The Topeka Community Foundation will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a one-day fundraising event and will provide $30,000 in “match money” to be awarded proportionally to participating organizations. The Library Foundation will receive 100 percent of the donations made at the June 19 event, plus a percentage based on participation. All donations are tax deductible. Come by and visit with The Library Foundation staff about how your dollars are invested at the library. This is also a good opportunity to learn more about the Topeka Community Foundation’s work.

How You Can Give a Gift to the Library

• All gifts received will be matched on a proportional basis: $30,000 divided by the total gifts received equals the match percentage
• Only those contributions made at the Topeka Gives event will be available for matching dollars. Gifts made online will not qualify for matching funds.
• Donations must be made in person at the Topeka Gives event.
• Donations may be made by using cash, check or credit card.
• Minimum gift is $25; maximum gift is $1,000.

If you have questions, call The Library Foundation at 785-580-4498. Watch the Topeka Gives PSA below.

Topeka Gives :10 from Ryan Bishop on Vimeo.

Our Friday Flicks series is fun for the whole family during June and July from 2-4pm in The Edge, our teen room. (Movie listings subject to change.)
June 14 – Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
June 21 – Ice Age: Continental Drift
June 28 – The Pirates! Band of Misfits
July 5 – Hotel Transylvania
July 12 – Wreck-It Ralph
July 19 – Madagascar
July 26 – Frankenweenie

The Treasure Hunters! Film Series will whisk you away on an adventure every Friday in June in Marvin Auditorium 101BC.
June 14 – National Treasure
June 21 – The Mummy
June 28 – Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Fall in love all over again with Classic Films and the actors who made them great. Classic films are shown at 2pm in Marvin Auditorium the second Friday of every month.
June 14 – High Society
July 12 – To Catch a Thief

Expose yourself to new culture when you watch the titles selected for our International Film Series, always held on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm in Marvin Auditorium.
July 2 – Salaam Bombay!

SHICK, a part of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, holds a quarterly series at the library that provides Medicare information for individuals preparing to retire. You can learn what benefits you will qualify for, and SHICK counselors will answer your questions.

The goal of SHICK is to educate and assist the public to make informed decisions on their Medicare choices. SHICK Counselors receive training on Medicare, including Part A, Part B, Medicare Advantage plans, and Part D (Prescription Drug coverage), Medicare Supplement Insurance, Long-Term Care, and other health insurance subjects that concern Medicare beneficiaries. SHICK counselors help cut through the confusion.

Drop into Medicare Mondays at the Library
Join the SHICK counseling program as they help you navigate through the complex web that is Medicare. Bring your questions. This program is repeated on the first Monday of each month.

Read Medicare & You, the official Medicare booklet on Medicare coverage, rights and protections.

Come to the library for health resources. Tap into health insurance databases or thumb through books on Medicare.

The Caretaker by A. X. Ahmad
Ranjit Singh was a former Indian army captain who fled to the U.S. and is now barely able to make a living as a landscaper at Martha’s Vineyard. He is desperate for work when he is offered a job as a caretaker of a Senator’s home. Ranjit secretly moves his family into the Senator’s home. Things are starting to go better for them until one night the home is broken into by men with guns. This is a thrilling novel where the outsider, Ranjit, must enter a world full of insider’s secret deals. Learn the truth about the Senator in The Caretaker by A.X. Ahmad. – Christina Callison, tscpl.org blogger

Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi
Protagonist Trudi Montag, a Zwerg, a term for German dwarf woman, shares her secrets to survival living through two wars and describes her community in intimate detail. Trudi has a special way with people. She’s the collector of her community’s secrets. Trudi goes through a lot and exposes a lot to the reader throughout this complex novel. This story deals with tough subject matter and gets a little strange sometimes, but these were unspeakable times in Germany.  – Lisa Coble-Krings, tscpl.org blogger

