Foundation Stories

written by Shelley O’Brien, Executive Director of the Johnson County Library Foundation

Many people love libraries. Now the Library is promoting loving your heart.

The Johnson County Library is partnering with the local Kansas Chapter of the American Heart Association to place blood pressure machines in 11 of our 14 Johnson County Libraries. This is part of the Communities with Heart program, sponsored in conjunction with HCA Midwest Health and the HCA Healthcare Foundation.

High blood pressure and hypertension can lead to more serious problems like a heart attack or a stroke. This condition affects people of all ages, from children to older adults. Identifying an underlying issue early can help reduce or even prevent further complications.

While many people remember the large machines at drugstores, the machines at the Library are small enough to fit on a desktop and are much more comfortable. Additionally, they are more convenient and accurate than ever.

Some key points about these devices:

• Patrons can use these machines for free and on their own.
• Library staff can direct library patrons to resources to interpret the results or suggest seeking an opinion from a medical professional.
• These devices do not record any health data. They provide the library patron with a printed ticket of their blood pressure numbers. The only information stored is how many times the machine has been used.

“We are excited to promote healthier tomorrows for the community with the partnerships we have with both the American Heart Association and Johnson County Public Library, said Allie Krass, Associate Vice President of Community Engagement with HCA Midwest Health. “Stopping by one of the many Johnson County Library branches is a convenient way to check your blood pressure while grabbing your book holds or attending one of their outstanding programs.”

The 11 branches with blood pressure machines include:

• Blue Valley
• Cedar Roe in Roeland Park
• Central Resource
• Corinth in Prairie Village
• Edgerton
• Gardner
• Leawood Pioneer
• Lenexa City Center
• Monticello in Shawnee
• Oak Park
• Shawnee

Celebrate the power of stories, choice, and community at Library Lets Loose!

written by Melissa Stan, JCLF Donor Relations Coordinator

Every September, something magical happens at the Johnson County Library. The energy buzzes with celebration. We turn up the music, bring out the tastiest bites and beverages, and let loose — all in support of the Library.

This year, as we mark the 10th anniversary of Library Lets Loose, we’re embracing the theme “Freedom to Read.” It’s a perfect time to reflect on what that freedom means — and why it matters more than ever.

Why This Theme?

According to Lisa Larson-Bunnell, one of this year’s event co-chairs:

“What better theme for our times? Freedom to Read is a celebration of intellectual freedom. It’s an acknowledgement that our ability to access information and literary works of our choosing is a fundamental value in our country that is worth fighting to protect.”

That powerful realization inspired the entire celebration — not just as a party, but as a statement of values. Because when you support the Library, you support the idea that access to books, ideas, and information is not just a service — it’s a right.

What Is Intellectual Freedom, Really?

Intellectual freedom is the right of every individual to seek and receive information from all points of view — without restriction. It protects your ability to explore ideas, form your own opinions, and engage with diverse perspectives, even (and especially) when they challenge your assumptions.

From a Library article in 2024: “When access to ideas is limited, so is freedom. Johnson County Library upholds the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read, Freedom to View, and Library Bill of Rights policies. These statements affirm our belief that people should be trusted to make their own choices.”

That belief is central to the Library’s mission. It’s why our shelves are filled with stories from all walks of life, and why your privacy, autonomy, and curiosity are honored every time you check out a book, ask a question, or attend a program.

Freedom You Can Feel

Whether you’re diving into a bestselling thriller, helping a child find their first favorite book, exploring history, or learning a new skill — the freedom to read empowers every moment of discovery.

Libraries don’t tell you what to think — we believe in your right to think for yourself. And we believe that stories, in all their forms, connect us, challenge us, and help us grow.

So… What’s Library Lets Loose Got to Do With It?

When you attend, sponsor, or donate to Library Lets Loose, you’re not just enjoying a fun night out (although there will be drinks, dancing, and delightful desserts). You’re directly supporting programs and services that uphold the freedom to read and learn.

Your support helps:

• Keep books and materials accessible to all.
• Fund programs that promote literacy, digital skills, and lifelong learning.
• Ensure our collections reflect and serve the wonderfully diverse community of Johnson County.
• Protect open access to ideas in a rapidly changing world.

It’s one unforgettable night with a lasting impact.

