eResource

Students of all ages are tasked by their instructors to track down relevant primary sources for academic research papers.  These assignments can be both thrilling and stressful.  You must pick a topic, learn what and where to research, write the paper, and cite your sources.  I have a master’s degree in English, so I’ve been there.  The struggle is real.  The Johnson County Library offers patrons free access to several online databases spanning various disciplines to satisfy your academic research needs— and hopefully alleviate some of the stress.  Several of these databases will even

U.K. National Theatre Collection– a new streaming video service that makes the best of British theatre available worldwide to libraries, schools and universities– should be on the radar of all theater nerds or the theater curious.  The collection features a unique archive of 30 high quality video recordings of world-class productions to fit every taste: Shakespeare, Greek Theatre, Comedies, European Classics, American Classics, Adaptations of Novels and New Writing. 

Do the mellifluous tones of a sexy British and/or Irish accent make your heart purr?  Are you envious of ramblers outfitted in Wellington boots and walking sticks as they explore the moors of the English countryside?  Do you chortle as two posh, aristocratic women trade elegantly raised eyebrows and witty barbs over tea?  Does the sight of Queen Elizabeth II opening Parliament in the Imperial State Crown and crimson velvet Robe of State fill you with tearful reverence? 

Going to the movies these days is crazy expensive, including snacks, and it’s quite literally bad for your health at present due to COVID-19.  What’s a movie buff to do?  Johnson County Library has this situation on lock.

International historical fiction is not my typical genre, but Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko swept me off my feet. This epic Korean family story starts in the late 1800’s and spans all the way to the late 1980’s. The unifying thread of the tale is Sunja, a resourceful and headstrong woman who has to repeatedly prove her convictions and loyalties through life’s many tests.

Born to a disabled father in Korea, society held low expectations for Sunja. As a teenager, she finds herself falling for the genuine affection of an older, well-off Japanese businessman who she thinks intends to marry her. When she

Originally shared on the JoCo History blog.

The Obituary Index, maintained by the Johnson County Genealogical Society (JCGS), consistently tops the list of most visited JoCo History website collections. Upon first glance, the index can seem overwhelming, but once you learn how to use this tool, it can serve as a valuable resource in genealogical research.

Volunteers from the JCGS comb through the obituary sections of area newspapers each month to extract basic information about the deceased. They compile the name, date of death, and newspaper information including the date published and page

In Career of Evil, Cormoran Strike and Robin are in a slump - they've not had much work lately. They only have two paying cases at the moment, both rather tedious surveillance jobs. Although postponed, Robin and Matthew are still planning to be married. When a motorcycle courier is waiting with a box at the office for Robin, she assumes it's an order of wedding cameras. It's not. It's a severed leg. Immediately, Strike can think of three people who would send him a leg. The police take note, but pursue their own leads, leaving Strike to investigate on his own time and dime. He goes into

In this ebook exclusive, we go back to Georgia in 1989. An officer is shot on a deserted road, and while local police have a suspect in custody, MP Jack Reacher is assigned the case. Newly assigned to his post the same day, this case will be a test for Reacher. The murdered officer, Army Lt. Colonel Caroline Crawford, is an up-and-coming young woman, a hotshot in military circles. Reacher wonders how he'll accomplish anything with the staff he's tasked to oversee, so he calls in Frances Neagley to assist his investigation. Reacher and Neagley will have to work with local Georgia police, the

Matthew Dane was a police officer until his daughter was kidnapped and missing for years.  He then left the force and started a private detective service so he could continue the search for his daughter.  Once his daughter was found, he was able to help her adjust to life outside of captivity and then help other families in the same situation.  

Shannon Bliss went missing at the age of 16.  Now, almost 12 years later, Matthew finds a woman waiting for him outside his hotel room claiming to be Shannon Bliss.  She is seeking his assistance in reuniting with her family and bringing down the

In March of this year ProQuest announced they were “advancing the research experience for family history enthusiasts and genealogical experts with a new version of its popular HeritageQuest® Online.” Being an avid family researcher, I was always a little disappointed that we could not access Ancestry.com from home through the Johnson County Library as there was always so much more to find on Ancestry.com than there was on HeritageQuest. To me, Ancestry really knew how to locate what I was searching for.  But now, with the upgrades to HeritageQuest, there is so much more to discover and, with