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Youth Information Specialist Cassidy Coles

Youth Information Specialist Cassidy Coles

Youth Specialist has Lifelong Connection to Johnson County Library

For nearly her entire life, Youth Information Specialist Cassidy Coles has had a wonderful relationship with Johnson County Library, first as a patron throughout her childhood, and then joining the staff when she was still in college.

As she approaches her 40th birthday and marks 20 years as a devoted Library employee, she counts her enduring connection to the Library as a true blessing.

“My overwhelming feeling about the whole time I’ve worked here is gratitude,” she said. “I feel so lucky, fortunate, to be able to watch these relationships build, change and grow.”

When she was just a toddler in Overland Park, her mother began taking her to the Antioch branch to check out stacks of children’s books. She was an early, enthusiastic reader and during elementary school she frequently went to the Oak Park branch, where the Librarian role captured her imagination. She would play library clerk at home, pretending to check out books to her mom.

During high school, the new Central headquarters branch was her go-to place for books and other resources to complete homework assignments. 

“I grew up in Johnson County Libraries, for sure,” she recalls.

While in college studying elementary education at Ottawa University, she took a part-time job at the Gardner branch as a page in February 2004. That blossomed into her promotion about 18 months later to the position of part-time youth information specialist, a job she has held ever since.

Serving patrons ages 0-18 and their families throughout the system has given Coles an amazingly rich range of experiences over the years.

Highlights include educating children and their parents at Storytimes at Gardner and Blue Valley; working on a team with Youth Librarian Kathy McLellan to develop the award-winning early literacy program “6 By 6 Ready to Read” in 2009; providing Library services and encouragement to youths involved in the county’s juvenile justice system; and mentoring teens since 2011 on the Library’s renowned elementia magazine.

“That’s just been one of the most meaningful experiences,” she said of working with incredibly creative and thoughtful teens. “Being able to listen more and more to the way they want their magazine to be, and the way they want to represent themselves. Seeing that evolve has been wonderful.”

She spends time each week answering questions and assisting people of all ages with book suggestions and other resources. With so many years based at Gardner, she’s watched a generation of kids grow up, to the point where some are now bringing their own children to the branch.

“It’s amazing to think about the ways families need Libraries over and over throughout their lives,” she says.

In her spare time, Coles plays the ukulele, at Storytimes and with friends. She discovered the instrument in 2012 when Johnson County Library bought several for staff to use. 

“That has been a source of comfort and joy and gratitude,” she said. “It occupies your whole mind and body.”

She also loves to cook and is an endlessly curious reader, tackling intimidating tomes like “Moby Dick” and “One Hundred Years of Solitude.” She’s currently making her way through “Ulysses,” and finding it magnificent.

She’s mom to Felix, 13, and Poppy, 11, and is very involved in their school, theater and sports activities. They, too, are big readers and have used the Gardner Library their entire young lives.

For Coles, Johnson County Library is so much more than her employer. It’s a cherished community hub, a place for education and enrichment, and the family’s home away from home.

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Archiving Architecture

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: Johnson County Museum Historic Preservation Survey

About this collection: Begun in 1991, the Historic Preservation Survey is a collection of photos documenting the architectural style and condition of more than 10,000 pre-1950 homes across Johnson County. The original photos are owned by the Johnson County Museum.

Can you tell us more about this image?

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No Wait Wednesday: The Blue Monsoon

Hello and welcome to No Wait Wednesday, where we spotlight a book that's ready and waiting on our New Release shelves in search of that one special patron to take a chance on it. We know that patrons don't like waiting on the holds list for that new celebrity-endorsed book, but if you take a peek at our collection - or just ask your local librarian - there's always a new discovery in several different genres to enjoy. Today we're going to take a look at The Blue Monsoon by Damyanti Biswas, the second in an electrifying police procedural set on the streets of Mumbai, India.

