Our family has a genetic connection to libraries. My mother Helen was a 1937 graduate of the library science program at Syracuse University. She graduated magna cum laude and worked at the Great Neck Library in Long Island, New York, and later the Canandaigua Library in upstate New York.
During World War II she was the librarian at the Gulf Shores Naval Base in Gulf Port, Mississippi, where she met a young seaman by the name of Vic Regnier. They were married and moved back to Kansas City.
My mother created an environment where reading was valued. As a result, we became a family of readers. Our children and grandkids are voracious readers. When my kids were young my wife would occasionally declare it a reading day. No one had to get dressed, easy food was encouraged and my wife and three kids would read all day.
I credit my kids strong achievement in school to having been read to consistently in early life and learning the love of reading. Our children’s love of literature has been passed on to their children. My wife Ann and 6-year-old granddaughter, who loves chapter books, visit Corinth Library nearly every week after school and afterward read while they enjoy an ice cream treat.
Reading doesn’t just increase subject matter comprehension; it expands vocabulary and enhances creative writing skills. A trip to the Library is an opportunity to explore new worlds. We are fortunate in Johnson County to have political leadership that understands how important the Library system is to our sense of community.
My family supports our Library system to improve the quality of life in Johnson County. The recent expansion of Central Resource Library on 87th Street not only provided more and better Library facilities, it enhanced the Library experience with a recording studio and video production capabilities in the new MakerSpace, expansion of computer access, and more and better meeting and study rooms.
A visit to the Library shows you the breadth of its audience, including children of all ages as well as a variety of young adults and senior citizens. Every community needs space that is receptive to community assembly and Johnson County Library fosters this activity. My family supports the Library because it is one of the reasons that Johnson County is a great place to live, work and raise a family.
- Bob Regnier is Bank of Blue Valley President and Chief Executive Officer