Marissa Krein joined KCKCC as the Electronic Resource Librarian in October 2023, with over six years of experience in academic libraries. She holds a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a Master’s in Public History, and a Bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Northern Iowa. Her expertise includes information literacy instruction, reference services, electronic resource management, cataloging, and historical research. Before she arrived at KCKCC, she served as a librarian at two colleges in Iowa and one in South Carolina.
Melissa Horak-Hern is thrilled to join the KCKCC team in March 2024 as a Librarian in the Learning Commons. Her most important responsibility is to help everyone in the KCKCC community find and use the empowering information they need to live their best lives.
Melissa has served for more than 15 years in public, school, and college libraries in all sorts of roles from performing storytimes to preserving documents that are more than a thousand years old. She became a librarian because access to information is a human right, and she can be sure that everyone in the community gets the help they need if she’s the one providing it. Melissa earned a Master of Library Science from Emporia State University, and a Master of Public Administration, Certificate in Geospatial Information Systems, and a Bachelor of Science in anthropology from Missouri State University. A nontraditional student, Melissa is also a very proud graduate of Penn Valley Community College in Kansas City, Missouri.
When she is not supporting everyone in the KCKCC community as they achieve their learning goals, Melissa likes to bake, garden, travel with her partner and son, and cheer for the KC Current.
Barbara Stransky has been immersed in the world of libraries, since 1992, serving as Librarian at Bonner Springs City Library, an undergraduate instructor at the University of Kansas, Baker University and Emporia State University School of Library and Information Management, and Library Services Coordinator for the Northeast Kansas Library System.
Barbara has been an adjunct instructor in sociology at KCKCC since 2003, and also held this position previously at Johnson County Community College. She has served as a Reference Librarian at Kansas City Kansas Community College since 2006, and has the pleasure of working with students as they attempt to unravel the mysteries of library databases and other tools necessary for their education.
Gayle Holliday works for Library Services at the main circulation desk. She can assist students, faculty and staff with a variety of things, including checking materials in or out, locating materials, computer lab assistance and any questions regarding fines or holds pertaining to library materials.
Debra Newton has been a part of the KCKCC family since she attended college here. As the Library Circulation and Technical Services Coordinator Debra maintains the ILS system for the Library as well as database maintenance. She also orders print and electronic resources for the Learning Commons. If there is a specific book you are interested in let her know!
Dottie Hill holds a B.A. in English Literature, B.S. in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Education through the University of Saint Mary. She recently earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership with a concentration in curriculum design and development. She has worked for KCKCC since 2013 after 7 years teaching middle school. She manages The Morgue, a mortuary science database unique to KCKCC, assists students and works with faculty to develop research guides. She cohosts the monthly Makerspace events, and manages the Learning Commons social media pages. Feel free to stop by or call if you need help locating specific items.