The novel begins with Senior Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput arriving at the scene of a particularly grisly murder that occurred at the site of a Hindu temple. Soon, a video of the murder is posted on the social media feed of a Bollywood influencer, deepening suspicions that someone is being framed for the crime. While Rajput conducts the investigation and follows whispers of a sinister cult that ultimately might be behind everything, a monsoon pummels the city, further complicating the investigation. Rajput himself is caught in a stressful family situation, as his wife, confined in a wheelchair, is about to give birth, and he is also attempting to build a relationship with a daughter he only recently discovered he had. All of these plot threads, including corruption in Rajput's own police department, collide in a complex and satisfying conclusion. Biswas' writing style is atmospheric and propulsive, bringing the reader into the minds of not only the main detective, but several supporting characters, all the while keeping the clues and the action moving forward, so there's never any dull spots; think of an author like Michael Connelly, just with the volume knob cranked way up. While The Blue Monsoon is the second in Biswas' series starring Detective Rajput following 2022's The Blue Bar, this can easily be read as a standalone and a jumping-on point for new readers.

And, as a brief side note, it's interesting that location is so important to the mystery/thriller genre. No matter what sort of crime novel you're reading, where and when the story takes place is not only important, it's absolutely essential. Whether the novel is based in 1940's Los Angeles, the backwoods of rural Maine, a small knitting shop in coastal Scotland, or in the slums of Mumbai, place is always of cardinal importance. One theory is that the types of crime committed - and the circumstances in which they occur - can vary differently from time to time and place to place. Society, culture, religion, politics, race - all are vastly different depending on where (and when) the characters and the audience are. The exploration of those issues give authors a LOT of room for elevating a simple police procedural to something truly profound. Here, Biswas uses her story to reveal the larger scope of Mumbai where she brilliantly describes a clash of cultures, religions, and caste systems, where some people live in almost medieval poverty while others live in gleaming, well-protected high rises and use their wealth and influence to protect (and further enrich) themselves. This will be a fascinating eye-opener to many readers as they follow a flawed yet noble detective in pursuit of a twisted killer.

Thanks for reading and we'll see you next week!
 

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Toolkit Tuesday - Homeconnect

With Toolkit Tuesday, we share Library tools you might not know about! This week's tool: Homeconnect

HomeConnect is a service for residents of the Johnson County Library service area who are unable to come to the Library in person. If you are permanently or temporarily homebound and unable to come to the Library, then you may want to enroll in HomeConnect service. We can mail all types of library materials directly to you.

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This Week at the Library

Library OnDemand – Programs available anytime you like on our YouTube channel. 

Your doorway into live and archived programs. Arts & Culture, Career & Finance, Community Matters, Writers and more!

Mother Goose Rhyme Time – Monday, Feb. 12, 9:30 – 10 a.m.  View all dates

Join us at the Lenexa City Center Library for an active program of songs, classic rhymes, and fingerplays to introduce your little one to the sounds of rhymes and music to give them a head start on language learning. Designed for ages 12 to 24 months and a caregiver. Siblings welcome.

Community Resource Fair – Tuesday, Feb. 13, 10 – 11 a.m.

Join the Department of Corrections for free resources and supportive services! Corrections, in partnership with the Johnson County Library, hosts Community Resource Fair events on the second Tuesday of each month. These events take place from 10 a.m. to noon at Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park, KS.

Homework Help – Wednesday, Feb. 14, 3:30 – 5 p.m. View all dates

Central Resource Library has the program, Homework Help. This program specifically focuses on literacy support for grades 2-5. Students are encouraged to bring specific homework assignments from school, such as book reports, writing projects, vocabulary, spelling, science or social studies reading, math word problems, or any other work related to their specific literacy needs. English Language Learners (ELL) are welcome. Students will be served on a first-come, first-served basis, and busy times may require a wait. Additional online tutoring resources are available and include BrainFuse, Lightbox, and Khan Academy among others.

Book Discussion: The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris – Thursday, Feb. 15, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Join us at the Gardner Library for this book discussion. A critically acclaimed (and award-winning) novel set in the waning days of the Civil War focuses on the unlikely bond between two freedmen who are brothers and the Georgia farmer whose alliance will alter their lives - and his own - forever. Come join us to discuss The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris.

Legislative Coffee Series – Saturday Feb. 17, 10 – 11 a.m.

Come to the Lenexa City Center Library and discover what’s percolating in the Kansas Legislature. Representatives and Senators with constituents in Johnson County will discuss the new legislative session, followed by Q&A. You bring the questions, we provide the coffee and doughnuts.

  • Senator Dinah Sykes, District 21
  • Rep. Allison Hougland, District 15
  • Rep. Linda Featherston, District 16
  • Rep. Brandon Woodard, District 108
  • Senator Ethan Corson, District 7

Can't join us in-person? This event will be streamed live on YouTube.

