Tricia Suellentrop and her husband Shaun
One of Tricia Suellentrop’s fondest childhood experiences was listening riveted while her fifth grade teacher read a book to the class about the drama and intrigue of the Wild West.
“It was just a great memory that I have, literally being on the edge of your seat, can you just read a little bit more?” Suellentrop now recalls.
Books have always been a source of wonder and exploration for Suellentrop. So it’s only fitting that she now heads Johnson County Library, an organization devoted to sharing the vast world of books, information and ideas to satisfy any curiosity and enrich people’s lives.
“The word I always associate, that gives me the biggest spark, is discovery,” says Suellentrop, who assumed the role of Johnson County Librarian on July 1, following Sean Casserley’s retirement. “That’s what I really think about Libraries. It’s just all the discovery possible.”
She is an enthusiastic evangelist for continuing to make Johnson County Library accessible to all patrons pursuing their own journeys of the mind.
Suellentrop, 52, brings decades of experience to her new job. She joined Johnson County Library full time in 1998 as the first Teen Services Coordinator. She then served as Youth Services Manager and Systemwide Services Manager before becoming Deputy County Librarian in 2008.
She learned a lot about long-range planning, strategic thinking and fostering a nurturing work culture from Johnson County Librarians Donna Lauffer and Casserley, preparing her to take the helm.
Colleagues appreciate her good humor, sense of fun and collaborative leadership style, which empowers staff to be independent, creative and proactive in addressing challenges and problems.
Growing up in Wichita, Suellentrop was immersed in an academic environment as her mother was a history and English professor at Wichita State and Newman universities.
Suellentrop herself graduated from Benedictine College with a bachelor’s degree in English. She worked for a few years, including as a nanny in Denver, before earning her Master of Library Science from Emporia State.
She interviewed for several Johnson County children’s librarian positions but wasn’t chosen. Fortunately, Jean Hatfield, a youth services manager, realized her potential and urged her to apply for a brand new position focused on teens.
She got the job and found working with young adults incredibly energizing and inspiring.
Suellentrop forged robust connections with school librarians, increasing families’ appreciation for Johnson County Library’s great resources.
She also spearheaded the Read to Succeed program with the Juvenile Detention Center, providing juveniles with access to all sorts of Library books and services. The program was a model for other Library systems, and in 2005 Suellentrop was recognized as one of the Library Journal’s Movers and Shakers.
She co-authored “Connecting Young Adults and Libraries,” a manual to help public and school libraries serve teen populations. And perhaps most wonderfully, Suellentrop developed close relationships with countless teens, many of whom still keep in touch with her.
In her spare time, Suellentrop is an avid Wichita State Shocker’s basketball fan. She and her husband Shaun have two dogs and two cats and enjoy live music, particularly at Knuckleheads, Grinders and the Green Lady Lounge. She has a goal of visiting all 50 states, with just Maine and Wisconsin left to go.
She loves nonfiction, teen fiction and thrillers, usually reading one book at a time and listening to another in her car.
In these first months on the job, Suellentrop is taking time to listen and learn. She appreciates the supportive Library Board, staff and patron base, and looks forward to working closely with other civic leaders.
It’s a great new chapter for what has been a wonderful career.
“I love that being in the Library, no day is ever the same,” she said. “That really fits with my personality, and with my tolerance for surprises.”