Written by Tom McCormally
Excellence does not just happen. It takes planning, demanding work and lots of help. Case in point: Johnson County Library.
The excellence of this world-class library system is built on the planning, hard work, and commitment of thousands of special people. People like Carol and Fred Logan, who have used their passion for libraries over the decades to turn book sales into a funding phenomenon and boardroom conversations into lasting impact.
Early love of reading
“I’ll never forget as a child being taken to the Library and being allowed to check out a book and take it with me. I couldn’t believe I could do that,” said Fred Logan. “I was hooked.”
Carol Logan, too, remembers her early introduction to books. Decades later, she still remembers “I Play at the Beach” by Dorothy, Koch. For the longest time, that was her one and only book before she was introduced to the Library and an entire world of stacks of books changed her life.
From patrons to volunteers
With this love of books and libraries in their background, it is not surprising that in the early 1980s, Fred, a young attorney, found himself as the president of the Friends of the Johnson County Library. Carol, too, was drawn to the Friends and spent countless hours volunteering, later serving on the board as well.
It is quiet dedication like theirs that is the not-so-secret ingredient that allows the Library to flourish.
Turning book sales into lasting support
Carol channeled her love into book sales, in part because she could take along her young children to “work” with her. For decades, she helped collect, mark for sale, load, and unload tomes for the used book sales at the now-defunct Metcalf South and Mission Malls.
“It takes a lot of people, and the people I have been lucky enough to work with: amazing,” said Carol, who also served on the Friends board.
Guarding intellectual freedom
Fred’s passion took him in a different direction: he served as legal counsel for the Library Board of Directors for 44 years, just recently retiring from his law practice. When asked about his proudest accomplishment during those decades, Fred did not hesitate: it was his work on the policies that ensure intellectual freedom for our libraries, their staff, and their patrons.
“We leave things up to the experts. The librarians are the ones who have the knowledge to know what kinds of materials to purchase and collect,” Logan said. He helped craft the Library governance policies that ensure freedom and privacy in libraries. As a testament to the enduring nature of that work, much of it was used by lawmakers to help craft Kansas state statutes that protect libraries and librarians.
“We have one of the finest libraries in the country. I’d say it’s the finest,” Fred said, noting how intellectual freedom has allowed the library staff to apply its expertise, while keeping out those who might meddle in the libraries.
“People would not stand for someone who would mess with it,” Fred said. “I’m confident in the future.”
A library built on community
It is the staff and the other volunteers that give Carol and Fred that confidence. They said the progressive nature of the staff to see needs in the community and act fast to meet them is impressive. They noted that libraries have become community centers and safe places. That is not by accident.
“There is terrific leadership. The Library Board of Directors and the Board of County Commissioners have been terrific for many years,” Fred said.
Inspiring the next generation of supporters
Carol said the Library continues to attract not only outstanding, forward-thinking staff, but also younger volunteers and donors. She pointed to the Library Lets Loose, the annual signature fundraising event put on by the Johnson County Library Foundation.
For over a decade, Library Lets Loose has been a “night of celebration and raising a glass to the Library and the outstanding services provided to our community every single day of the year in our physical and virtual branches,” according to the Foundation website.
In 2025, the theme for the event was Freedom to Read, which is exactly what Fred says was so important in his legal work for the Board. Carol said a large multi-generational crowd fills the Central Resource Library each year for delicious food, delightful conversation, games, and dancing.
“It’s not the same old people who show up at all the fundraisers,” she said. “There is wonderful diversity of age and life experience, all brought together by the Library.”
And again, this is not by accident, but by design.
Research shows that younger volunteers and philanthropists are interested in projects and causes that are “bigger than themselves.” The Library fits the bill, the Logans say.
“What the Library does for people, the way it serves in so many ways is outstanding,” Fred said. “It creates community.”
Carol echoed that, saying, “The Library program connects people. It never ceases to amaze me, the innovative ways the staff help people. The Library is the town square; the Library is the place to be.”
The Logans say they are proud of the many services the Library offers people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds, serving everyone from the single mom who needs resources to help her kids grow and learn, to job seekers navigating a tough market and creative individuals learning new skills in the MakerSpace.
Asked about the benefits they have received through their service, the Logans considered the adage that it is better to give than to receive. They are firm believers that their commitment to the Library has rewarded them many times over.
“The people I have met and been involved with are phenomenal,” Carol said. “That is the fun part. The people,” Carol said.
A legacy that benefits generations
Carol and Fred Logan are proof that behind every storybook at Johnson County Library is a tale of volunteers who turn a passion into something much bigger than themselves, benefiting generations to come.