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Marketing yourself is just as important as marketing your work. What’s your artist statement? Maybe you feel like you can better represent yourself and your creative work to the world. Bryan Voell, librarian and artist, can help you craft an artist statement that authentically reflects you and your writing. Bring your current artist statement or author bio for some one-on-one feedback at this year’s Writers Conference!

Bryan Voell is an Adult Services Librarian with Johnson County Library. He has also been the Local Arts Librarian, working with many artists and arts organizations to bring local artwork to the library's physical and digital spaces. While he is currently a librarian and a visual artist, he has a background in writing and experience as a teacher. He has read many artist statements and bios and is here to help make yours the best it can be.

You can find Bryan’s table in the open space with other drop-in activities to enjoy in-between sessions. You can register for the 2023 Writers 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.

Inspired by this year’s conference book, By the Book: Writers on Literature and the Literary Life from The New York Times Book Review, we asked Bryan what he’s been reading lately:

What are you reading right now? 

The In-Between: Unfortgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments by Hadley Vlahos

Your Brain on Art: How Art Transforms Us by Susan Magsamen

Esther's Notebooks by Riad Sattouf

Perhaps it was the big hair. Or the wide-collared shirt. Or the sideburns. If it’s finally time to discard that old high school yearbook — the one with the picture you have despised all these years — the Johnson County Library has a message for you: Don’t pitch it!

“We are happy to take them,” said Local History Librarian Amanda Wahlmeier.

The Library is always looking to add to its collection of nearly 520 high school yearbooks from districts within Johnson County.

The oldest one in the collection is the 1923 yearbook from Shawnee Mission Rural High, the precursor to what is now Shawnee Mission North. And yes, you can also find the high school photos of local kids who made it big, such as Shawnee Mission West graduates Paul Rudd and Jason Sudeikis.

The yearbooks are available in print on about 10 shelves in the northwest corner of the Central Resource Library. Included in the regional reference section, the yearbooks sit among a lot of technical documents on topics like sanitary sewer regulations and city code regulations.

Even the most arcane publications help researchers, and Wahlmeier said yearbooks might be an overlooked historical reference.

For instance, Wahlmeier said, yearbooks can help genealogists track down birth years for relatives by working backward from their class years. The Library also sometimes fields calls from school staff themselves wanting to track down some school history.

More generally, she said, the yearbooks are “a reflection of the community to see what the school activities were and what the kids were up to any given year.”

The yearbooks serve as year-by-year time capsules to chronicle broader trends, such as the popularity of different names to the changing nature of school activities.

That old Shawnee Mission North yearbook, for instance, featured a literature section where students submitted poems and other writings.

Sports have always garnered significant coverage, but more recent yearbooks also capture the emergence of more diverse clubs and activities. The homecoming parade has stood the test of time.

“It’s interesting to see what stays around and what doesn’t,” Wahlmeier said.

Notes inside donated yearbooks can also add a lighthearted view of student life, as in one missive written by a student in a yearbook apparently donated by a teacher.

“Even though I didn’t make a very good grade,” the student wrote, “I feel like I have learned something this year. I enjoyed your jokes. Have a spectacular summer.”

One caveat, however: If you don’t want that love note from an old flame or that reference to idiotic high school behavior out there for the world to see, you will probably want to review written messages from classmates before donating the yearbooks.

Residents interested in donating to the Library collection can email Wahlmeier at wahlmeiera@jocolibrary.org or call her at 913.826.4402. You can also browse digitized yearbooks from the Shawnee Mission School district through JoCoHistory.

Need some practice honing your pitch? Librarian Gregg Winsor is here to help at this year’s Writers Conference! Sometimes you only have a few moments in front of an editor, publisher, or a reader to grab their attention and to make your work memorable and understandable. Gregg will be available at the conference to discuss one-on-one how to whittle down your pitches for maximum effectiveness.

Gregg is a Reference Librarian who works at the Johnson County Library with a specialty in Readers' Advisory, working with book groups and raising awareness of new and mid-list titles. You can find Gregg at one of the drop-in tables during the conference. Also, if you’re looking for your next favorite read, check out one of his lists. 

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.

Inspired by this year’s conference book, By the Book: Writers on Literature and the Literary Life from The New York Times Book Review, we asked Gregg a few questions to get to know him better:

1. What’s in your TBR pile?

As a Readers’ Advisory librarian, I *always* have too many books on by TBR pile. (It’s a good problem to have, though!) Currently I have on my list Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson, a witty locked-room mystery set on a train headed to a crime writers’ convention, as well as The Final Curtain by Keigo Higashino, the latest in the Detective Kaga series, a celebrated police procedural novel translated from Japanese. (I must be on a mystery/thriller mood.)

2. What are you reading right now?

My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon, a haunting slow-burn psychological thriller about a woman who suspects her cancer-stricken mother might be the victim of demonic possession after he moves in. Delightfully creepy and atmospheric – perfect for the fall season. 

