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Brainfuse HelpNow: Do you have finals before the winter break? Prepare by using your library card to create flashcards, take practice tests, or connect with a FREE online tutor »

As you might imagine, our talented Library staff are involved in many community projects and interesting hobbies. Charles Hower, a JCL information specialist, recently took on an unusual project.



Over the course of several months, Charles performed the state songs of all 50 states. The performances, which each include one or two verses and a brief history of how the song came about, are available to watch on YouTube in a series entitled, State Song Sundays. The project was inspired by a book that’s currently available in the JCL collection: State Songs of America.

Charles boasts an impressive musical resume: a bachelor’s degree in music education from KSU and a master's degree in music performance from Mizzou. While he was primarily trained on instrumental music—in particular, the euphonium—Charles has always had an interest in choirs, singing in his University Choir, Concert Choir, Men's Glee Choir, and Little Apple Barbershop chorus.

While Charles’ background was in music, he had a lifelong love for the Library. He was a teen volunteer and worked as a Homework Help coach in 2006. When the Monticello Library opened in 2018, Charles threw his hat in the ring and entered the system as a clerk.



While Charles performs each of the 50 songs with equal gusto, he isn't without personal opinions about which songs stand above the rest. "As a proud Kansas boy, I would love to say that Kansas was the best, and Missouri was the worst (sorry Missouri colleagues). My favorite, just for the amount of fun it was to sing, is a toss-up between Vermont and Tennessee."

When it came to the worst songs, Charles also did not reserve judgment. "Worst is harder since there are so many dated songs that are offensive or just real clunkers. In terms of just music I didn't enjoy singing, Mississippi is really high up there. Easy to sing, but dull beyond belief."



In addition to his performance chops, he has a keen interest in the historical and cultural aspects of music, which shine through in the state song project. In taking on the project, Charles said that, in large part, his intention was to explore the origin of state symbols and their continuing significance to people.

Charles suggests that the history of the state songs may be more interesting than the songs themselves. As he puts it, “the specific songs themselves don't matter as much as the effort to put into words what makes each state special. That we look at the songs that were chosen and reflect on the values they represent— that is the important stuff.”

During this pandemic, board games have been a valuable pastime for many people, whether it's breaking some out with the family and friends or learning how to play games on new online platforms. At Johnson County Library, our Table Top Games Committee has been trying to think of ways that we can share our passion with our patrons even if we can’t meet in person. We are looking forward to online gaming events starting next year, so if you are interested in playing games, please stay tuned for our first program starting January 6th!

Katy talks about the beginning of Table Top Games at the Library

Since I was young, I remember playing games with my family, and that it was a special time that I always enjoyed. I remember taking great pride in beating my parents at Memory, and when I was older I enjoyed playing Sorry, Sequence, and a host of other games. Around high school I started noticing that big box stores didn’t really change their games out that much. They would just tweak Clue or Monopoly and put a different theme or cover on it, and I was getting tired of playing the same thing over and over again. Then when I reached college, I was introduced to Settlers of Catan, and I remember loving getting to play something new and unique, and I started looking for more games like it. After college, I realized there was a whole world of games that I had never heard of or seen before that were just waiting for me if I knew where to look. 

With my growing passion for playing games and my blossoming collection, I started seeking them out at local game stores like 31st Century Games and Table Top Game & Hobby. Around this time, Wil Wheaton started his YouTube show, Table Top, and I realized that this new hobby that I was falling in love with was starting to have a major following. I started to dream about how I could bring Table Top games into my job at the Library. I approached one of my co-workers, Josh, about starting a Table Top program, and we got the approval to start a program at the Lackman Library in 2013. It turns out other people in our community enjoyed playing games as well, because we have run the program continuously until this March, when Covid-19 made meeting in person impossible. However, we look forward to the day when we can host more gaming programs again at the library and share our love of gaming with you!

Katy’s Favorite Games:

Sagrada, Ticket to Ride, Splendor, Ganz Schon Clever! (That’s Pretty Clever!), Wingspan, Camel Up!, Horrified, Dragon’s Breath (to play with my children), Kingdomino

Read our other Table Top Games Committee members' stories and favorite games »

Did you hear? host Dave presented on podcasting--specifically for Libraries and nonprofits--at the Kansas Library Association's annual conference. We share his presentation as a podcast episode. Enjoy.

Here's the description we provided for the program:

We believe subscribable communication is an effective and fun way to reach library audiences—even those you’d never think are podcast addicts. We want to share the lessons we’ve learned over the course of two years and counting while producing the Johnson County Library’s “Did you hear?” podcast. It’s been a twisting and turning journey. We’re ready to help you develop your own pod-voice! Find about strategies taken to engage listeners (and listeners-to-be), how to include library staff in unexpected ways, and why we don’t devote every episode to an upcoming library event. Don’t let the maze of equipment and platforms or time that might be involved intimidate you—we cover all that technical stuff too!

This is our last episode of 2020. Look for our return in 2021 with some fun changes!