Friends and Foundation
The Library Lets Loose is this SATURDAY!
“Library Lets Loose is not your typical sit down dinner kind of fundraiser. It’s a choose your own adventure kind of event!” ~Stephanie Stollsteimer, Johnson County Library Foundation.
Stephanie Neu joins Stephanie Stollsteimer to let you know Library Lets Loose is a party! We can barely contain our excitement!!! Join us and honorary hosts, Valerie and Charley Vogt, for the Johnson County Library Foundation's annual celebration!
Library Lets Loose!
Saturday, Sept. 29
6 - 10 pm
Central Resource Library
Cocktail attire $75 ticket price*
*$50 for Teachers, Educators and Librarians
This festive fundraiser features a fun evening of unique and creative experiences, tasty local libations, scrumptious food and drink pairings - and local music, artists and creators! Tickets and sponsorships are available now. Contact 913-826-4740 for more information. See you there!
Library Lets Loose Music Lineup Amazes!
Join us for the Johnson County Library Foundation's annual celebration, Library Lets Loose! Why? The music alone is reason enough!
Library Lets Loose!
Saturday, Sept. 29
6 - 10 pm
Central Resource Library
Cocktail attire $75 ticket price* *$50 for Teachers, Educators and Librarians
This festive fundraiser features a fun evening of unique and creative experiences, tasty local libations, scrumptious food and drink pairings - and local music, artists and creators! Tickets and sponsorships are available now. Contact 913-826-4740 for more information. See you there!
The Library Lets Loose 2018! Get your tickets NOW!
Join honorary hosts Charley & Valerie Vogt for the next Library Lets Loose, Saturday, September 29, 2018. Join us at Central Resource Library from 6 – 10 p.m. for all kinds of fun events. Buy your tickets or become a sponsor now! jocolibraryfoundation.org Don't let it happen without you!
#ThrowbackThursday: Friends of Johnson County Library
Johnson County Library was founded in the early 1950s. It began with the PTA Library Committee at Prairie School. A group of volunteers emerged who promoted the need for a county public library, to complement and expand services available through the then-single location of the Olathe Public Library. The Citizens Library Committee, as they became known, recruited more volunteers to carry petitions throughout the County. They were successful in placing a Library question on the ballot in the Fall of 1952. The measure was approved by voters 4:1!
Funding was, however, not immediately available to establish and operate a library. So the volunteers continued their work in the community. They collected donated books, asked for lumber donations, built shelves, made curtains and painted walls. On June 2, 1953, they opened the first volunteer library in the Dunbar School in Shawnee. The group opened additional volunteer branches in stores and homes. The second library opened in the basement of a committee member’s home in Merriam and a third in the basement of Jay’s Men’s and Boy’s Wear in the Prairie Village Shopping Center.
Several small, self-service libraries were also set up in Gardner, Ochletree, Spring Hill, Edgerton and Stanley. Each had a 200-book collection that rotated location every 60 days. By 1954, eleven volunteer branches were operating. People came to borrow books, to donate materials and to volunteer their time to help the Library.
The Library received its first direct tax funding in 1955: a budget of $32,000. The first County Librarian was hired: Miss Shirley Brother. In 1956 the Antioch Branch opened as headquarters on its present site in Merriam. Bookmobile service began to outlying communities. That same year the Citizens Library Committee reorganized as the Friends of Johnson County Library with more than 150 charter members. The Friends have continued their advocacy and philanthropy on behalf of the Library since that time. They have been instrumental in garnering public support for libraries throughout our history.
Today the Friends are a membership organization with almost 1,000 participants. Their primary activities are operation of 3 bookstores at the Antioch, Blue Valley and Central Libraries, and their annual book sales, such as the upcoming Sizzlin’ Summer Book Sale June 6 – 9 at Johnson County Community College. They raise funds to support Library programs and activities such as Incarcerated Services, Summer Reading and 6 by 6 Ready to Read. Learn more about the Friends here.
As always, check out more local history by following our hashtag »
Friends and Foundation Confab
There’s a lot of new leadership in our organization, and they’re all getting to know each other. Julie Steiner, new president of the Friends board, recently coffee’ed with Anne Blessing, the new president of the Johnson County Library Foundation. They discussed strategic priorities for the Library and how their two groups can best coordinate to support Library programs and initiatives. Steiner also began productive conversations with Stephanie Stollsteimer, new director of the Foundation. They’re shown here at the February 2018 Friends Board meeting.
In the picture: Front: Julie Steiner, Friends President. Back: Anne Blessing, Foundation President, and Stephanie Stollsteimer, Foundation Director
A Visit with Jeanie and Zachary Botkin New Board member and Teen Representative
How long have you been Friends members?
We’ve been Friends members since going to our first summer book sale after moving to Kansas City. We had so much fun digging through the piles at the Metcalf Mall finding treasures to take home.
What do you want to learn by serving on the Friends Board?
I [Jeanie] thought it would be a great way for Zachary and me to share our passion for the Library and a valuable opportunity for Zachary to learn about the inner workings of a board. We are both focused on increasing the community’s awareness of the great services and look forward to helping the Library connect with youth.
Why should someone join the Friends of Johnson County Library?
Our elevator speech: Since Benjamin Franklin opened the first library in America, we all know how important libraries have become to our education and way of life. We go there to explore our most-challenging questions with unlimited freedom. But our Library is so much more than that . . . bringing the community together to a place where people can cut CDs, use a 3D printer, practice being a newscaster, design and cut out chess pieces, get help with homework, and learn a new language. And, the best part . . . our Library is open to anyone!
What are you reading right now?
