Bookmarkable

To-do lists keep us on task and grocery lists ensure we come home with everything we intended to buy. But prioritization is much more daunting when it comes to the Johnson County Library’s vast collection. Enter Matt Imrie.

A native of South Africa who found his way to our region by marrying a woman from Paola, Kansas, Imrie’s official Library role is as a youth services information specialist in Gardner.

But his unofficial title is that of the Library’s king of lists, serving patrons by grouping books, music, and movies around many themes. His lists appear on bibliocommons, the third-party platform the Library uses for its electronic catalog.

Imrie pursues his avocation through the belief that reader’s advisory is one of the library’s core services, making a collection of more than one million items more accessible to users.

“No one can trawl through everything to find everything they want,” he said. He likes introducing users to older works that are sometimes overshadowed by new releases.

Since starting with a Halloween series in October 2019, Imrie has compiled nearly 800 lists around topics as diverse as Kansas history and “The Rocky Horror Show.”

Imrie has also parsed the library’s holdings around jokes, world events, and celebrity deaths. Imrie highlighted U.S. history as he studied to become a U.S. citizen and found material on the loss of a loved one while grieving for his father, who passed away from COVID-19 early on in the pandemic.

His recent handiwork marked the 40th anniversary of a little-known incident that brought the world to the brink of nuclear armageddon and noted the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

BiblioCommons serves libraries throughout the U.S. and internationally, and Imrie presented on the art of list creation and curation at last year’s users conference. He spoke about his father's death as an example of finding inspiration from various places.

If pressed for time, Imrie can compile resources in a matter of minutes, such as finding as much material as he could when musician Jimmy Buffett died in September. But in other instances, Imrie might take hours or days to find the right mix.

“I try to be as thoughtful as I can and make sure that it's balanced for a wide range of readers,” he said.

This year marks 50 years since “The Rocky Horror Show” debuted as a musical, and Imrie counts that list as one of his favorites. The movie version came out in 1975.

Imrie got to thinking about all the movies referenced in the opening song of the production, “Science Fiction/Double Feature.”

He thought, “Hey, these are all movies that I’ve seen and I’ve enjoyed. I wonder if the library has them.” He liked the list because it demonstrated that he himself could learn something from a list he put together.

Imrie is even working on a master list of all the lists compiled for the Library. “It's not the easiest thing to find specific collections,” he said.

Welcome to another fabulous Throwback Thursday! You know that JoCoHistory is the place to time travel through local history with its Blog and collection of photos and historical documents. But did you know, about the JoCoHistory Research Tools? Here you'll find a portal to local history projects, local history on the web, a comprehensive list of Johnson County museums and historical sites and other regional museums. 

JoCoHistory Projects

• Johnson County Obituary Index

On the Web

• Kansas Memory - Johnson County
  
  A project of the Kansas Historical Society, this site contains digital images of letters, diaries, photographs, government records, maps, museum artifacts and much more.
• Missouri Valley Special Collections Digital Gallery
  
  Over 11,000 images of archival material such as letters, photographs, postcards, advertising cards and maps from Missouri Valley Special Collections at Kansas City Public Library.
• Territorial Kansas Online
  
  A virtual repository of archival documents dating from Kansas' territorial period, 1854-1861.
• Missouri Digital Heritage
  
  Digitized collections from libraries, archives, historical societies and museums all across Missouri (formerly Virtually Missouri).
• Map of historic sites
  
  Map of local historic places, museums and historical societies.

