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On Artists in Sight, we interview some of the Kansas City area's best local visual artists for insights about their work, creative process and the things that inspire them.

This program will be hosted using the On24 meeting software, and you can register for this program directly with On24. A Johnson County Library staff member will contact registrants before the program, via the email you registered with, providing instructions on how to access the On24 meeting. You do not need to download any software or create an account.

Chico Sierra is a Mexican-American visual artist, poet, musician and muralist, among many other things. Chico learned that borders can be fixed and severe, but also blurry or even non-existent. His cultural hybridity has played out throughout his life as he has spent time living with people of different classes and cultures in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Germany and the Philippines. The cultures that Chico experienced in these countries, as well as the theme of blurring borders can be found in Chico’s art, poetry and music which is heavily influenced by graffiti, pop art, Mexican folk art and political comics.

The countdown to Sunday has begun!

Have you ever had a good idea? You know, the kind of idea that leads to a foolhardy venture like creating a football league to take on the NFL? That's exactly what Lamar Hunt and seven other owners did in creating the American Football League. They called themselves the "foolish club." The AFL and NFL merged in 1966. Four years later, Hunt's Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl. Fifty years later, the team we call "our team" won another championship! Now, they defend their title. How many more are there to come?

Are you a Chiefs fan? Search jocohistory.org for articles about Lamar and the team from back in the day. It's the place to travel through local history. Also, be sure to follow our hashtag on Twitter!

Every new year, there are resolutions, promises and excitement for a fresh start. It can be anything from managing your money to trying new delicious recipes, or dreaming about your next family vacation to exploring to the possibility of alien life in our solar system. Happily, Johnson County Library has some fresh 2021 non-fiction titles that can help you start the year strong. Enjoy some great new reads and be one of the first to explore the pages of these new releases.

For those who have a serious case of wanderlust, check out “We Came, We Saw, We Left” to find out what happens when a family quits their life for a year to travel the world on a modest budget.

If this is the year that you’ve promised yourself to get a better handle on your finances, then you’ll like, “Know Yourself, Know Your Money” with insights into why you make the same money mistakes and how to make lasting progress.

Maybe you’ve got too much on your plate to make any big resolutions and just want some simple and easy ways to improve your life. “Martha Stewart's Very Good Things” might be just the ticket with hundreds of clever tips, solutions, and easy ways to elevate every day.

You’ve told yourself that you’ll start cooking—or at least cooking more often—but it still feels like a hassle and you keep putting it off. “Hungry Girl Fast & Easy” might be all the motivation you need with quick and simple meal and snack recipes made with everyday ingredients, each ready in 30 minutes or less.

These are just a few examples of the hundreds of new non-fiction titles available and coming soon to Johnson County Library. For a current list of all the new titles, both available and on order, visit the Library Catalog. This list is a great way to see what’s coming and is updated frequently.

Don’t delay, secure your place in line today by putting your picks on hold. Get started by viewing the What's New in Non-Fiction: January 2021 staff recommendations list. This is just one of the many perks of your Johnson County Library card.

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. Join us each month for a virtual Table Top Games event!

Tami's Board Game Journey

I have always been a huge board game fan, starting with the classics like Monopoly, The Game of Life, and Clue. But, it wasn’t until a road trip in 2014 that tabletop gaming became a family obsession.

We were heading to Hutchinson, KS for our first visit to the Cosmosphere and Strataca Salt Mines, and ended up staying in nearby McPherson, KS. An internet search for things to do in McPherson led us to discover The Village Geek, a store that sells comics, video games, and board games. That sounded right up our geeky alley! So, we checked it out, and decided a board game might be a fun way to pass the evening at the hotel.

Board games had changed a lot from my childhood, so we began chatting with an employee for advice. He suggested a few favorites, including Forbidden Island. If you’re not familiar, Forbidden Island is a cooperative game, where everyone plays together against the game to reach a common goal. We’d never played a co-op game before, but it sounded like a great way to keep the peace in a small hotel room.

I don’t even remember if we won or lost that first game. But, we had a great time working together to gather the artifacts and escape before the island sank away. We were hooked! So of course, when the Table Top Games Committee was looking to expand, I jumped on the chance to bring Table Top Games to the Blue Valley branch. I work at a different branch now, serving as a backup host and helping out behind the scenes.

My Favorites (right now, anyway):

Hogwarts Battle, Raiders of the North Sea, 7 Wonders, Bunny Kingdom, Epic Monster Tea Party, Dixit

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