also started law school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Mendoza had never heard of UMKC, but the law school recruited him aggressively, appreciating his Latino heritage, East Coast upbringing and military commission.

He knew nothing about Kansas City and his family was shocked. But after visiting the campus, meeting faculty and students, he quickly enrolled. It was a great experience, and he met his future wife, also a UMKC law student.

After law school graduation in 2016, Mendoza started active military service, working in Virginia and North Carolina. He was a legal advisor to a base general and then prosecuted special victims’ crimes.

He and Elizabeth married in 2019. When his active duty military contract ended in 2020, he transitioned to the reserves and the couple moved to Overland Park. Julian was born in May 2021.

As a U.S. Department of Labor trial attorney, Mendoza prosecutes labor violations and protects workers’ rights throughout the region.

It’s vital work, but he wanted to serve the community in other ways. So he reached out to Hanzlick, who thought he was a great fit when the District 4 Library Board position came open.

Mendoza and his wife read regularly to their son, both in English and Spanish, and enjoy visiting the Central Resource Library children’s area. They are also both big readers; Mendoza especially likes biographies of military leaders and sports figures.

He is determined to ensure the Library continues to provide exceptional materials, programs and services for all, including children and families, and Spanish-speaking and immigrant populations.

“I want to make sure we maintain the great work of the Library, make sure the Libraries in our community are known as a safe haven,” he said.

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: Johnson County Museum Historic Preservation Survey

About this collection: Begun in 1991, the Historic Preservation Survey is a collection of photos documenting the architectural style and condition of more than 10,000 pre-1950 homes across Johnson County. The original photos are owned by the Johnson County Museum.

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When you have an eLibrary this good, the "e" stands for enjoyment! Checkout these eResources.

eNewspapers
The latest from The New York Times, The Kansas City Star, Shawnee Mission Post and more.

eMagazines
Newsstand favorites and hard-to-find publications with something for everybody.

Johnson County Library resumed its in-person teen volunteer program this summer, and 90 young people took advantage of that opportunity in June and July.

They provided over 1,300 hours of invaluable service at six branches: Antioch, Blue Valley, Corinth, Leawood, Lenexa and Monticello. They helped with book distributions, shelved materials, and even created book displays and colorful window art.

Students volunteering at the busy Blue Valley branch said it was an intellectually-engaging experience.

“I wanted to do it for the benefit of the community itself,” said Arham Chundrigar, 15, who attends Blue Valley West High School. “If you enjoy the Library itself, it’s a great way to get involved within it.”

Chundrigar gave out free books to families who visited the branch.  

“I would familiarize myself with each book and provide recommendations for people’s age levels,” he said.

Volunteering gave Raghu Penugonda, 16, of Blue Valley Southwest High, an appreciation for the diversity of Library patrons. “So many people were willing to come in and try to get a book to read over the summer,” he said. “So it really taught me a lot about what the community looks like here.”

Chelsea McCollam, 17, of Blue Valley West High, enjoyed the Library atmosphere.

“When I started shelving Holds,” she said, “I remembered why I like the Library, and then I checked out my own books. It renewed the love of trying to explore books.”

The pandemic halted in-person teen volunteer efforts in 2020 and 2021. But this summer it was once again safe to invite young people ages 13-18 to participate. Nearly everyone who applied was placed at a branch, working as many hours as they wished.

Summer is the ideal time, because teens are available and Library staff can really use the help. That was especially true with Blue Valley’s book distribution, where teens greeted families and provided excellent patron service.

“They just made it really fun and welcoming,” said Kate McNair, Johnson County Library’s Teen Services Coordinating Librarian. “We definitely had a lot of teens who wanted to contribute their creativity and their passion to the Library, which I think is really cool.”

While the teens get volunteer service credits, the Library is also a great first-job experience. Students have to apply and interview. They sign up for shifts and have to show up on time.

“So these are all great skills that they can be building in a pretty judgment-free, safe environment,” McNair said.

Christina Larkins, youth information specialist at Corinth, was thrilled to have about 30 teens volunteer at her branch.

“The teens were incredibly kind and smart and many of them had a lot of self initiative and drive,” she said. They pitched in wherever needed, including watering the Corinth garden and decorating the windows.

Summer is a really busy time at Corinth. “So it really helps having extra hands,” Larkins said. “Those little small tasks add up and really help us focus on moving literal mountains of books.”

Johnson County Library has other innovative youth activities. Teens can sign up to review books, with their insightful critiques posted at jocolibrary.org/teens. They can also join the Young Adult Literary Councils, sharing favorite books and participating in fun activities such as author visits and game days.

McNair eagerly anticipates Summer 2023, building on a mutually beneficial program for staff and youth in 2022.

“You get a chance to build a relationship,” McNair said. “You see them build skills and help them grow, and that I think is something that’s really fulfilling for our staff. I know it’s really fulfilling for me.”

As you very well know, September is National Square Dance Month. 'Do si do' and 'swing your partner' over to Jocohistory, where you can enter the search term "square dancing." It's a fun glimpse into a different time as we celebrate this Throwback Thursday.

Remember, Jocohistory is the place to time travel through local history. Be sure to follow our hashtag on Twitter!

Some call TBT the best day of the week.

It's the Library Lowdown Quiz Showdown Part I
We love quiz podcasts and radio programs like “Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!” We also live for getting to know everything there is to know about Johnson County Library! What do you know? What do we know? Get ready for a variety of Library games! In this fantastically fun episode, we play Bluff the Librarian with Local Arts Librarian Bryan and Library Password with Matt, Patti and Courtney.

Be sure to stay until the end when we announce the winners of our at-home Crossword and Word Search!