Library lecture to investigate Sherlock Holmes popularity

“Footprints of the Hound—Exploring the World of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the Baskerville Legend,” will be presented at 7 p.m., March 1, at the Batavia Public Library, 10 S. Batavia Ave. The guest speaker is Timothy Johnson, curator of the largest collection of Sherlock Holmes materials in the world.

The lecture is a feature presentation of the Library’s One Book, One Batavia 2016 celebration. This year’s One Book selection is The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. First serialized in London’s The Strand Magazine from August 1902 to April 1902, the novel was one of four novels written by Conan Doyle featuring Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle also wrote 56 short stories featuring the memorable consulting detective.

Johnson’s lecture promises to engage and entertain fans of Sherlock Holmes, whether they know him from the stories in print or on screen.

Johnson is Curator of Special Collections & Rare Books and the E. W. McDiarmid Curator of the Sherlock Holmes Collections for the University of Minnesota Libraries. In these capacities he oversees the University Libraries’ rare book collection and over 150 special collections, including the Sherlock Holmes collection.

The lecture is sponsored by the Batavia Public Library Foundation and the Friends of the Batavia Public Library. Registration is required. Register online at www.OneBookOneBatavia.org, or call the library Reference Desk, (630) 879-1393, ext. 200.

For more information about the New Lyceum Lecture Series, visit www.BataviaPublicLibrary.org.