Zachary is reading Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, written by Douglas Hofstadter who won a Pulitzer Prize for the book in 1979. The book explores common themes in the lives and works of logician Kurt Gödel, artist M. C. Escher and composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Jeanie is focusing on books that show how companies are using design thinking to innovate their products and services such as Design to Grow: How Coca-Cola Learned to Combine Scale and Agility (and How You Can Too) by David Butler and Linda Tischler.
About Jeanie Botkin: After spending 20+ years as an attorney at Polsinelli, Jeanie now heads up the firm’s Professional Development Department. She especially loves working with new attorneys who are transitioning from backpacks to briefcases. She spends every spare second with her family and loves to play Munchkin Legends with her son Zachary.
About Zachary Botkin: Zachary is a freshman at Mill Valley High School. After finishing a rigorous semester of debate, he is now figuring out his signature events in forensics. When not studying, he relaxes with video games, loves to program computers and reads up on the latest scientific discoveries.
Last Day of Sale!
Don't miss the last day of the Cabin Fever Book Sale!
Saturday, March 24 is your last chance to score some amazing deals and build your home Library! The sale will continue at the Central Resource Library from 9:30 am – 3 pm.
Can't make it tomorrow? Don't worry, we have more sales for you to add to your calendar. Also, there are plenty of treasures to be found with our online sales options!
Cabin Fever Book Sale
It’s Book Sale Time!
Did you know more than 7 million books, DVDs and CDs circulate through the Johnson County Library system annually. So what does the Library do to make room on the shelves for the 150,000 new titles which will be purchased this year? Hold a big sale, of course!
For more than 30 years, the Friends of Johnson County Library have been supporting the Library’s collections and programming through sales of gently used items that have been “weeded” from circulation. Our Cabin Fever Book Sale is your chance to purchase the best sellers you’ve been meaning to get your hands on!
Come browse our Cabin Fever sale at the Central Resource Library March 21 to 24. You’ll find great deals on a broad selection of books, music and movies. Most items priced $2 to $5 and cash, check and credit cards are accepted. All proceeds from the sale go to the Friends, which support the Library’s early literacy programs, staff professional development and special events.
Public sale hours are:
Wednesday, March 21, 4 to 7:30 pm
Thursday, March 22, 9:30 am to 7:30 pm
Friday, March 23, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
Saturday, March 24, 9:30 am to 3 pm
Learn more about the Friends and find out about future Friends sales.
Why I Give My Time
A quick interview with JCL Foundation Volunteer Extraordinaire Beth Welsh
Why did you initially become a volunteer with the Johnson County Library Foundation?
I was in a place where I was feeling stuck in rut and was looking for new experiences. Also, I work from home and I wanted to get out of the house and interact with people. My husband Barry is a longtime volunteer for the Library and it seemed like it would be a good fit. I’m a lifetime learner, I always want to be learning new things, I don’t want to stagnate. I began volunteering at Friends book sales in 2007 and became a fill-in cashier for the Friends bookstores in 2011. Volunteering for the Foundation struck me as a fun opportunity to learn new things. I learned WordPress and social media marketing. Fortunately, I didn’t have to learn anything about grant writing!
What are some of your favorite things about being a volunteer?
I love getting to play with books and be around librarians. Library people are awesome – and that includes Foundation people! They’re smart, inquisitive and well informed.
Have you had any discoveries about the Library or the Foundation working as a volunteer?
The Foundation was a new discovery; I didn’t know anything about it before volunteering. I learned about the Foundation’s mission to build an endowment for the Library’s collection and find support for lifelong learning programs offered at the Library. I also discovered the Foundation events. The Pinnacle Awards, Library Lets Loose, Stay Home and Read a Book Ball and elementia. My favorite Foundation event is the Library Lets Loose – it’s pretty amazing. elementia is also a fun event tied to a great mission to encourage teen writers and artists.
Any advice for people who might be on the fence about volunteering?
Try it! There are so many outlets for volunteering at the Library. Visit a branch, or the Friends sorting center or bookstore – see what interests you. Volunteer coordinators can connect you with a volunteer opportunity that works with your schedule and meets your interests. If it sounds like fun, give it a shot.
You're (not) Invited!
Your Community: Stay Home and Read a Book Ball
Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast and continuing blasts of cold air and snow are making us anxious for the arrival of blue skies and warmer days. Yet, there’s one mid-Winter activity that’s the perfect match for the current weather. One that’s the perfect excuse to stay home and catch up on your favorite book.
No Fancy Attire Required
Sunday, March 4, is the annual Stay Home and Read a Book Ball, a virtual fundraiser for Johnson County Library. Funds raised from the event support a number of Library initiatives, including 6 by 6: Ready to Read, which is an early literacy program that emphasizes the six critical skills children should experience by the age of six.
6 by 6 Early Literacy Skills
- Have fun with books (print motivation)
- Notice print everywhere (print motivation)
- Talk, talk, talk (vocabulary)
- Tell stories about everything (narrative skills)
- Look for letters everywhere (alphabet knowledge)
- Take time to rhyme, sing and play word games (phonological awareness)
Extensive studies have proven the strength of a child’s early literacy skills are a major predictor of the future ability to build vocabulary, understand story structure and build reading comprehension skills.
Please join us in support of this important cause from the comfort of your favorite reading nook. Your donation directly supports critical library services for individuals throughout Johnson County.
Donations from the Stay Home and Read a Book Ball Support
- 6 by 6: Ready to Read
- 6 by 6 en Español
- Civic Engagement programming
- elementia, the teen literary magazine
- Homework Help
- Incarcerated Services
- Joan Berkey Writers Fund
- Tutor.com
- Summer Reading programming
- Black & Veatch MakerSpace
Share your Book Ball reading choices on social media: #StayHomeandRead, #jocobookball, @jclfoundation, @jocolibrary and donate to support these important programs.
Johnson County Library – Nurturing the Community’s Collective Wisdom