Find a job. Start a business. Support a nonprofit. Manage personal finances. The Library offers resources to enrich your career and help you develop your personal and professional goals.

The Community Reference Mission is to connect people to each other and to information so that our community is empowered to thrive.

ONE-ON-ONE APPOINTMENTS

Schedule a one-on-one appointment with one of our specialists:

Small Business & Entrepreneurship

Hadiza Sa-Aadu is the Library’s Small Business Engagement Specialist. She holds a BA in Economics and French from Emory University and an MBA with a specialization in Data Analytics from the University of Iowa. Her career has spanned marketing, sales and data analytics in both the public and private sectors. She can help you mine and analyze data as you conduct industry research and help you develop a marketing plan. Hadiza is passionate about leveraging data to inspire stakeholders to take action, creative place-making (ask her about this if you’re curious!), mission driven organizations including social enterprises and human centered design.

Small Business Open Office Hours

Health & Wellness

Jeni Starr is the Library’s Health & Wellness Specialist. She holds a Master of Education in Health Education from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences from Mount Holyoke College as well as certification as a Master Certified Health Education Specialist. Jeni has been a health educator for over 20 years and has worked in university, government, public school, and nonprofit settings. She is passionate about promoting health and wellness practices that meet individual needs and promoting health equity. She can help connect you to health and wellness resources in the community.

Health & Wellness Open Office Hours

Legal & Government Information

Jenny Garmon is the Library’s Legal & Government Information Specialist. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and Ohio State University, where she earned her M.A. in Public Policy and Management. In addition to her military service, Jenny is a former federal employee recognized for her award-winning work with teams as an analyst, branch chief, and adviser. Her primary areas of focus for the Library are coordinating tax preparation services, patron education and participation in Census 2020, and voter education and registration. Jenny will be working with Kansas City’s legal and government communities to connect patrons with information and resources. Jenny is currently pursuing her Master of Library Science and is committed to building community through her work with the Library.

Legal & Government Open Office Hours

Non-Profit Information

Kelly Mahon is the Library's Funding Information Network Supervisor. His responsibilities include overseeing the Foundation Collection and presenting classes on grant research and proposal writing. He works with Kansas City non-profit professionals and assists them in their philanthropic endeavors. Kelly is a certified Foundation Directory Online Trainer and has been with the Kansas City Public Library for over 20 years.

Nonprofit & Grant Help Open Office Hours

Career Development & Personal Finance

Rhiannon Johnson is the Library’s Career Development and Personal Finance Specialist. She has a Master of Science in Education from the University of Kansas and Bachelor of Art in Organizational Communication Studies from Ball State University. For the past five years, she has served as a career coach at the University of Kansas. Rhiannon can provide coaching on career development topics including resumes cover letters, career transitions, job searching and interviewing techniques. In addition, she also can help connect you to resources for making informed financial decisions.

Career Resources & Resume Help Open Office Hours

Community Reference

Kim Gile is the Library’s Community Reference Manager. She has a Master’s in Library Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelor’s in International Business Management from Kansas University. She has been working in public libraries since 2001 and is passionate about community engagement. She supports the Community Reference Team and would love to meet you and talk with you about how the library can be a great community partner.