Decorah Public Library will host author and lecturer John Koblas Tuesday April 15, 7 pm, in the second floor Mezzanine Gallery. Koblas will give a presentation entitled “Jesse James in Iowa” followed by a book signing.

Koblas has devoted his life to studying outlaws like the James-Younger Gang, the Barker-Karpis Gang, the Sontag Brothers, and Pat Crowe. Of the 25 years he spent researching the James-Younger Gang, Koblas once said “I read everything on the subject, every single Jesse James autobiography I could get my hands on. Then I started going to historical societies and looking at old newspapers. I contacted relatives, got my hands on letters, genealogies, court house documents. What I did is spend 18 years researching my first book- now I can write one book after another because I have the materials.”

Koblas has published numerous books about the James-Younger Gang in the past decade. He is considered the leading James-Younger authority in the Midwest and is president of the modern day James-Younger Gang, which is primarily composed of direct descendants of the original gang members.

In total, Koblas is the author of over 55 nonfiction books focusing on U.S. history and American literary figures. He has also written a popular fiction series for young adults and served as a consultant and script writer for television documentaries on the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, PBS American Experience, and independent film companies.

Koblas’ April 15 visit to Decorah Public Library is part of a series of programs slated for National Library Week 2008 (April 13- 19). Contact Kristin at 382-3717 for more information.