Local History Museums and Sites

In Johnson County:

• Gardner Historical Museum
  
  The museum occupies the 1893 Folk Victorian house built by Herman B. Foster. Exhibits feature topics important to Gardner history: the Grange, the Overland Trails, schools, a turn-of-the century kitchen, as well as historical memorabilia and photos of Gardner's past.
• Johnson County Museum
  
  Includes the Johnson County Museum of History, the Lanesfield School, and the 1950s All Electric House. The museum also features a research room with access to documents, maps, photographs and manuscripts related to the history of Johnson County, Kansas from 1820s to present.
• Legler Barn Museum
  
  The Legler barn was built by Adam Legler in 1864, razed in 1972 and restored in 1983 as a community Museum. It features permanent and temporary exhibits about Lenexa and the surrounding area.
• Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm
  
  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm Historic Site is the last remaining stagecoach stop on the historic Santa Fe Trail still open to the public. Three original buildings are preserved: The Mahaffie Family Home/Stagecoach Stop, two-story Ice House, and Wood Peg Barn.
• Oxford Schoolhouse
  
  Built in 1877, this one-room schoolhouse operated until 1955. In 2003 it was moved from 135th and Mission to its current location at Ironwoods Park. The school is now restored and interpreted as a circa 1910 schoolhouse.
• Shawnee Indian Mission
  
  The manual training school attended by Shawnee, Delaware, and other Indian children from 1839-1862. The Shawnee Mission also served as an early territorial capitol, a supply point on the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails, and as a camp for Union soldiers during the Civil War. The Mission was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968. The Mission also has a research library that is open to the public by appointment.
• Shawnee Town Museum
  
  Shawnee Town is a living history museum that opens a window to life in a small farm community in the years leading up to the Great Depression. Visitors can stroll through the 3-acre park and visit historic buildings that include a school house, farmstead, chapel, fire station, local businesses and gardens.

Other Regional Museums

• Kansas Museum of History
  
  Museum operated by the Kansas Historical Society in Topeka.
• Kansas City Museum
  
  Located within the Corinthian Hall mansion, the Kansas City Museum offers exhibits on regional history and natural history, as well as a planetarium and authentic 1910 soda fountain.

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of #NoWaitWednesday where we take a look at a great book on the New Release shelf at a local branch that's just waiting for you to place your holds. We know that patrons don't like being 432nd in line for the latest New York Times blockbuster, but there's always plenty of great stuff to read right under your nose.  

Our patrons have a seemingly insatiable appetite for lush and vivid historical fiction set around World War II. From All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr to The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah to The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn, many of these titles and plenty more are still popular years after publication as patrons find out about them through book clubs, library book lists, and word-of-mouth. For today's #NoWaitWednesday pick, we wanted to highlight something that fits along those lines - although you might want to move fast, as even this title, based on a true story of two brave women saving art from the clutches of the Nazis during WWII, might not last on the shelves for very long. We present: our Readers Advisory Librarian Gregg's review of The Paris Deception by Bryn Turnbull!

The novel opens in 1938 with the German government burning modern art in a giant fire outside the Reichstag. The Nazis viewed modern art as a corrupting force and ridiculed paintings and sculptures they thought were too stylized or too abstract, calling them "Entartete Kunst" - degenerate art. Jumping ahead to 1940, the Nazis have invaded France, capturing many art museums and looting priceless artifacts along the way. Sophie Brandt, who fled Germany to France to pursue her love for art history, must make a difficult choice when she reluctantly accepts a position sorting through stolen artifacts - mostly from Jewish families - as the museum where she works, the Jeu de Paume Museum, becomes the epicenter and storage depot for much of the looted artwork. She decides to use her position inside the museum to protect the art she loves so much and that she believes is important to history. She approaches her brother's wife, Fabienne, a talented artist in her own right, and together they come up with a plan - create forgeries of the "degenerate art" that's slated to be destroyed and smuggling the originals out of France and to safety.

Author Bryn Turnbull creates an absolutely compelling tale, combining knowledge of early 20th century art world with the thrill of a well-planned heist novel guided by the engine of historical accuracy. Throughout the novel Sophie and Fabienne's plan could get discovered at any time, and the two face dangers and dodge many close shaves aiding the Resistance while forming a powerful bond that surprises both of them. A great example of Historical Fiction and Women's Fiction mixed together with a powerful message of historical bravery will please plenty of readers. 

