Friends and Foundation

Join us September 12 for the Johnson County Library Foundation's signature fundraising event, Library Lets Loose!

Library Lets Loose goes VIRTUAL and FREE this year! Library lovers everywhere can enjoy this festive, family-friendly online event. Guests will enjoy a brief, fun program then move on to choose from a variety of virtual rooms for unique experience like storytelling, trivia, and music performances — and more!

In celebration, we proudly present another one of our “celebrity guests” sharing a Library story special to them. We hope you enjoy their stories, and register to join us online September 12 for more great fun!

Today’s special guests are local meteorologists, Gary Lezak and Jeff Penner. Gary reads a passage from his book, It's a Sunny Life. 

Join Honorary Hosts Cindy Wallis-Lage and Kent Lage, on September 12 for the Johnson County Library Foundation's signature fundraising event, Library Lets Loose!

Library lovers everywhere can enjoy this festive, family-friendly online event. Guests will enjoy a brief, fun program then move on to choose from a variety of virtual rooms for unique experience like storytelling, trivia, and music performances — and more!

In celebration, we proudly present the first of an 8-part video series of our “celebrity guests” sharing a Library story special to them. We hope you enjoy their stories, and join us online September 12 for more great fun!

Today’s special guest is Nate Bukaty, 810 WHB, Sporting Kansas City announcer, reading The Sneetches by Dr. Suess.

The Friends of Johnson County Library Bookstores are re-opening to help meet your gently-used books and A/V needs! The bookstores at Antioch, Blue Valley and Central Resource Libraries are now open for appointment-only shopping.

Store hours at all three locations are Mondays from 9am-4:30pm and Thursdays from Noon-7:30pm. Bookstore pricing has been standardized to make it easier to shop and to perform contact-less sales. Some items like display books, and sets, are specially priced.

The Friends are extending their member discount all Summer. Members get 20% off prices as marked, until Labor Day!

The Friends look forward to welcoming you back to the Bookstores. To shop at Antioch or Central Resource Library Bookstores, contact Becky Epperson. To shop at Blue Valley Library Bookstore, contact Karin Dembinski.

Some appointment-only shopping details:

• 24 hours advance appointment
• 30 minutes for browsing
• 4 customers limit for low-contact book shopping
• Face coverings are required in public places in Johnson County, Kansas. Wear yours to the Bookstore!
• No membership necessary! 

The Stores have been deep-cleaned, along with the Libraries. The generous-hearted Bookstore volunteers are being trained on new physical distancing and daily store hygiene measures. Plexiglas partitions have been placed at cash register stations in each bookstore, and six foot “distancing” floor markings have been deployed. Face coverings are required in public places in Johnson County, Kansas. Wear yours to the Bookstore!

The Friends do not currently accept book donations at the branches. If you have donations, give a call to the Friends Operations Manager, Shanta Dickerson, to arrange drop off at our headquarters. 913 492 4791

The Friends of Johnson County Library are pleased to announce that their online sales are back in business, as part of their phased re-opening strategy. The thriving division was temporarily shuttered in adherence with COVID-19 transmission control protocols.

The Friends inventory comprises donated books and materials as well as some weeded items from the Library. They use a multi-listing service that immediately posts their items on 5 top-performing internet sales platforms including eBay, Amazon and AbeBooks. 

The Friends’ online sales are a success for the nonprofit group that supports Johnson County Library. “We’ll normally gross about $125,000 from online alone, and send books to countries around the world,” says Friends Operations Manager Shanta Dickerson. “We’re eager to get back to work providing high-quality, low-cost reading material to our customers and members.”

Friends Bookstores and donation acceptance will be phased back into service later this year.

This #ThrowbackThursday we're honoring our Lackman Library Volunteers!

My name is Linda, and I'm happy to have had the opportunity to visit with some of the Lackman Library volunteers during an appreciation lunch for them. Some of them will move to other volunteer posts within the Johnson County Library, and others are moving on to new opportunities as services move from Lackman Library to Lenexa City Center Library. From a woman with 34 years of library service to one who had just started, they all contributed in their own special way to the foundation and success of the Lackman Library.

