Friends and Foundation

After two years of celebrating virtually, Senia and Will Shields invite you to a party at the newly renovated Central Resource Library for 2022's Library Lets Loose, on Saturday, Sept. 17!   

The event is Johnson County Library Foundation’s signature fundraiser, and the Shieldses are this year’s honorary hosts. Guests will enjoy music, dancing, food and libations, all benefiting the lifelong learning programs the Library offers throughout Johnson County.   

“Once you become a lover of reading and a lover of books you understand the important role libraries play in our lives. Our libraries are constantly creating new opportunities for patrons,” Will said.   

Will Shields played 14 years for the Kansas City Chiefs and received numerous awards, including NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. The Shieldses have made many contributions throughout the Kansas City community for more than 25 years, including the formation of the Will to Succeed Foundation in 1993. Senia says, “Literacy has been an important part of our work and we love the library resources. They open up new opportunities and are paramount for operating successfully in our world.”  

The Shieldses are excited to invite the community back for this special event! Early Bird tickets and more information about the event are available at LibraryLetsLoose.org.

The Library has always been a valued and important place in my life. My earliest and happiest memories of the Library are from childhood, when my mother would take me to Corinth Library to the children’s area on the lower level. We would select as many books as we could carry to take home and share together. Inside those books were adventures, places and lessons that would help shape me as I grew up.

My parents nurtured in us a love of reading from as early as I can remember. They also set me on a course for success with a strong foundation. On many evenings after dinner all through elementary, middle and high school, my parents and I would go to the Library and seek out the books or materials each of us liked to read. The Library was the setting for time spent together. 

As I grew up, the Library continued to be the place for study and research all through school. As a working adult, the Library has been a place where I could go to research or write to support my work in education and post-graduate studies. My husband grew up in a small town in Kansas, and his mother, who was an avid reader, shared a passion for reading and the value of the Library with their family. Today, Bill and I enjoy finding great books to read and enjoy at our local Johnson County Library branch.

Through my lens as an educator, daily I see the value of our Johnson County Library as a place of support for children and families.The 6 by 6 program offers families with young children tools and information to encourage early literacy development. Storytimes, interactive exhibits and book walks that families can enjoy together are so important to instilling a love of reading in children and helping parents partner in shared literacy with their children. The Homework Help program, along with wonderful youth-focused Library initiatives like the teen literary magazine, elementia, that allow students leadership experience and a platform through which to hone their creative writing and storytelling talents, positively support young people in our community.

Johnson County Library continues to evolve to support the needs of a changing society and community. The Library-as-community-hub, where people can come to support their needs no matter their age or stage in life, is a mission to which our Library has been very committed. Offering access to technology for those who may not have it for workforce needs or to connect with critical resources can be life-changing.The Black & Veatch MakerSpace provides opportunity for individuals of all ages to explore a hobby, create an invention or launch a small business concept.

It is the diversity, not only of whom the Library serves but also what the Library offers, that makes our Johnson County Library such an important part of our community. It is not only a love of books and the Library and nostalgic memories of special times spent with family, but it is also the valuable programs and services offered that are making a difference in our community that inspire my husband and me to support the Johnson County Library Foundation.

-- Leigh Anne Neal

The Library has always been a valued and important place in my life.  My earliest and happiest memories of the library are from childhood when my mother would take me to the Corinth Library to the children’s area in the lower level where we would select as many books as we could carry to take home and share together.  My parents nurtured a love of reading from as early as I can remember.  Inside those books were adventures, places, and lessons that would help shape me as I grew up. They also were the foundation, not just my love of reading, but also set me on a course for success with a strong foundation. On many evenings after dinner all through elementary, middle, and high school, my parents and I would go to the library and seek out the books or materials each of us liked to read – the library was the setting for time spent together.  As I grew up, the library continued to be the place for study and research all through school.  As a working adult, the library has been a place where I could go to research or write to support my work in education and post-graduate studies.  My husband grew up in a small town in Kansas, and his mother, who was an avid reader, shared a passion for reading and the value of the library with their family.  Today, Bill and I enjoy finding great books to read and enjoy at our local Johnson County branch.

Through my lens as an educator, daily I see the value of our Johnson County Library as a place of support for children and families.  The six-by-six program offers families with young children tools and information to encourage early literacy development.  Story times, interactive exhibits and book walks that families can enjoy together are so important to instilling a love of reading in children and helping parents partner in shared literacy with their children.  The Homework Help program along with wonderful youth-focused library initiatives like elementia that allow students leadership experience and a platform through which to hone their creative writing and storytelling talents positively support young people in our community. 

Johnson County Library continues to evolve to support the needs of a changing society and community.  The Library as community hub where people can come to support their needs no matter their age or stage in life is a mission to which our library has been very committed.  Offering access to technology for those who may not have it for workforce needs or to connect with critical resources can be lifechanging.  The Black & Veatch Makerspace provides opportunity for individuals of all ages to explore a hobby, create an invention, or launch a small business concept.  It is the diversity, not only of who the library serves but also what the library offers that makes our Johnson County Library such an important part of our community.  It is not only a love of books and the library and nostalgic memories of special times spent with family, but it is also the valuable programs and services offered that are making a difference in our community that inspire my husband and I to support the Johnson County Library Foundation. 

Growing up overseas, Ava Christie learned the value of libraries at a young age. She remembered finding the local library with her family as they moved around to different places. Libraries were special, familiar places filled with books and materials that inspired her.  “All you need is a library card, and the world is your oyster”, remarked Ava as the inspiration is ever-present for her today. 

