Donna Lauffer's love of literature and of meeting interesting people started early, and it has pulled her into fulfilling work that benefits all fellow Johnson County residents.

Growing up in Hannibal, Mo., was "great fun," she said. The Mark Twain attractions drew international visitors to the area, and Hannibal's school children often enjoyed "cave parties."

She attended Central Missouri State University at Warrensburg, where she met her future husband, Russell, who was stationed at nearby Whitman Air Force Base. While working with the School of Education librarian, she experienced "the fun in library work and working with authors."

After she completed her junior year of undergraduate studies, Donna and Russell married and moved to Long Beach, Calif. There she enrolled at the University of California–Long Beach, earning a bachelor's degree and a master's in library science from UCLA.

She worked for the Long Beach Library and then served an internship at the University Research Library. That research job convinced Lauffer that she preferred hands-on work with the public.

The Lauffers moved back to the Midwest after her internship, when their son Nick was 5 months old and daughter Wendy was 4. She joined the staff of the Johnson County Library in 1979 and said, "It was a wonderful opportunity. Johnson County was such a growing community that we stayed."

She enrolled at the University of Kansas, earning a second master's degree—this one in public administration.

When Donna and Russell moved their family to Overland Park, she wanted to learn more about how the City of Overland Park worked. She joined the Johnson County League of Women Voters in 1987 and soon became an observer of the Overland Park City Council, which met three times each month.

"The League of Women Voters had always been well-respected and studied major issues. That was right down my alley," Lauffer recalled. "Although I had never been involved in politics, I volunteered to help with candidate forums. It was great fun, offering a wonderful opportunity to know the candidates."

Lauffer was president of Johnson County League of Women Voters in 1994-95, then joined the board of the League of Women Voters of Kansas, serving as board president. The national board of the league chose her as a member in 2006-08.

"What a wonderful experience that was!" she said. "I met many knowledgeable people on the national board. Each member was assigned five states; I visited Utah, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota. I worked on the National Council in Washington, D.C., and the 2008 convention, held in Portland, Ore."

Lauffer recalled that the president of the national league invited board members to her ranch home 68 miles southeast of Albuquerque, N.M.

"Our board did strategic planning under a pinion tree by a spring!" she said.

Lauffer believes the league is an important organization because "When the league says it will do something, it actually takes action in a quiet, civil manner, and that is what self-governance is all about."

In June 2007, Lauffer was appointed Johnson County librarian. She had been associate director for branch services and outreach for the prior five years, supervising 12 locations, system-wide youth and outreach services, and planning and construction of several libraries.

In 2005, the Johnson County Library was one of six recipients of the National Award for Museum and Library service, the nation's highest honor for extraordinary public service provided by a library or a museum. Under Lauffer's supervision in 2009, the Johnson County Resource Library hosted the first "virtual" National Council for Leagues across the country. In 2010, the library hosted a national budget discussion as one of 18 town meeting sites in the nation, and was honored as Federal Depository Library of the Year. The Kettering Foundation asked Lauffer to be a consultant for teaching public politics.

In March, Lauffer was appointed one of the five new members of the Depository Library Council in Washington, D.C. The council advises the Public Printer on policy matters relating to the Federal Depository Library Program. Her three-year term begins June 1.

Lauffer manages also to be an active member of the Overland Park Rotary Club, Overland Park Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee, American Library Association, Kansas Library Advisory Board, and Kansas City Consensus Board, a nonprofit organization that works on public policy. She has served on the Mid America Regional Council's OneKCVoice Executive Steering Committee and on the United Way board. In 2010, Lauffer was United Way chair for Johnson County Government.

On March 22 this year, Lauffer gave a Community Curator Lecture at Union Station about the history of this area's League of Women Voters. In her talk, she explored how the league worked to ensure passage of the 19th amendment, giving women the right to vote, and its continuous investigation of and education on political issues.

She explained, "In most towns, the library serves as a neutral, non-political institution that provides a balanced collection. Its mission is to provide a learning environment, and to help people get information and be informed voters. We can partner with other organizations, and that has evolved into a good fit.

"My job is great fun. Imagine getting paid for what you love to do!"

---