3. Do you have a favorite book you love to recommend?

I love recommending Seanan McGuire’s “Wayward Children” series, starting with Every Heart A Doorway, a charming (and short!) dark fantasy series about the doors that seem to appear to children in novels that whisk them to faraway magical lands – but what happens to them when they come back is not always happily ever after. Also, Martha Wells’ wry and thoughtful sci-fi “Murderbot” series (start with All Systems Red) about a rogue AI android who just wants to be left alone to watch soap operas but gets dragged into the concerns of the humans around it. I could rattle off more!

4. Do you have a favorite bookstore?

As someone who worked at bookstores throughout my 20s, I always love browsing through bookstores and libraries wherever I go – just being around books makes me feel comforted and safe, knowing that I’m surrounded by thousands and thousands of stories. (But to answer your question, I found one of my favorite books of all time, The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler, at a Rainy Day Books store, so I’ll always have a soft spot for them. 

5. Answer the question you wish we had asked.

No one ever asks me what books I hate! Which, honestly, isn’t a very good question – there are no books that I hate, just books that weren’t for me.

It’s another grand Throwback Thursday where we encourage you to time travel through Johnson County's history. JoCoHistory is a collaborative presentation of the history from the Johnson County Museum, Johnson County Library and many JoCoHistory partners. Explore historical photographs and documents about the people, places and organizations of Johnson County, Kansas, from the 19th century to the present.

Collection spotlight: Johnson County Museum Aerial Photographs

About this collection: More than 8,000 color slide transparencies that are aerial views of Johnson County. The collection consists of 45 dated sets. The sets range in quantity from just a few transparencies to several hundred, dating from April 1980 to July 2002, and each set systematically documents the county from west to east. The sets were typically taken twice a year, in the spring and fall, to document agricultural land-use. Each transparency centers on two square miles.

With the climax of the spooky season just around the corner, we thought it might be fun to spotlight a spooky read here at #NoWaitWednesday. For that, there were some recent horror novels that were excellent contenders for the spotlight, but Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward really jumped off the shelf, primarily because it isn't, technically, a horror novel - it's more of a dark, atmospheric psychological thriller with some horror elements lurking around the edges. Which makes it a great gateway read for those patrons who might like the idea of a horror novel this time of year but are scared away (ha!) by the more grisly or extreme elements that the genre can offer. Ward is a bit more thoughtful, a bit more old-school, focused on twisty plots and disquieting tension between interesting and flawed characters. If that sounds more like your jam, then allow me to introduce you to Catriona Ward, one of the most dynamic and critically acclaimed novelists working in this space in recent years. She won the Shirley Jackson Award in 2019 with Little Eve, and 2021's breakout hit The Last House on Needless Street was praised by everyone from Sarah Pinborough to the New York Times to Stephen King himself. With all those voices - and more - praising her novels, you know you're in for a spooky ride. 

With her latest, Looking Glass Sound, the novel begins in a remote seaside cottage off the coast of Maine with a young boy, Wilder, who's uncle has recently passed away and left the cottage to Wilder's parents, who are in the middle of a very shaky marriage. Wilder finds some local friends, Nathaniel and Harper, and they explore the local area and become obsessed with the whispers of a figure, called the Dagger Man, allegedly responsible for leaving Polaroid photos of sleeping children near his victims that the police are still puzzled by. Is the Dagger Man still at large? Is he connected with one of Wilder's friends? This coming-of-age story then switches gears to Wilder's college years where he meets an outlandish aspiring author who is constantly questioning Wilder about those Maine summers long ago, and eventually publishes a novel based on Wilder's memories.

Ward's delightfully unsettling novel is almost origami-like in its ability to fold a plot twist into another plot twist into still yet another plot twist that readers will never see coming. While at the same time, she excels at character work that turns her characters on the page into fully three-dimensional beings, each with their hopes, dreams, and (sometimes eerie) desires lurking underneath. All of Ward's novels are worth a look, of course, but be sure to check out Looking Glass Sound for an excellent example of what she can bring to the table - and a novel that fits neatly (if unsettlingly) into the spooky season. Place your holds, and we hope you enjoy!

This week at the Library, you can join us at: 

Family Storytime – Monday, Oct. 23, 10:30 – 11 a.m.

The whole family will enjoy this flexible Storytime at the Monticello Library. Hearing stories is a great way to spend time with your kids and help them foster a love of reading. Stories, songs, fingerplays and movement activities foster pre-reading skills. Fun for the whole family. Space is limited. Pick up a free ticket at the Questions Desk when you arrive.

Live Your Healthiest Life Fall Class – Tuesday, Oct. 24, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Fall into some healthy habits at Central Resource Library! Take four hours and feel better in 2023. This week's topic is: Quitting tobacco and changing behaviors.

The Future of Language with Alexej Savreux and Dr. Mary Kohn– Tuesday, Oct. 24, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

How will language evolve with the passage of time? Join us at the Blue Valley Library for a fascinating discussion and debate between two linguists, Alexej Savreux and Dr. Mary Kohn. You’ll be left with a better appreciation of language and ideas to ponder about the future and your place in it.

