This article was written in honor of the founders of Johnson County Library for the 50th anniversary of the library’s opening. It has been edited for length and clarity.
The “founding” of Johnson County Library started with the Prairie School Library Committee in 1951 and lasted at least five years – through the referendum campaign in 1952, followed by the problem of funding the newly-authorized library, to the transition from volunteer libraries to staffing by paid library employees, which concluded in 1956. At that point, the Library Committee was evolved into the Friends of the Library. Many of the women originally involved in leading the effort moved away in the years after. Here are there stories:
Nancy Ashton – A member of the 1951 Prairie School Library Committee from which the public library effort sprang. Nancy assisted with the referendum campaign and was a signer of the Articles of Incorporation for the Johnson County Library Committee.
Dorothy Ballard – A member of the core group that organized the library effort and a signer of the Articles of Incorporation, Dorothy carried petitions twice, was a volunteer librarian for the volunteer library in the basement of the men’s store in Prairie Village, and later served on the Friends Board.
Sally May – A member of the core group that organized the library effort, Sally transacted the incorporation of the Johnson County Library Committee with the Secretary of State’s office. After the new library obtained a budget and a director, she organized the Friends of the Library that evolved from the Library Committee and became its first president.
Jane Omer – A member of the core group that organized the library effort and a signer of the Articles of Incorporation for the Library Committee, Jane succeeded Kay Robeson as one of the first members of the Library Board. She served as Library Board Chairman during the bond issue for the Corinth Library.
Kay Robeson – Kay was chairman of the prairie School Library Committee in 1951 when she read that one of the committee’s duties was to cooperate with the local public library. There wasn’t one, and her response was, “Well maybe we ought to do something about that.” Kay is the acknowledged leader of the effort for a public library, and was later a member of the first Library Board.
Joan Roney – A member of the core group that led the effort for a public library, Joan was a volunteer librarian in the Prairie Village library in the basement of the men’s store. She was also the first vice-president of the newly-formed Friends of the Library.
Jeanne Tapp – Although she is too young to have been active in the founders’ effort for a public library, Jeanne became the Founders’ official historian. She was a Friends Board member, the long-time Editor of the Friends’ Footnotes newsletter, wrote the history of the library for the 25th anniversary, and served as the Johnson County representative to the Northeast Kansas Library System Board for 10 years.
Tom Parrish – Tom acted as a legal advisor to the Library Committee during the years that they were campaigning for the referendum and lobbying for a budget for the authorized library system. His wife was a signer of the Articles of Incorporation so it was a family affair. Tom served as the first President of the first Library Board.
-Johnson County Library staff
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