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Our Writers Conference is coming up Nov. 2-4. Read all about the presenters as we post our interviews with them in the weeks leading up to November -- and RSVP for the Conference!

Check out the Full 2023 Writers Conference Schedule (PDF, TXT) or the Schedule at a Glance (PDF, TXT).

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.   

She’s back!

Our photographer extraordinaire Kelly Sime will be back for the 2023 conference to take author photos! We have been truly lucky to have Kelly at many of our Writers Conferences in the past. She is a blast and takes fabulous photos. Whether you already have a headshot or have never had one before, Kelly can take your next great author photo!

Kelly has more than 20 years of event and portrait photography experience, and her specialties are candid and photojournalistic images. If you’d like to have your photo taken, you can find Kelly near the drop-in activity tables during the conference. In just a few minutes you and Kelly can create your new professional author photo that authentically reflects your personality. Plus all photos are free! Your author photo will be available online 2-4 weeks after the conference.

You can register for the conference here. Registration isn’t required but is appreciated, and your RSVP includes both days of the conference, Nov. 3 and 4. Sessions are available on a first-come first-serve basis. We will also be hosting a Writers Conference Kickoff on Thursday, Nov. 2.

Composing music and putting pen to paper are similar creative processes. Just like listening to a playlist inspires the imagination, learning how composers write music can inspire how you approach your own writing. Melding the worlds of music composition and creative writing, Allison McIntosh will guide Writers Conference attendees though inspiring exercises. 

Allison McIntosh is a Midwest-based composer originally from the Pacific Northwest. Her music often involves influence from literature, and one of her main passions in music is writing for voice. Her first chamber opera, The Murderess, explores issues of feminism and medical autonomy through a lens of true crime. Her music also often connects her passion for music history to her interest in innovation and experimentation. McIntosh has attended festivals such as the Hot Air Music Festival, Cortona Sessions, and the Walden School, as well as many academic conferences throughout the country. Her music has been performed by many talented musicians including the Washington Masters Chorale, Landlocked Opera Company, Sputter Box Ensemble, the Meadowlark Project, and members of the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra. She enjoys interdisciplinary collaboration with institutions like the Spencer Museum of Art and the University of Kansas' School of Journalism and Mass Communications. She has seen her works performed at Boston Symphony Hall, New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, and the National Presbyterian Church, as well as many other venues throughout the country. McIntosh graduated with a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Kansas, where she studied with Ingrid Stölzel. She also holds a Master's of Music from the New England Conservatory, where she studied with Michael Gandolfi, and a bachelor's degree from Tufts University. In addition to composing, she has a passion for education and pedagogy. She currently serves as an instructor of composition at Missouri Western State University. Outside of music, McIntosh works as an Adult Services Specialist at the Johnson County Library.

We are very pleased to announce that Allison McIntosh will teach two lectures at this year’s Writers Conference! She will facilitate a session on how to transform a text from page to screen, as well as a session on experimental composition styles inspired by musical sources.

You can register for the conference here. Registration isn’t required but is appreciated, and your RSVP includes both days of the conference, Nov. 3 and 4. Sessions are available on a first-come first-serve basis. We will also be hosting a Writers Conference Kickoff on Thursday, Nov. 2.

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 …