Join the Celebration

Saturday, September 20, 2025
6:30–10 p.m.
Central Resource Library

We hope to see you there — in your dancing shoes, dressed in red, white, and blue. Come celebrate your freedom to read, explore, question, and grow. Let’s toast to stories, community, and the joy of letting loose for a great cause.

Can’t attend? Make a gift to support the Library.

Please join us in welcoming our new summer intern, Isabelle Karpin. Born and raised in Johnson County, Isabelle has been a dedicated patron to the Johnson County Library system her entire life. It was when she came of age to serve on the teen editorial board for The Johnson County Library’s teen literary arts magazine elementia that her years of service took off. During her high school years, Isabelle contributed to elementia issues XVI-XIX as both a writer and an editor. This summer, Isabelle hopes to gain experience in communications by contributing to the Foundation’s blog, social media pages, and other publications celebrating your impact.

Greetings Johnson County Public Library donors and patrons,

My name is Isabelle Karpin, and I am the new summer intern with the Johnson County Library Foundation. I spend my academic year studying English at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where I will enter upon my senior year this fall. I was born and raised in Johnson County and attended the Barstow School where I graduated in 2022.

Interning with the Johnson County Public Library brings back the exhilarating times I spent in service to the library as a teenager. Throughout my high school years, I served on the teen editorial board of the Johnson County Library’s own elementia magazine. I was fortunate to also have been included in several issues of the publication as a writer. My memories of reading at the issue release reception remain some of the happiest and most enriching moments of my teenage years. In fact, every moment of making elementia was an enriching experience in-itself. 

I remember vividly one meeting very early on in my time with elementia led by youth librarian Cassidy Coles. Having placed a copy of the American Heritage Dictionary in front of each teen member, Cassidy began an engaging discussion on words and comprehension. She chose the word “prehensile” to illustrate the utility of the edition. It means  “able to seize, grasp, or hold, especially by wrapping around an object,” i.e. “a monkey’s prehensile tail. The entry was paired with an image of an opossum hanging upside down as well as an example in context, the phrase having “a prehensile mind.” Cassidy gifted each of us a copy of her favorite dictionary, a tool not only for comprehension but for exploration.

My copy of the American Heritage Dictionary is an example of a tool, a guidebook I carried with me as I graduated from elementia into my years of literary study. Interning with the Johnson County Library Foundation will add to the many tools I’ve reaped from the Johnson County Library’s programs.

Many thanks to the Johnson County Library Foundation’s generous donors who have made my wonderful experiences with the library possible. I look forward to giving back to those who have uplifted me this summer at the Johnson County Public Library. 

When Megan Nicolas first brought her twin boys to the Johnson County Library, they were just toddlers exploring the world one board book at a time.

“Over the years, our boys have grown up with the Library at every stage of their childhood. When they were babies and toddlers, we checked out the 6 by 6 Books to Go kits and spent mornings reading at the Library. Now, they have grown into middle-schoolers who love the Library, have their own library card, and are independent library users.”

That journey—from storytimes to confident, self-directed readers—is exactly what the Johnson County Library Summer Reading Program is all about. Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, thousands of children and teens across the county are building their own stories of growth, confidence, and joy through books and experiences.

Summer Reading 2025 Has Officially Launched!

This summer, families across the county can stop by any Johnson County Library branch to pick up a free book, a reading log, and bookmark—and begin a season filled with stories, discovery, and community connection.

“Our goal is to help kids step right into summer with a book in their hand and the opportunity to attend enriching activities that combine learning and fun,” said Melanie Fuemmeler, the Library’s Program Operations Manager. “It’s also about building community with local peers.”

That spirit of joy and connection will be on full display at the Summer Reading Launch Party on Saturday, June 7, at the Central Resource Library. From 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., families can enjoy jazz storytelling, face painting, sidewalk chalk, family line dancing, and more—all free and open to the public. As part of the celebration, award-winning author Kiese Laymon will speak from 3:00–4:30 p.m., sharing insights from his acclaimed works, answering questions, and signing books—complimentary copies will be available while supplies last.

Mark your calendars for even more summer fun:

• The Queer Ink Author Symposium on June 14, in partnership with KC Book Beat, celebrating LGBTQIA+ voices
• Community Storytimes throughout June, including June 21 at the Merriam Farmers Market
• An End-of-Summer Celebration at Lenexa City Market on July 31 featuring Mr. Stinky Feet, music, movies, and more!