For for those readers to truly prize historical accuracy, Turnbull devotes pages writing about the hero who inspired the novel: Rose Valland, the overseer of the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris during the time of the occupation, where she carefully tracked the movement of countless pieces of art and passed the information over to the Resistance, who were able to retrieve mush of what was looted. She received the Legion of Honour award - among the many others - for her efforts and vision.   

Library OnDemand – Available anytime you like.

Live Your Healthiest Life Fall Classes – Tuesdays, Oct. 10 – Nov. 14, 10:30 – 11 a.m.

Fall into some healthy habits!  Join us weekly at Central Resource Library and feel better in 2023.

Oct. 10: Exercise – How much and what kind do I need?
Oct. 17: Exercise – Your way, your pace.
Oct. 24: Quitting tobacco and changing behaviors.
Oct. 31: How do I stop? Step by step.
Nov. 7: Ready? Let’s do this!
Nov. 14: The new tobacco-free you.

Tabletop Games – Tuesdays, Oct. 10, Nov. 14, & Dec. 12, 6 – 7:45 p.m.

Join us at Central Resource Library for a fun-filled event with family and friends and become a part of the Johnson County tabletop gaming community. Discover new games from our collection or bring your personal favorite to share – you might get creative with a round of Dixit, collaborate to escape the Forbidden Island or strategize your way to victory as King of Tokyo! Come and go as you please. Refreshments are provided.

READ to A Dog with Pets For Life – Wednesday, Oct. 11, 3:30 – 5 p.m.

Join us at the Corinth Library for The Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program improves children’s reading and communication skills by employing a powerful method: reading to a registered therapy dog or cat! These animals volunteer with their owner/handlers as a team. Please register for this event. 

Free Day at the Johnson County Museum – Thursday, Oct. 12, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Your Johnson County Library card is your ticket to a free day at the Johnson County Museum! Show your Library card for free entry or sign up for a card on site with Library staff available to assist you. This free day is sponsored by the Library to encourage our patrons to view the temporary exhibit “TRAINS: Transportation and the Transformation of Johnson County” on display through Jan. 13, 2024.

Candidate Forum: Shawnee Mission School Board Candidates– Thursday, Oct. 12, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Join us at the Lenexa City Center Library for this event. The Shawnee Mission and Blue Valley Post will be hosting 11 nights of local candidate forums ahead of the Nov. 7 general election, giving Johnson County voters a chance to hear directly from the candidates who want to represent them in city government and on school boards. The full list of events is here.

And much more happening this week … 

Discover how music can have a positive effect on your child’s development. Kristi Hanson, music therapist and owner of Stepping Stones KC, will share practical ways music can affect behavior, emotional regulation, and keep early learning fun! Designed for caregivers of children ages 0-6. All caregivers welcome.

Oct. 18, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Central Resource Library
Register »

When the Merriam Plaza Library opens next year, it will include a drive-thru, state-of-the-art technology, early literacy space in the kids section, and all the other amenities one would expect in a new branch built at a cost of nearly $14 million.

Adhering to patron feedback, the new branch at 6120 Slater St. will also have abundant natural light, a warm wood ceiling and a “green” roof with vegetation that provides a habitat for pollinators.

Yet the art integrated into the design of Merriam Plaza — which is replacing the aging Antioch Library — may well provide the most eye-catching connection to nature.

After evaluating nearly 180 submissions, the Johnson County Public Art Commission last year commissioned projects from Emily Alvarez of Kansas City, Missouri, and Sage Vaughn of Los Angeles.

Alvarez’s four-panel indoor mural will include deep blue teal and lime green among its vibrant colors and will have raised plexiglass panels featuring plants and side profiles of residents of diverse races.

The mural also has a portion with people standing on roots to pay homage to the groundbreaking work of the Webb family, leaders of the 1940s movement to desegregate schools in Merriam. The hardiness of the prairie grass she features celebrates the “community aspect of developing roots in your community that make it easier to withstand hardship,” Alvarez said.

With its emphasis on diversity, the art commission carved out a portion of the budget to include Alvarez’s work. She is awed and humbled at the confidence the commissioners placed in her against much more experienced applicants.