And much more happening this week … 

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February is Black History Month

February is Black History Month, an annual celebration of achievements by and recognition of African Americans in U.S. history. 

What we know today as Black History Month has its origins in "Negro History Week," created by historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans in 1915. That September, Woodson and minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, which is known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. The group chose the second week of February to coincide with Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass's birthdays. 

Mayors of various cities across the country began issuing proclamations for "Negro History Week" in the years that followed and on some college campuses, the week-long event evolved into a month-long observance. 

In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month, calling up on all American citizens to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Each year the President endorses a specific theme for the month. This year's theme is "African Americans and the Arts," making the month an exploration and celebration of "visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression."

Johnson County Library has so many resources it might be hard to choose which to read, listen to, or participate in, so it’s good we get to celebrate all month long. Black History Month began on Feb. 1 and ends March 1.   

Source: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month

Johnson County Library has a variety of resources to read, listen to, or participate in, so it’s good we get to celebrate all month long. 

Get Started with Primary Sources 

Local History 

  • The Legacy of Corinthian Nutter – Learn about the major contributions Ms. Nutter made in Webb v. School District 90 (located in Merriam, KS), which ended segregation five years before Brown v. the Board of Education. 
  • JoCo History Collections - Historical photographs and maps documenting the people, places and organizations of Johnson County. 
  • Olathe’s early African-American community –Kansas’ anti-slavery legacy offered a fresh start for many former slaves and their families after the Emancipation Proclamation. 

Watch 

Read

 

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Time Capsule

The materials on display in the exhibit were contained in a hand-made copper box that measures just 5.75 x 10.5 x 13 inches. The capsule takes center stage in the exhibition.

Top 5 Reasons to Visit the New “Inside the Box” Exhibit

New JoCoHistory Blog

In May 1951, county officials and a crowd of residents gathered in the courthouse square in Olathe. County leaders, with the help of Masons, were laying the cornerstone for the new, 1952 Johnson County Courthouse. Inside the cornerstone, officials placed a small, hand-made copper box – a time capsule left for future generations to discover. After seventy years safely tucked away, the still-sealed box was retrieved when that courthouse was being demolished in 2020. The Johnson County Museum accepted the time capsule and its contents into its collections and permanent care and opened it up. What was inside the box? That is the topic of the Museum’s newest special exhibit, Inside the Box: A 1951 Time Capsule, which opens Feb. 3, 2024. Visit the JoCoHistory Blog to learn about five reasons you should visit this short-run exhibition!

Inside the box
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No Wait Wednesday: Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel

Hello and welcome to this week's No Wait Wednesday, where we take a look at an item on our New Release shelves at one of our local branch Libraries that's available to check out right now that deserves a second look - and sometimes a first one, too. Hundreds of new books come into the library each week, and it's impossible to keep an eye on everything. This is where your friendly neighborhood Johnson County Library staff comes in - we're always available to recommend a book (or a movie, or an audiobook, or a video game) that you might possibly love. This week we'll look at a title in translation that's moving, reflective, and all about mother-daughter relationships - in short, it's perfect for your book club: Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel, translated by Rosalind Harvey.

Shortlisted for the International Man Booker Prize, Still Born focuses on two women, Alina and Laura, who are both successful and single women in their 30s who are from Mexico City but live in Paris. Alina runs an art gallery while Laura is pursuing a PhD in literature. Both are the best of friends and have many things in common, including a longstanding pact to never have children. Eventually, however, Alina starts to have second thoughts, and returns to Mexico with a partner, Aurelio, but encounters difficulties conceiving. Initially taken aback, Laura, who has had her tubes tied, eventually travels back to support her friend and finds herself grappling with issues of motherhood herself, striking up a friendship with a neighbor who has a son, both recovering from an abusive relationship. Alina eventually becomes pregnant, but is told that her child has a high chance of developing a severe neurological disability, throwing all her plans into chaos.

Throughout it all, these two women support each other, and the novel excels at examining the nuances of motherhood with all the pressures as well as the joys it can bring. Using spare, precisely chosen language, Nettel digs deep emotionally, drawing out various and heartfelt perspectives of the different characters. Powerful, emotional, and award-winning, if you've never read a translated work, pick up Guadalupe Nettel's novel and give it a shot. Find this and other book group picks at your local library. 

Thanks for reading, and we'll see you next week!

-Gregg, Johnson County Library Readers Advisory Librarian