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The Johnson County Library Foundation’s new executive director brings a wealth of fundraising and advocacy experience to the job. She also brings qualities that may be even more important: a boundless curiosity and a deep appreciation for libraries as part of the soul of a community. 

Shelley O’Brien started her new job March 6, succeeding Stephanie Stollsteimer, who retired. In her previous position as a fundraising consultant for the Northeast Kansas Library System, O’Brien championed libraries in this region and had already worked closely with Stollsteimer and board members as a facilitator to update the Foundation’s strategic plan.  

So O’Brien was familiar with how vibrant the Foundation already is, in its mission to help Johnson County Library build its collection, lifelong learning resources and programming beyond what taxpayer dollars provide. Her goal is to raise the Foundation’s profile even higher and to forge even greater partnerships throughout the community. 

“The Library and Foundation are excellent, and I want to build on that and bring more people into the fold,” she said. “We want to communicate more with the donors who support the Foundation about how we are investing their money. That to me is very important, showing the impact it has on Johnson County.” 

Growing up in Blue Springs, O’Brien loved going to her local library and became a voracious reader.  She enjoyed public speaking on the debate team in high school and at the University of Kansas, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. 

After college she worked for the KU endowment and other organizations in Lawrence and Kansas City before she moved to Washington D.C. In the nation’s capital, she did fundraising for national advocacy non-profits, including the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the National Recreation and Park Association. 

While in Washington, O’Brien was an enthusiastic library volunteer through the Junior League, and that helped launch her on a new career path. In 2018, she became the first fundraiser on the Prince George’s County Memorial Library system staff. At night and on weekends, she pursued a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University, graduating in December 2021.  

After years in Washington, O’Brien craved a return to the Kansas City area, so she was glad to accept the Northeast Kansas Library position in October 2021.  

Now at the Foundation, O’Brien is working on its signature event, Library Lets Loose, scheduled for September 23. O’Brien and the development department have many other ideas for the Foundation, including highlighting volunteer opportunities and expanding philanthropic and corporate connections. 

O’Brien also values how different libraries can work together for mutual benefit. To that end, she has a website, I Love My Kansas Library, that promotes library impacts on local economies throughout the state. 

O’Brien also loves sports. She served on the U.S. Olympics nominating committee for eight years and is always up for attending a sporting event. 

“I am not an athlete but I value sports and teamwork,” she said. “I learned so much about the importance of strong leadership and working together.”  

She’s a big fan of the Royals, Chiefs and the Kansas City Current women’s soccer team. “I am grateful that the Royals Charities support the Library Foundation and our children’s programs,” she said. “I hope we can work with all the KC sports teams in some way.” 

The new job seems full of possibilities. “I want Johnson County to have outstanding Libraries, where we see innovation taking place every day. That is thrilling to me,” O’Brien said. “I can see where parents would be so excited that their children and teenagers are getting to experience this. That fuels my work. That fuels me.” 

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: Obituary Index

About this collection: Find citations for obituaries from local newspapers dating from the late 19th century to the present. Entries are provided by the Johnson County Genealogical Society. New entries are continually being added.

Race Project KC started as an annual immersive social justice initiative for students in grades 9 through 12 in the Kansas City metro area. Established by Johnson County Library, Race Project KC emerged after Tanner Colby's 2014 visits to our area to talk about his book Some of My Best Friends are Black: The Strange Story of Integration in America. Local educators and Library staff were inspired to develop experiences for area teens. The program’s goal has been to help students cross dividing lines, build connections, and better understand each other and our shared history through the lens of race. 

In the years 2015-2022, our focus was workshops for high school students. We have always wanted to do more, and our community has always desired more—to include more schools and more experiences, not just for high schoolers, but for all ages. We paused all activities for the 2022-2023 school year to take time to lay the foundation for this new growth.  

We are now launching the next phase of building an expanded Race Project KC with your help. Johnson County Library has spearheaded the formation of a team to begin the work of reshaping Race Project KC. We are excited to announce a partnership with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art to explore the future of Race Project KC and how we can grow our capacity. Our first goal is to create an Advisory Committee who will steer this next iteration of the initiative. 

Later this month, we’ll put out a call for candidates for the Advisory Committee. You can watch for that announcement and other ways to become involved here: 

• Subscribe to the Race Project KC Newsletter 
• Follow Race Project KC on Instagram 
• Bookmark RaceProjectKC.org 

 If you have any questions or ideas to share please contact Race Project KC at jcl-raceproject@jocogov.org.  

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

Library OnDemand – Available anytime you like. 

Elementia issue XX Reception and Readings – Tuesday, May 9, 7– 8:30 p.m.

Celebrate the 20th issue of elementia virtually. Explore concepts of our theme cycles with readings from published teens, artwork, music and more. This program will be hosted using the meeting software Zoom. Register in advance to receive an email the day before the meeting with instructions on how to access the Zoom meeting.

Healthy Living Classes – Tuesday, May 9 – May 31, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Community health workers from the Johnson County Department of Health & Environment will be onsite at the Central Resource Library every Tuesday from 10:30-11:30 to provide information about healthy living. They'll be in Conference Room 20 from May 9 - May 31st.

The Craft of Writing – Book Discussions – Wednesday, May 10, 1 – 2 p.m.

Local authors Amber Logan and Amy Leigh Harden will facilitate discussions of books related to the craft of writing. Registration for each session is required. Once registered, a staff member will contact you for further details and how to acquire the book. This session at the Central Resource Library will be discussing the book,  “The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface” by Donald Maass.