See the full calendar of Summer Reading events here.

A Look Back: Donor Impact on Summer Reading in 2024

Before we turn the page to a new summer of reading, we want to celebrate all you helped make possible last year:

• 7,565 books distributed to students in 62 schools
• 5,735 books shared through 13 community partners
• Over 20,000 books given out at branches
• 50+ summer programs
• 4,432 visitors to the Black & Veatch Makerspace
• 75 teen volunteers contributed over 900 hours of service

These numbers reflect more than just participation—they represent meaningful moments where children and teens discovered the joy of reading, created something new, or simply felt seen and welcomed at their Library.

The Difference You Make

Melanie Fuemmeler explains the ripple effect of your support:

“Johnson County Library also aims to build in-home libraries through the in-branch and outreach book distribution. Having plenty of books at home and within arm’s reach naturally promotes an increase in daily reading habits. Just 20 minutes of reading a day can provide exponential gains for a child’s exposure to language, the long-term amount of time engaged in text, and as a result, a greater understanding of the world around them, leading to increased test scores.”

This is the heart of Summer Reading: not just preventing learning loss, but empowering kids to see themselves as readers, thinkers, and creators.

Thanks to our wonderful supporters, the Library is once again reaching families across Johnson County with free books, enriching programs, and welcoming spaces to learn and grow. Whether you give, attend an event, or simply tell a friend, you are part of a movement that makes reading joyful and accessible for all.

If you’d like to support Johnson County Library, become a Donor today.

written by Shelley O’Brien, Executive Director of the Johnson County Library Foundation

We are days away from the most magical time of year – summer reading! Where you can bring a book to the pool, sit by the backyard firepit reading a thriller, or take a vacation with a beach read. No matter what you are doing this summer, reading always makes it more enjoyable.

Here are a couple of recommendations. All of these books can be found at the Johnson County Library.

Have a terrific summer and enjoy reading!

Fiction – Playworld: A Novel by Adam Ross

With the early 1980’s New York as the backdrop, the reader spends a year in the complicated life of child actor Griffin Hunt. His career, schoolwork, love life, and family all bring big drama to the forefront.

Griffin is a 14-year-old who has matured fast due to his success on the TV show “The Nuclear Family”. His acting success is funding his family and his private school education. Adults in his life are inappropriately treating him as fully-grown, including his parents who are both absent and focused on their own relationship and career problems. With a childlike innocence and mature observations, Griffin is trying to navigate this adult world with little to no good advice from the grownups around him.

Non-Fiction – Loving Sylvia Plath: A Reclamation by Emily Van Duyne

The book, Loving Sylvia Path, is a somewhat academic observation of the life and the ultimate suicide of the famed poet. Through current feminist analysis that is both thoughtful and direct, the reader realizes that Plath’s life was straightforwardly inspiring her art.

The book dives into the relationship between Plath and her poet husband Ted Hughes. After her passing, because there was no will and limited literary representation, all of Plath’s works were published with approval from Hughes. There may have been missing works and extensive editing. Hughes was her abuser, the mythmaker of Plath, and profiting extensively by publishing her poetry that recorded his domestic violence. While Hughes denied the abuse for decades, newly discovered private letters show a darker side.

Despite the story being tragic, the book’s academic tone allows the reader to understand her circumstances and how she used her art as a method of reflection and transmission.

Non-Fiction – Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be by Dr. Becky Kennedy

We’ve all done it. Yelled at your child to stop behaving poorly. Maybe you have even threatened or taken away a treat or sent them to time out which only escalated the situation.

This book is for you — the parent who is tired of yelling or embarrassed by your reaction to your child or teen. How do you get out of this cycle and repair the relationship? Even if it only happens a handful of times a year, Dr. Becky Kennedy has a new way of thinking about your role.

Based on research and years of her successful career as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Becky shares how to connect with people instead of correcting people. While the book focuses on examples of working with children, all of the ideas can be applied to all relationships in your life including work, friendship, and other family members.

A message from the Johnson County Library published in the Johnson County Post

Anywhere you go these days, it seems someone or something is watching: tracking your location, monitoring your purchases, or recording your information searches. But there is one place where there are no prying eyes: Libraries offer a sanctuary of privacy in today’s interconnected world.

