The Civil War in Illinois will be the topic of a free discussion at the Carlinville Public Library on Thursday, May 12, at 5:30 p.m.

The public is invited to attend the one-hour discussion, which will be presented by Tom Emery, a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville who has earned 15 awards from the Illinois State Historical Society.

The program is based on Emery’s book of the same title, which he released in various editions in 2014 and 2018. He originally developed the program in 2011, for the beginning of the Civil War sesquicentennial.

The discussion covers a...