Annual Review: The power of plugging in

In a busy year for KU Libraries, few had a front row seat like Bev Kennedy Bradshaw, a 10-year member of the libraries’ Board of Advocates. Bradshaw participated in the libraries’ Watson Centennial Council planning committee and played a key role in the annual Snyder Book Collecting Contest, combining for a powerful year of library engagement and support in addition to her longtime advocacy and planned giving.

For Bradshaw, a KU alumna (c’78) from Kansas City, Kan., and a first-generation college student, giving back to the libraries has been a natural progression.

“I’ve always felt lucky to have gone to KU,” she said. “It changed my life. After I graduated, I knew that I wanted to give back, and I realized the library was the perfect place.”

As a student, Bradshaw had relied on the libraries' study spaces as places of productivity and focus, as well as libraries' resources to support her academic success while obtaining her degree in human resources.

“I would study in the stacks and pull cards to go get books — this was back before all the technology was there — but it was very convenient and important, and I thought about how great the library made things for me as a student,” she said. “And I wanted to give where I felt like my dollars could have the most impact.”

One of Bradshaw’s gifts refurbished a Watson Library study carrel in the third floor stacks, improving the lighting and comfort of the study spaces which continue to be popular with students today.

“I was the oldest in my family, and my two sisters followed me to KU,” Bradshaw said. “It was really meaningful to me to have my sisters, parents, and niece and nephew sign the plaque on the carrel. Even though we didn’t have a lot of extras growing up, all our needs were met and my parents really instilled in us the importance of giving back and philanthropy, whether by volunteering time or making monetary donations. I try to stop by the carrel every time I’m up at the library.”

Bradshaw’s work in human resources took her to Dallas in the late 1970s. As she advanced in her career over the years, working for Fortune 500 companies, she had a strong desire to stay connected to KU despite the distance, and her appreciation for the libraries 
also grew.

“I ended up in a career that I really liked, and I worked in it my whole life. I just felt really fortunate that KU enabled that opportunity for me,” Bradshaw said. “During my HR career at one point I oversaw payroll, which is one of those functions that people rely on and of course need and just assume your paycheck is always going to be there, on time. And it's a big, complicated, hard job to make that happen.”

"And so, I thought about the libraries, and I thought, you know, it's the same in some ways — a big job, a hard job, and complicated serving so many different constituents in so many locations. Sometimes it might be easy to take it for granted, but it’s a foundational need which impacts the entire KU community." 

Bradshaw joined the libraries Board of Advocates in 2015. In the beginning she participated through conference calls, which sometimes left her wanting to do more. The expansion to video calls during the pandemic was a positive development, enabling more engagement. She attended meetings and events in-person when she could, but this year, a move back to the Kansas City area made a new level of participation possible.

She played a crucial role in the Snyder Book Collecting Contest by serving as a judge of the student collections, and was amazed by the thoughtfulness that went into the students’ submissions. Her participation in Watson Centennial celebrations was also a highlight of the year.

“When we walked into Watson for the gala dinner, to see the library space transformed into this elegant, evening celebration was just awe inspiring,” Bradshaw said. “It was amazing. I knew we had a talented team, but the library team’s talent seems like it's endless.”

Through all of her involvement she’s learned even more about the libraries, and gained knowledge of how her gifts help ensure that future generations of students can have the same transformative experiences at KU that she did.

“I’ve really come to appreciate the leadership of the libraries in the Open Education initiative,” she said. “Even when I went to KU way back, textbooks were expensive then, and it was a struggle for me. And then you add all the amazing collections at Spencer Research Library that students and faculty have access to, and the libraries work with research and teaching. I've just been amazed at everything the library does and how important it is to the university.”

This content first appeared in KU Libraries 2024-25 Annual Review, a publication that reviews accomplishments of the past year and provides a glimpse of priorities moving forward. See this story and the full issue in the downloadable pdf.