This Week at the Library: Conflicted Ozarks, Opioid Crisis and Community Listening Session
Author and Missouri State University professor Dr. Brooks Blevins returns to the Library Center at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, with another lesson in Ozarks history as only Blevins can tell it. “Conflicted Ozarks: A Region at War” is from his book “A History of the Ozarks. Volume 2: The Conflicted Ozarks.”
Blevins explains that no place in the U.S. was more devastated by the Civil War than the Ozarks, a region that straddled the border between the Union and the Confederacy. Marching armies, battles, divided loyalties and guerrilla warfare turned much of the Ozarks into a lawless and deadly no-man's-land.
In discussing his book, Blevins will discuss what made the Ozarks such a dangerous place during the Civil War, and how the war affected the region for generations to come. His talk is provided in partnership with the Ozarks Studies Institute, an initiative of the Missouri State University Libraries.
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The growing opioid crisis has been making headlines across the country. We may soon see a series of statewide public service announcements focused on overdose prevention, recovery, and supportive messages for those affected, and directing them to NOMODEATHS.ORG.
How big is the problem in the Ozarks? A panel on Opioids in the Ozarks at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, in the Library Center auditorium will address what the crisis looks like in our communities. The panel will include representatives from Alps Pharmacy, CoxHealth, UMKC School of Pharmacy, the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, and others. Moderator is KOLR10 anchor David Oliver.
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On Monday, Sept. 16, share your thoughts about how you use the library services, and what you’d like to see in the next five years. The Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell Ave., is hosting another Community Listening Session at 5 p.m. in the auditorium. Refreshments will be served.
We’ll be collecting your ideas and suggestions for the library district you want in the future as we prepare the library district’s five-year plan beginning 2021. If you can’t make this session, more are scheduled in the coming weeks. If you want to know more, feel free to call 616-0564.
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