Jo Ouseley, the 34-year volunteer, started at the main branch of the Johnson County Library then transferred to Lackman shortly after it opened in 1997. She and the Lackman branch have commendably served the residents of Lenexa and Johnson County ever since. Jo was the recipient of the Shankel Award for Outstanding Volunteers in 2009. I listened as she and other volunteers reminisced about sorting and re-shelving books in the children’s department. They concluded it was not the best time to wear new slacks, and as Jo pointed out, the amount of time they spent on their knees provided ample opportunity to catch up on their prayers.

Another volunteer, Donna Pray, shares special memories of the Lackman Library with her grandson. She was busy with her volunteer duties one day when a certain little boy caught her attention. She quickly recognized her three-year-old grandson who came in with his babysitter to attend story-time, a popular event for toddlers. He was surprised to see her and asked why she was at the library and not at her house where he had always seen her. For years he enjoyed visiting the library, not only for story-time, but for a smile and hug from Grandma as well.

Volunteering is not just something you do if you have time, it makes your time more valuable. Take Kathy Peters and Judy Carney, for instance. The time they spent volunteering became priceless when they found their best friend in each other. Kathy, a 10-year volunteer, liked to shelve books and Judy, a 9-year volunteer, liked to work on DVDs and audiobooks. They were so fast and efficient with their individual tasks that they always found time afterwards to talk… and a friendship was born! Kathy loves to read, so it’s understandable that her favorite day of the week was the day she spent at the library. Being a well-rounded reader made her a good resource for those looking for recommendations, and patrons grew to count on her as a resource for their next great read.

Janet Hall, a volunteer since November 2013, found an undeniable satisfaction in the hours she put in at the Library, but it’s the staff and other volunteers for which she is truly grateful. Their care and concern after her son passed away a few years ago will never be forgotten. She treasures their kindness and holds dear the wind chimes that were given to her in his memory.

Other volunteers I met that day were Lou Ann Carpenter, Lorraine Gerard, Fran Jaderborg, and Nikki Hollembeak.  They all confirmed what I easily sensed: the bond and camaraderie they shared was invaluable. It was also clear that a mutual appreciation existed between the Library staff and the volunteers. Each group seemed extremely grateful for the other. Like the pages of a book, they were all bound together. The pages have turned, and the book has been closed - but what a story it was!

Photo from left:  Nikki Hollembeak, Kathy Peters, LouAnn Carpenter, Lorraine Gerard, Fran Jaderborg, Janet Hall, Donna Pray, Judy Carney, Jo Ouseley, Volunteer Coordinator Rita Glick

Lackman volunteers not pictured: JoAnn Hadel, Elaine Scherder, Glenda Carden, Bill Hartel, Pat Veno, Deanne Belshe, Sandy Allshouse and Jan Hendrix.

The Johnson County Library Foundation’s mission is to build an endowment for the Library’s collection and secure support for life-long learning programs offered at Johnson County Library.

The  Foundation does this by securing and managing donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations to support the Library above and beyond what public funding provides. Special thanks to all of you who have made a donation, participated in a fundraising event, or volunteered! The Foundation counts on the financial and in-kind support of individuals, businesses, and charitable foundations to grow to meet the ever-changing needs in Johnson County.

In 2018, more than 500 individuals, couples, corporations and foundations made a point of making a donation to the Foundation to support the Library's programs. Go here to see the impact your gift has made. 

Since its establishment in 1996, the Foundation has supported the Library’s lifelong learning programs including:

• Collection and resource enrichment
• 6 by 6 Ready To Read
• Summer Reading
• Homework Help
• Live online tutoring
• elementia Teen Literary Program
• Black & Veatch MakerSpace
• Civic Engagement
• Joan Berkley Writers Fund 

Thank you for your continued support. Your gift has the power to change lives! 

Your support of the Johnson County Library Foundation has a profound impact on our community. The Foundation funds library resources, books, and educational programs that encourage curiosity, spark imagination and bring dreams to life.

The Foundation supports lifelong learning programs including:

• 6 by 6 ReadyTo Read
• Summer Reading
• Homework Help
• elementia Teen Literary Program
• Black & Veatch MakerSpace
• Civic Engagement
• Joan Berkley Writers Fund

Your gift has the power to change lives. Your contribution to the Foundation will directly fund Library programs, services, and the growth of the collection of more than 1 million items.  For more information, contact Stephanie Stollsteimer at stollsteimers@jocolibrary.org.

Thank you for your continued support!