Walk and Read at Meadowbrook Park – Saturday, May 13 – May 21, All day, anytime

Family and friends of all ages are invited to join Johnson County Library for a walk in a park! Walk and Read creates a reading opportunity for all, in various parks throughout Johnson County. Those who participate will read two stories posted around a path, one going each direction. When you finish one story, you can turn around to the other side of the sign and begin the next story, which will lead you back around the path. The Walk and Read program encourages physical activity, literacy and family time. The paths are stroller and wheelchair friendly, allowing for all to join in the fun! Dates are subject to adjustment due to inclement weather conditions. Look for updated information at jocolibrary.org. Johnson County Library, and invite you to visit the Walk and Read at Meadowbrook Park. Two stories, “The Mommy Book” by Todd Parr and “Be a Star, Wonder Woman!” by Michael Dahl, will be posted. 

And much more happening this week … 

We are pleased to announce that the Summer 2023 Guide is available at all 14 locations now! The Guide is your source for the latest Library information, inside you’ll find upcoming events and programs, service highlights, branch updates, Friends of Johnson County Library and Johnson County Library Foundation news. The Guide is published trimesterly in April (Summer), August (Fall), and December (Spring) and covers forthcoming events for the next four months. 

 Don’t miss these special features: 

• The Library Goes Fine Free 
• Library Podcast 
• Library Ambassadors 
• Comprehensive Library Master Plan  
• Summer Reading 
• Teens Are Leaders at Weekly Donation Drop-Offs 
• Meet the new Friends Board Members 
• Foundation 2022 Impact Statement 
• Why We Give: Saundra and Skip Johnson 

The bubblegum-blowing, book-loving characters on the cover were created by award-winning illustrator Frank Morrison for this year’s Summer Reading theme, “All Together Now,” in celebration of kindness, friendship and unity. Morrison’s work can be found in numerous books for young readers, including Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe Award winner “Jazzy Mix Mozetta” and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor book “Little Melba and Her Big Trombone.” See page 13 of the Guide for more details on the exciting activities the Library has planned to celebrate Summer Reading this year. 

In a major milestone, Johnson County Library is no longer assessing daily fines for overdue materials. Patrons checking out books, DVDs or other materials from any of our 14 branches no longer have to worry about the assessment of a fine for items returned after their due date. In addition, existing overdue fines have been removed from most patron accounts, and fees older than seven years have been waived. More information including FAQ can be found at jocolibrary.org/finefree. 

Johnson County Library is excited to share all the great things in store for the summer, including Summer Reading designed for the whole family. You can read all about it in the Summer 2023 Guide, which is available next week at a branch near you. The Summer 2023 Guide is also available to view online. 

Johnson County Library will soon be rolling out distinctive portraits of its County Librarians who have served since the 1950s. The artist is a recent arrival to the United States, and her work with the Library is in itself a story about the blessings of immigrant vitality, volunteerism and community connection. 

Katya Balakina grew up in Russia and until recently lived in Estonia, where she pursued a career as an illustrator. It was there that she met her husband, a Johnson County native, and the couple moved to Leawood in early 2022. 

Balakina didn’t know anyone in America except her husband’s family and was feeling isolated. But she knew that Libraries in Eastern Europe were great community hubs, and her husband encouraged her to visit the Leawood Pioneer branch. 

She quickly got a Library card and went online to check out Johnson County Library volunteer opportunities, which connected her to the Friends of Johnson County Library. Thus began a wonderful relationship that has been mutually beneficial for both the Library and Balakina. 

Community Relations Coordinator Christopher Leitch, who works closely with the Friends organization, attended an online meeting with Balakina and learned about her illustrator skills. He checked out her website and quickly recognized her talent. She produces hand-drawn digital images on an iPad, visually conveying ideas and information with a very creative, appealing technique. 

“I knew her style,” Leitch said. “It’s very lively and fun and bright and bold.” 

Leitch envisioned how Balakina’s whimsical drawings could focus attention on the Friends’ donation boxes, located in the branches to collect used books and other materials.    

“She produced a series of little illustrations we’ve been using on social media,” Leitch said. “They’re little line drawings and are just adorable.”  

Balakina was delighted to volunteer for the project. “It was super fun for me,” she said. “I felt like it was the perfect match.” 

She told Leitch that she loves doing portraits and was available for more assignments.  

About that time, Sean Casserley retired as County Librarian, succeeded by Tricia Suellentrop. The timing was right to begin celebrating the history of all seven County Librarians, dating back to Shirley Brother in 1956, followed by Mary Moore, Roy Fox, Mona Carmack and Donna Lauffer. Leitch conceived that a cohesive set of all seven portraits would be ideal. The Library commissioned the works and Balakina completed them late last year. 

Leitch said the Library was thrilled and felt Balakina had captured the look and distinguishing characteristics of each Librarian.  

“I would say she is a very imaginative and intelligent person and really easy to work with,” Leitch said. “She was so eager to bring our vision to life.” 

The images will appear on a variety of postcards, prints and other materials, helping to honor the Library’s leaders. 

Connecting with the Library has been a joy, Balakina said. In addition, at her first meeting with Friends of Johnson County Library representatives, she met another volunteer who was also a recent arrival to the U.S. They’ve become great friends. 

“I got a friend from the Friends,” Balakina said with a laugh. “We hit it off. I am very thankful to the Friends for that volunteering opportunity and for the fact I met a like-minded person.” 

Leitch said this is just one example of how Johnson County Library is blessed to be in a place with so many accomplished professionals, of so many nationalities, who share their gifts for the community’s benefit. 

“We are really lucky,” Leitch said. “This kind of talent presents itself to us with such regularity.” 

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: Historical Atlases of Johnson County

About this collection: Historical maps and narratives that trace the boundaries of land ownership and the development of townships and cities. Use these atlases to discover how Johnson County has changed over the last 150 years. These high-resolution images allow you to zoom in to view small details.