Vintage postcards offer a fascinating window into the past, providing snapshots of cities, attractions, landmarks, and events over decades.  Although popular with individual collectors, large numbers of postcards are found in the collections of libraries, archives, and other cultural heritage institutions, including the Kansas City Public Library’s Missouri Valley Special Collections.

 

Special Collections manager, Jeremy Drouin, will give an overview the Library’s extensive collection of more than 18,000 postcards—the bulk of which were donated by local collector Mildred Ray in the 1990s—and highlight interesting examples from its holdings.  He will also discuss the Library’s efforts to digitize, catalog, and exhibit its postcards in order to make them more accessible to researchers (including genealogists), and examine what still needs to be done to make the collection more visible to the public.

Jeremy Drouin is manager of the Missouri Valley Special Collections, the local history department and archives of the Kansas City Public Library. In his position, he oversees collection acquisitions, exhibits, programming, and outreach, but maintains a passion for research and reference.

During his time at the Library, Jeremy has spearheaded several digitization projects, such as the 1940 Tax Assessment Photograph Collection and Kansas City Journal-Post photographs, and has also curated Library exhibits. In 2013, he co-curated "Greetings from Kansas City: Postcard Views of a Midwestern Metropolis."

 

Drouin has more than 25 years of experience in the history field. He has been with the Library’s Special Collections since 2001, and previously worked for the Jackson County (Missouri) Historical Society and Kansas City Museum. He holds a BA in History from Missouri Southern State University and an MA in Library and Information Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

 

 

JCGS volunteers are available Monday - Saturday from 9-5 at the Genealogy Desk at the Johnson County Central Resource Library for general questions.  For those looking for a little extra help with either Basic Genealogy or DNA & Genetic Genealogy we also offer free one-on-one sessions that can be booked in advance.

 

Basic Genealogy sessions are available most Tuesday mornings. This is not for brick wall or advanced research help.

 

 

 

DNA & Genetic Genealogy sessions are available most Friday mornings.

 

 

 

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Congratulations to Joyce A. Mitchell, JCGS member, for her first-place award from the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors. The award-winning article, "Gold Star Mothers Visit Overseas Cemeteries," appeared in the September 2017 quarterly on page 7.

 

Joyce has been a regular contributor to The Genealogist since 2014. Lately she has researched and written a WWI series, focusing on men from Johnson County who served in that conflict. At other times, she contributes an article just because the topic is of interest to her. In addition to her writing, she works behind the scenes as a proof-reader for the quarterly and spends a lot of time finding the little things we miss, thus making us look good. We were thrilled when we heard she had won an award and are thankful for all her contributions to JCGS.

 

In honor of her award, the full September 2017 Quarterly is available to everyone by clicking here. Other issues of our Quarterly can be accessed on our website by current members of JCGS.  To become a member, please click here.