Homework Help – Wednesday, Oct. 25, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

School is challenging for many students, and pandemic learning loss is an additional reality facing today’s youth. The Central Resource Library is thrilled to announce the return of Homework Help coaches to support student learning and academic achievement. Homework Help will focus specifically on literacy support for grades 2-5. Students are encouraged to bring specific homework assignments from school, such as book reports, writing projects, vocabulary, spelling, science or social studies reading, or any other work related to their specific literacy needs. English Language Learners (ELL) are welcome. Students will be served on a first-come, first-served basis, and busy times may require a wait. Additional online tutoring resources are available at on our website and include BrainFuse, Lightbox, and Khan Academy among others.

Generative AI and the future of Literature with Alexej Savreux– Wednesday, Oct. 25, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Even if you think you can’t understand AI, this novice-friendly session at the Blue Valley Library will focus on a broader philosophical discussion to improve your understanding. In this broad lecture, autodidact and linguist Alexej Savreux will deliver a focused philosophical and technical discussion on AI systems such as Grammarly, QuillBot, and ChatGPT, with examples of methodologies, societal implications, ethical and economic concerns, and technical analyses for a general audience. As AI proliferates across industry and geography, bring your questions and your coffee!

Redefining Literary Criticism Workshop with Alexej Savreux– Saturday, Oct. 28, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Join us at the Blue Valley Library and learn a new method of literary criticism, analysis, theory, and craftsmanship with GPT-3 and ChatGPT project linguist, writer, and humorist Alexej Savreux. The technique will draw upon advances in machine learning with particular attention to the philosophical concerns involved. Please bring a short poem or essay for critique, rewrite, and feedback. Alexej will share an overview of his career in linguistics, tech, and literature, complete with extended readings of selected pieces and leaving ample time for Q&A.

Candidate Meet and Greet – Saturday, Oct. 28, 10 – 11:30 a.m.

Interested in learning more about the school board candidates of the Gardner Edgerton Board of Education on your ballot? Join us at the Gardner Library for a meet and greet with the candidates. You'll have the opportunity to introduce yourself, ask questions, and learn more about their stances on the issues impacting your local schools over coffee and donuts.

And there’s much more happening this week … 

Already have a busy week? Remember, you can watch recordings of many of our programs at your convenience with Library OnDemand. 

JoCoLibrary is improving its website and needs your help! We need volunteers who are able to answer a few short questions via email. If you're interested, please sign up with your contact information and we'll be in touch! If you're willing to have a longer chat with us about your experiences using our website, mention that when you sign up.

Bookshelves in an art gallery might detract from the experience, but on the other hand, art can enhance a visit to the library.

With that thought in mind, the Johnson County Library has gallery space in 10 of its branches. Art showcases creativity and tells stories just like the books, music, and movies in the Library’s collection, said Local Arts Librarian Bryan Voell.

“Art is a way to inspire people,” he said. “It provides the start of a conversation in the library. It becomes a way to reflect on our community.”

The Library changes the exhibits during spring, summer, and fall trimesters, and managing the rotation of artists is a heavy lift for the staff who serve on the local arts team in addition to working their main Library jobs. Voell, for instance, is an adult services librarian. So the Library has hired InterUrban ArtHouse to curate the exhibits in all the gallery spaces, except for the one at the Central Resource Library, which the Library will continue to manage. InterUrban ArtHouse, a nonprofit located in downtown Overland Park, is expected to take over in January.

As an organization that rents out studio space and offers arts programming, Voell said InterUrban ArtHouse is a perfect partner for the Library. “We see them as the experts,” he said. “This is what they do best.”

With its exhibits, the Library has brought in artists ranging from neophytes to mid-career. From that perspective, Voell said Library users should not notice the switch to InterUrban ArtHouse.

Patrons might, however, notice an uptick in arts programming at the Library now that Voell and his team are freed up from most of the curation duties. Voell said his arts position is an unusual one for a library, and he considers himself fortunate to be working for an organization that places such a high value on art.

The exhibits highlight the work of artists from throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area and around the region, and a central coordinator helps make that experience a positive one for the artists and the staff.

“And in the end,” Voell said, “it's the patrons who end up enjoying the art, getting inspired by the art, and there's an educational component as well.”

He was reminded how much the exhibitions can mean to patrons when he recently encountered a woman with a mobility scooter looking at the art at the Central Resource Library. Her limited mobility made it difficult for her to get to art galleries and museums, she told Voell, so the Central gallery was an important resource. “This is where she comes to enjoy the art and learn about the artists,” Voell said.

The fact that the Library serves a “huge cross-section of people, including people who otherwise would never have an opportunity to see contemporary, local art,” is one reason InterUrban ArtHouse is happy to take on curation duties, said CEO Angi Hejduk said in an email.

“We are excited to facilitate the relationship between artists and public art space,” she said, “creating opportunities for artists representing diverse communities and backgrounds to have their work on display.”

InterUrban ArtHouse will help artists pick items to display from their body of work and make digital catalogs of each exhibit, Hejduk said. The organization also assists with installation and marketing. “Each artist is elevated through their experience,” she said.