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In March, Librarians Jayma Zook and Melody Kinnamon delivered 10 boxes of new books to Johnson County’s Juvenile Detention Center. This addition of new titles updates and expands an existing collection available to JDC residents.

“[Teen Services Coordinating Librarian] Kate McNair worked so hard some years ago to secure grants to build this collection at the Juvenile Detention Center,” Kinnamon said. “But grants aren’t always available, so we needed a more sustainable plan for keeping this collection current.”

Starting this year, the Library has set aside a portion of the Incarcerated Services Committee’s budget to obtain new titles and refresh old copies of popular books. This will allow the Library to maintain this collection just like it would at any other branch.

“This is one of the best examples of JCL Values in practice. The Library recognizes that this underserved, at-risk population needs equitable access to books to support and enrich their lives and they’ve made it a priority,” Kinnamon said.

Youth Services Librarian Jayma Zook took on the task of selecting books for this collection. The items purchased were chosen for broad appeal but also to fulfill the specific needs of the teens at the JDC.

“Jayma used her skills as a YS Librarian to make sure the collection was diverse and inclusive, and also had different formats and reading levels. She made sure there were some graphic novels and some easy-to-read titles,” Kinnamon said. “She did a great job.”

Facebook Live Book Parties are live events where library staff members will booktalk a short list of titles around a certain genre or theme and staff will interact with patrons in real time.

This Book Party will be held on Facebook live. Visit JoCoLibrary on Facebook and be sure to ‘follow’ us to get notifications when we go Live if you have a Facebook account. You do not need a Facebook account to watch our Book Party.

Facebook Live Book Parties

Thursday, April 21, 2022

7:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Online event

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!

Online Storytime – Wednesday, April 20, 10 – 10:30 a.m.

The whole family will enjoy these flexible Storytimes. Hearing stories is a great way to spend time with your kids and help them foster a love of reading. Stories, songs, fingerplays and movement activities foster pre-reading skills. Fun for the whole family!

Meet the Author: Celebrating Earth Day with Kate Messner – Thursday, April 21, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Register for this program online or call 913.826.4600. Celebrating Earth Day with Over and Under Nature Writing - New York Times bestselling author Kate Messner will share the research and writing process behind her award-winning picture books OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW, UP IN THE GARDEN AND DOWN IN THE DIRT, OVER AND UNDER THE RAINFOREST, and more. The virtual visit will wrap up with plenty of time for Q&A with readers.

Wills & Power of Attorney – Thursday, April 21, 6:30-8 p.m.

Learn about the important legal documents you need to ensure your wishes are honored in the event of incapacity or death, and to avoid probate. Alexandra English, Managing Attorney and Director of the Elder Rights Project for Kansas Legal Services, will discuss powers of attorney, wills, living wills and transfer-on-death deeds.

Johnson County Genealogical Society Monthly Meeting – Saturday, April 23, 10 a.m.-noon

Johnson County Genealogical Society general meetings are free and open to all. Please note: meetings will be held via Zoom until Carmack Room at Johnson County Library reopens. Updates about in-person meetings will be posted on www.jcgsks.org. Free and open to the public. To receive Zoom link if you are not a JCGS member, please email info@jcgsks.org . The April topic is Introduction to the Kansas State Archives presented by Megan Burton.

And much more happening this week »

Rachel Novotny, Octavia Vonderheyde and Liz Wilson are all information specialists for Johnson County Library. As colleagues, they share a love of serving patrons, reading and being lifelong learners. But they have forged an even deeper friendship and bond because of another passion: K-pop, or Korean popular music, which combines musical influences from hip hop to exuberant dance, jazz and rock.

“It hits a nerve, in a good way,” Vonderheyde explains. “It’s very positive music overall. It makes you happy. It’s just encouraging.”

Almost every Friday, they get together after work, usually via Zoom, to watch new releases and learn more about their favorite bands. They also enjoy and discuss K-dramas, Korean television programs that have gained global popularity through streaming services with subtitles.

It all started with their Library connections. Wilson and Vonderheyde are both information specialists at the Leawood Pioneer branch. Vonderheyde has been there for 22 years, most recently as a youth services specialist. Wilson started as a page at Leawood five years ago and became an adult information specialist in 2018.

Novotny has been with Johnson County Library for 10 years, including the past eight years as an adult services specialist at the Blue Valley branch. She and Vonderheyde worked together on the Library’s Local Arts committee several years ago and enjoyed that collaboration.

Novotny stumbled across K-dramas through Netflix about nine years ago and became a fan of those one-season serial melodramas, which explore romances and interesting family dynamics. That led her to K-pop. In 2019, she did two Johnson County Library podcasts, one on K-dramas and one on K-pop.  

Wilson had separately gotten interested years ago in Asian movies, through her stepdad. That spurred her interest in K-dramas, and then she got hooked on K-pop in 2017.

“I happened onto this drama called Heart Strings,” Wilson said. That drama featured two members of the Korean band CNBLUE. “I checked out their music and really liked their band.”

Wilson shared her enthusiasm with Vonderheyde, who knew about the hugely popular K-pop band BTS through her daughter Arielle. Then Wilson heard Novotny’s podcast and emailed her to arrange a meeting.

The trio vividly recall getting together on Oct. 27, 2019, to watch a movie at AMC in Leawood featuring a Korean concert by BTS. The movie theater was packed, and they had a great time. 

After that outing, the trio started meeting on Friday evenings, first at Novotny’s house and then via Zoom. They’ve dubbed themselves the “K-pop Librarians.”

Wilson and Vonderheyde traveled to Chicago in January 2020 to see Seventeen, another K-pop boy group. And Novotny and Vonderheyde went to Lawrence on March 3 of this year to see ONEUS perform at Liberty Hall. It was a rare K-pop live show in this area and the 1,000-seat concert hall was sold out.

Seeing bands in person has been amazing and wonderful, but watching videos is also fun. They are fans of the whole production, from makeup to outfits to distinctive dance choreography to a wide range of musical moods.

“There’s a lot of good energy,” Wilson said. “Lots of fun songs. Some of the more dramatic songs, they make your heart swell.”

Novotny enjoys following the bands’ evolution, “Oh, they are doing something darker now, or they are doing something cute.”

They are all passionate about working for Johnson County Library and serving the community. That career connection also fuels their K-pop friendship.

“We all have something in common,” Vonderheyde said. “We all have the same Library background. We’re always learning new stuff. It’s the same with K-pop or K-dramas. There’s always something new coming out. There’s always something to share and get excited about.”

Explore the world of K-pop and K-dramas with these recommended titles:

What is K-pop? Books and Music Recommendations 

Korean TV Dramas 

Korean Movies

Join us for Meet the Author: Celebrating Earth Day with Kate Messner, a virtual event on April 21 at 4:30 p.m. Register now »

Celebrating Earth Day with Over and Under Nature Writing - New York Times bestselling author Kate Messner will share the research and writing process behind her award-winning picture books Over and Under the Snow, Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, Under the Rainforest and more. The virtual visit will wrap up with plenty of time for Q&A with readers.

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