In college in Douglas County, KS, Ava has fond memories of the library being a strong and important part of the culture and community. The Library would continue to play a significant role in her studies through her master’s degree and PhD programs as she utilized Inter Library Loan resources for her research and thesis.

As a mom, Ava raised her kids with her same love for the Library, which she referred to as “a best friend.”  Frequenting the Corinth and Central branches for books and programs, she noted the Library is a place which extends far beyond books, and is a place to meet people, access media and audio/visual materials, large print materials and travel books. Travel continues to play a key role in Ava’s life both personally and professionally and she visits libraries everywhere she goes. She has noticed over time that newer libraries seem to be redefined as a focal point, accessible, and transparent with large windows to look in as well as see out.

Entering her 15th year as a volunteer on the Foundation’s board of directors, and starting her tenure as president, Ava credits the strengths of the Johnson County Library system and its key role in our county and communities for her continued involvement and support. She believes the Library has always been a place of diversity and inclusivity, citing the teen publication elementia as an example for young people of various ethnic, economic and cultural backgrounds to be highlighted. She adds that the Library is an exciting and fulfilling place to be and is reflective of the community it supports. Ava believes the community in turn supports the Library because we build and strengthen literacy and awareness, and to inform people is to empower them.

Looking to the future, Ava sees our Library system continuing to be modern and forward-thinking and to stay relevant and responsive with ever-changing community needs. “Johnson County Library is not standing still”, says Ava enthusiastically, “and there isn’t another entity in the world of charitable organizations where you can make such a profound difference.  The Library provides equal access to information to everyone, and everyone is welcome.  Libraries are the key to helping people of all ages open and grow their world. The openness and availability 24/7 are unique to libraries as nothing else exists this way.”

Volunteering with Johnson County Library offers so many great benefits for our volunteers.

• Physical – volunteering helps keep the mind and body active;
• Social – it's a great way to meet new people with similar interests;
• Fine free status for our most active volunteers;
• Volunteer activities such as
  • Facebook and Goodreads groups;
  • Special invites to events;
  • and Book clubs featuring books picked by our volunteers.

On Thursday, Jan. 13th, the Volunteer Book Club will be meeting to discuss The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.



Want to join the fun? One-time, short-term, and regular volunteer opportunities are available. Visit our list of opportunities to learn how you can become a Library volunteer.

Find deals on used kids books at the Friends of Johnson County Library Kids Books Warehouse Sale!

Saturday, Dec. 11, 12 - 5 p.m.

at Pine Ridge Office Park, 8279 Melrose Dr, Overland Park, KS 66214.

At age 82, Friends of Johnson County Library Larry Leighton still goes to work six days per week. He devotes nearly 40 hours per week to his duties. And as he jokes, “They double my pay every month.”

In fact, Leighton works as an incredibly dedicated volunteer with the Friends of Johnson County Library’s book donation sorting center. He gets paid in free cups of coffee, the friendship of other volunteers and in a deep sense of satisfaction for performing a worthwhile service.

“It’s fun. It’s interesting. I do enjoy it,” Leighton says.

Leighton oversees a small team of volunteers at the sorting center at 82nd and Melrose Drive in Lenexa. They take gently-used donated books and sell them on various websites. Using a computer program, Leighton assesses the books’ price and popularity and posts them for sale.

Orders come in from all over the country (even from overseas), sometimes from bookstores but mostly from individuals. The team prepares them for mailing to the book buyers.

Years ago, Leighton started volunteering a few hours per week, but as others have rotated in and out, he’s assumed more responsibilities. Now he’s there seven hours Mondays through Fridays and four hours on Saturdays.

His team consists of five book listers and five book shippers, all women. “They are all really nice gals,” he says. He enjoyed working with Matt Delaney, the Friends of JCL business manager who retired earlier this year. He appreciates Shanta Dickerson, the Friends of JCL operations manager.

The book sales are a major revenue generator for Friends of JCL. Leighton has a list of dozens of books or book sets that have sold for over $100 this year, including complete Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew sets; a Calvin and Hobbes set; and an original Stephen King Hardcover Book Club edition.

Leighton grew up around dairy cows in College Station, Texas, where his dad was a Texas A&M professor. There weren’t many playmates living nearby, so he entertained himself by reading, including the Hardy Boys and Mark Twain. He’s still an avid reader of history and fiction.

He studied aeronautical engineering at Texas A&M, served in the Air Force in Indiana 1961 -1964, then worked for Procter & Gamble in Dallas and Cincinnati. After an Air Force buddy with a job at Hallmark talked about what a great company it was, Leighton applied and was hired.

He moved with his wife and two young children to Overland Park and worked for Hallmark from 1967 to 2000. He had a series of management positions in a very fulfilling career.

Leighton’s first wife died unexpectedly in 1990 and he was a widower for a few years before he remarried. He and his wife Paula live in Leawood and have a wonderful marriage, but Leighton says volunteering helps him stay busy.

After retiring from Hallmark at age 61, he enjoyed playing golf, but soon realized he needed a greater purpose in his life. He volunteered at various golf courses and with Heart to Heart, Intl. and Cross-Lines Community Outreach before he saw a notice about Library volunteering. At the book sorting center, he found his niche.

“It gets me out of the house. It lets my wife have some time,” Leighton said. “She’s a sweetheart. I love her dearly and I want to let her have her space.”

Plus, he gets to socialize with nice people and give donated books new life. And it’s a great benefit to the Library.

“I have no plans to change,” Leighton said, “as long as they need me.”