Vaughn’s outdoor installation features his sketches fabricated into four prairie flowers in two groupings of two apiece. The metal sculptures, some reaching taller than the building itself, are made of Corten Steel, which has a weathered, rust-colored exterior.

The flowers featured in the installation include Mexican Hat (prairie coneflowers) and a sunflower variety. Vaughn collaborated with a computer effects designer who loaded a 3D model of the Merriam Plaza building into software that, by simulating how sunlight would hit the sculptures, helped determine the placement of the installations.

Vaughn considers a project for a local library as the “absolute pinnacle” of public art and said his goal is “to take some of those flowers that are common and make them remarkable, with the idea being that it's a public space, that it is something that can help inspire memories and kind of make things locatable even for the very, very young people who access that space.”

The green roof captivated Vaughn.

“Geez man, this is perfect,” he thought. “That’s my whole jam. It’s flowers and butterflies and insects and birds. It was really fun to just say great, you guys set it up, let me just hit it, and if you guys are into this you are into it, if not, I totally get it.”

The height and scale of Vaughn’s pieces is an aspect of the work that will spark intrigue and conversations among patrons, said commission Chairman Larry Meeker. He said the colors in Alvarez’s mural might also spark debates among visitors who love the vibrancy and others who think a library should be more muted.

The fact that both of the art projects are open to interpretation is exactly what public art is supposed to do, Meeker said, offering a “double barreled” benefit to the library to complement its collection.

“Good pieces of art are open-ended,” he said. “That is also what makes a good piece of literature.”

Art installation is set to begin at the site this fall.

Hello and welcome to this week's #NoWaitWednesday where we look at a specific title that's ready for just the right patron to check it out in the New Release section at one of our branches right now. Hot, new, and best of all - no waiting! (If you're fast enough, that is! Make sure to click the green "place hold" button in the web catalog while logged in to reserve a copy.)  

For patrons who might like to read a good book but don't have the time, I like to recommend three specific genres: either a romance, a horror, or a thriller. These three genres in particular are engineered to hook readers early, introducing them to compelling characters and taking them on an emotional journey that keeps pages turning. A good thriller, especially, has an energy and momentum all its own - after all, thrill rides are the ones most difficult rides at the amusement park to get off from, because once you're strapped in, you're absolutely committed until the very end. Patrons love novels from thriller authors like Vince Flynn, Jack Carr, or David Baldacci, so for today's #NoWaitWednesday, let's take a look at a new book from an author along those lines.

Remi Adeleke, a former Navy SEAL, makes an impact with a blistering debut - and first in the "Black Box" series - with Chameleon. The main character is Kali Kent, born in Nigeria but raised on the streets of the Bronx and who now works for a super-secret CIA paramiliary group that focuses on only the most difficult missions. (Notice I didn't say "impossible....") The plot kicks off when they get called into investigate Lucas Van Groot, a South African commando who leads a shadowy network that makes money kidnapping business leaders and world politicians, holding them for ransom, and profiting by disrupting the global financial markets in the chaos. Kali and his crew must infiltrate this network and use all of their skills to take Van Groot down, until further revelations lead the group to investigate who's really behind everything, including a secret technology that might destabailise the whole of Eastern Europe and kick the Cold War up several degrees indeed.

Exotic scenery, breathtaking action, a well-developed good-guy ensemble, and a fast-paced twisty plot that keeps readers guessing - this one has it all. Adeleke brings a wealth of his own Navy SEAL experience to the novel, so all the spy-thriller action has more than a hint of authenticity. Speaking of authenticity, Kali Kent is no cardboard cut-out - he's a hero with a history and depth, and readers will appreciate his background and how it contributes to the novel. "Chameleon" also looks to be the first in a trilogy, so action fans won't have to wait long for more. (This has all the makings of a Netflix original, too.) 

Be sure to check back with us next week for more #NoWaitWednesday action! Thanks for reading.