Outlined in such official documents as the Library Bill of Rights and the Confidentiality of Records, Johnson County Library is committed to providing free access to information with as few barriers as possible.

“There are many good reasons people want privacy,” said Adam Wathen, associate director of Branch Services for Johnson County Library. “We don’t want to judge why someone wants information or how they will use it.”

Wathen said the strong emphasis on patron privacy has its roots in the so-called McCarthy Era of post-World War II when many Americans were pursued for what were considered their un-American ideologies. In response to this, the American Library Association in 1953 issued its Freedom to Read statement:

The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack … We trust the people of this nation to make their own decision about what to read and believe.

Read the rest of this article in the Johnson County Post

Did you know that you can log into your jocolibrary.com account to access Johnson County Post for free? Find out more at jocolibrary.org/research/johnson-county-post.

With the Executive Order to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), libraries across the United States are preparing to make budget updates.

Johnson County Library is one among many library systems now looking toward their 2026 budget and planning to make adjustments. At Johnson County Library, the IMLS funding goes directly to purchasing more physical books.

No matter the changes on the horizon, Johnson County Library remains committed to serving patrons and providing access to information – in person and online.

Watch the full news story from KCTV on the situation.

If you’d like to support Johnson County Library, become a Donor today.

written by Shelley R. O’Brien

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is the link between the federal government and your local public library. They are responsible for distributing federal money to state libraries and administering grant funding. Last Friday (March 14^th) the White House issued an Executive Order to eliminate “to the maximum extent of the law” IMLS and 6 other federal agencies. In 2024, IMLS distributed over $266.7 million to libraries and museums across the country with an estimated $2.1 million coming to Kansas public libraries.

This will impact all Kansas public libraries, but the impact on rural libraries could be significant. 

If federal funding is shut off to the State Library of Kansas, the over 300 libraries across the state will be financially impacted starting in 2026. The Johnson County Library, while in a better position than most, could see a significant decrease to our $165,810 distribution for this year. This funding goes directly to the purchasing of physical books for our 14 libraries. More rural libraries across the state are heavily dependent on their state funding, for some constituting the majority of their budgets.

Additionally, the State Library of Kansas is already fighting for its budget in Topeka including their 29 staff members who serve Kansas residents and researchers for legislators. Their annual budget is $7.3 million, which includes the $2.1 million coming from the federal government.

Since 1855, the State Library of Kansas has provided library and information services to the executive and legislative branches of state government and to deliver 21st-century library services and resources to all Kansas residents.

More updates to come on this developing situation. This is the time to remind everyone that you use public libraries – in person or online – this cut will impact you and your community. The Johnson County Library Foundation will start additional fundraising efforts to make up for this shortfall. More to come!

written by Shelley O’Brien, Executive Director of the Johnson County Library Foundation

Library Giving Day is an annual event started by the Seattle Public Library Foundation. The idea was to create a national day of giving for public libraries to rally around and for the public to embrace. Libraries are the cornerstones of our community. Whether through our in-person or virtual services, libraries are inclusive spaces that offer innovative programs, promote lifelong learning and advance knowledge for all members of our community.

We hope you will join us in supporting Johnson County Library on Library Giving Day or any time of the year. We accept donations through online giving as a 50l(c)(3) organization that supports the Library – or feel free to email me at [email protected] to learn about other avenues of support.

One of the fantastic programs we raise money for is Brainfuse which offers one-on-one online tutoring for K-12 students. The Brainfuse website matches every student with a tutor on-demand based on the grade and subject matter. Struggling with a math homework problem? There is someone to help. Have an important paper to write? Submit your paper and within one business day receive feedback and learning suggestions. Want to learn Spanish? Meet with a tutor who can work with you to practice your vocabulary words. ACT or SAT prep? There are study guides and sample tests to get you ready.

Any student with a Johnson County Library card can access Brainfuse from any computer, anywhere, for unlimited one-on-one tutoring. This is at no cost to the student.

The Johnson County Library Foundation has several donors who designate donations to Brainfuse and other digital resources. This guarantees that the program will continue to help students and they can see it as a stable resource to help them through middle school and high school. Please consider making a gift to the Library Foundation to support Brainfuse and other digital programming from Johnson County Library on Library Giving Day or at any time. We appreciate your support of our Library and our community.