News

10 15, 2019

James Badal & Mark W. Stone on the Cleveland Torso Murders

By admin|2019-10-15T06:00:01-04:00October 15, 2019|

This month, we were fortunate to host two of the preeminent experts on the Cleveland Torso Murders. Those experts are:

James Badal, author of “In the Wake of the Butcher: Cleveland’s Torso Murders,” the definitive investigation into the identity of the never-apprehended murderer.
Mark Stone, Emmy-winning director of the documentary, “The Fourteenth Victim: Eliot Ness and the Torso Murders.”

They were kind enough to let us film their talk at our library, so we could share it with those who could not attend that evening. Watch and learn about this grisly crime spree, including who Badal and Stone think the Torso Slayer is.

Warning: This video includes several graphic crime-scene photos and may be upsetting to some people.

By the way, this talk was part of our Month of Mystery. Throughout October, some of the best mystery and true-crime authors will be speaking at the library, including:

Brad Ricca, author of Mrs. Sherlock Holmes, the phenomenal true story of Grace Humiston, the first woman U.S. District Attorney, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17.
Jane Ann Turzillo, who will take us on a tour of the murderers, tricksters, train robbers, and more in Ohio’s wicked past at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

All of these author visits are open to all, free to attend, and require registration. Additionally, they’re all hosted at our Main Branch.

During our Mystery Month, you can also:

Explore the secrets of the Lizzie Borden murders, the sinking of the Titanic and more with professional magician Jim Kleefeld on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at our Main Branch.

We also have mystery programs for all ages and at all of our branches, so visit our event calendar to see which intrigue you.

10 13, 2019

Meet mystery author Vivien Chien at Mentor Library

By admin|2019-10-13T06:00:21-04:00October 13, 2019|

We were delighted to host Vivien Chien, author of the Noodle Shop mystery series, earlier this month. After her author talk, she sat down for an interview that was as fun and funny as she.

She explained why she enjoys writing mysteries, what a Noodle Shop Mysteries video game would look like, and tells us her favorite places to eat in AsiaTown in Cleveland.

Chien’s visit kicked off a Month of Mystery at Mentor Public Library. Throughout October, some of the best mystery and true-crime authors will be visiting us, including:

Brad Ricca, author of Mrs. Sherlock Holmes, the phenomenal true story of Grace Humiston, the first woman U.S. District Attorney, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17.
Jane Ann Turzillo, who will take us on a tour of the murderers, tricksters, train robbers, and more in Ohio’s wicked past at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

All of these author visits are open to all, free to attend, and require registration. Additionally, they’re all hosted at our Main Branch.

During our Mystery Month, you can also:

Explore the secrets of the Lizzie Borden murders, the sinking of the Titanic and more with professional magician Jim Kleefeld on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at our Main Branch.

We also have mystery programs for all ages and at all of our branches, so visit our event calendar to see which intrigue you.

10 3, 2019

Alexander Hamilton & the Federalist Republic

By admin|2019-10-03T06:00:24-04:00October 3, 2019|

Our resident historian Dr. John Foster concluded his year-long series on the American Revolution by discussing how Alexander Hamilton (along with his Federalist Papers co-authors James Madison and John Jay) helped form the nation as we know it.

Learn:

what Hamilton had to do with the formation of the National Bank, US Mint, and the Coast Guard
how some of the principles discussed in the Federalist Papers still guide our nation
about Hamilton’s effective and personally devastating way of proving he wasn’t an embezzler.

This program is the fourth in a 4-part series about the American Revolution. You can watch the first three parts online, as well.

Foster’s next lecture is 1819: America in the Era of Good Feelings, which will be 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14, at our Main Branch. It is part of our year-long bicentennial celebration.

In addition to being a reference librarian, Foster has a doctorate degree in history. He has taught history at both high school and college levels. Previously, he has led series on the Battles of World War II and US Presidents of the 20th Century.

Also watch Alexander Hamilton: An American Tragedy.

09 23, 2019

Antietam: The Bloodiest Day in US History

By admin|2019-09-23T06:00:43-04:00September 23, 2019|

In fewer than 12 hours, 23,000 Union and Confederate soldiers died, wounded, or were missing during the Battle of Antietam.

It still stands as the single most fatal day in US history.

Todd Arrington, site manager of James A. Garfield National Historic Site, explains why the armies met at Sharpsburg, why there were so many casualties, and what Antietam had to do with the Emancipation Proclamation.

Our Civil War series continues at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at our Main Branch. We’ll discuss the Siege of Atlanta. As always, the talk is free and open to all.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, several talks in our Civil War series can be viewed online in their entirety, including:

09 17, 2019

Discover Frank Lloyd Wright

By admin|2019-09-17T06:00:11-04:00September 17, 2019|

Frank Lloyd Wright is America’s most famous architect. He innovated the Prairie and Usonian styles of design and planned hundreds of structures that dot the country (including Lake County).

And his life is as fascinating as his architecture. Both his tempestuous relationships with women and the murders at his Taliesin estate were headline fodder during his lifetime.

Learn about Wright’s work and life from architecture enthusiast and our Executive Director Cheryl Kuonen. She has studied Wright and visited dozens of his designs across the continental United States.

By the way, if you want to learn even more about Wright, we have several books and documentaries about him that you can borrow.

View more library lectures, author interviews and more on our YouTube channel.

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