Ghostman by Roger Hobbs
In Atlantic City a casino robbery that was planned to the very last detail went terribly wrong leaving one of the robbers dead and the other one shot and in hiding with over a million in cash. A massive manhunt is underway. Marcus, the mastermind behind the robbery, doesn’t know if the surviving robber is hurt, dead or worse — planning on taking the money and run. Marcus needs someone to clean up the mess and retrieve the money, so he calls in on a debt and asks for help from Jack. Jack, who keeps his identity a closely guarded secret, becomes just another obstacle to be eliminated. He risks his life while trying to repay a mistake he made years ago that still haunted him.
– Christina Callison, tscpl.org blogger

The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio
An American couple and an English flower thief’s lives are intertwined beautifully in this romantic novel. Addison and Rex arrive at the English country estate, and unbeknownst to Rex, Addison wants to leave the U.S. to escape a secret. While exploring, she learns of the flower thief’s objective to capture the rare camellia, hidden in the orchard on the estate. Addison’s secret is at stake of being revealed the more she pursues the story of the camellia, which leads to a secret of several missing women in town.
– Christina Callison, tscpl.org blogger

A Memoir from China: A Little Red Guard by Wenguang Huang
In the midst of the Cultural Revolution in China, the government was banning many of the traditional practices like burials and coffins. Wenguang Huang’s grandmother wanted her family to defy the ban and plan a traditional funeral complete with a coffin. At the time their grandmother’s health was fine, but she was obsessed with her funeral, and in spite of her family’s attempt to dissuade her, she continued her campaign. The family finally gave up and had a coffin built despite the threat of exposure and punishment from the government. The secret coffin brought the family together, but also caused friction as the family argued about grandma’s funeral while she continued to live for many more years. Huang’s memories of his family are tempered by time and distance as he has grown up and moved to the U.S., and the result is a touching memoir that chronicles the complicated ties that bind families together.  – Christina Callison, tscpl.org blogger

Be amazed by the works by Hollywood’s go-to guy for insect training Steven Kutcher who uses bugs as moving paintbrushes to create masterpieces. Joan Danziger turns “icky” into beauty with large-scales glass and wire bug sculptures. Wait until you see fly carcasses used in Magnus Muhr’s drawings and Patrick Vincent’s quirky artworks that humanize the insect. Jennifer Angus also uses bug bodies to create Victorian-era wallpaper designs that will blow your mind. And be amazed by Leroy Mize’s mechanical grasshoppers and Dr. Barret Klein’s scientific illustrations.

Attend the following exhibit-related events for a complete art experience:

First Friday Reception | June 7 | 5:30–8:30pm
Close Up: Insects | June 8 | 10:30–11:30am
Bugging You with Patrick Vincent (for teens only) | June 17 | 2:00–3:00pm
Joan Danziger Artist Talk | July 12 | 7-8:30pm
Gallery Scavenger Hunt | June 22 and July 13 | 9am-12pm
Pick up your “clue sheet” from gallery staff and look for clues throughout the exhibit. Turn in your sheet for a buzz-worthy prize, one per participant.

The exhibit ends July 21. For more information about this project, visit Unearthed online. This exhibit is made possible with support from the Sabatini Family Foundation.

While you’re here, take note of the artwork hanging in the front gallery. That exhibit was curated by local high school students using works from the permanent collection through Curate This!, an outreach education initiative aimed at preparing students for careers in art and archival industries.

Gallery hours are the same as hours for the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. Mon. through Fri. 9 am to 9 pm, Sat. 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday 12 pm to 9 pm.  

“It’s best to schedule it. Implement bedtime stories or some other story time and stick to it,” said Darcy Kraus, language arts consulting teacher at USD 501. “Use downtime to read. For instance, use your time with kids in the car to point out letters and words in the environment.”

Kraus spearheaded the “iRead 20” reading program, which during the school year encourages students to read 20 minutes a day outside the classroom. The library’s reading time tracker is set to 20-minute reading intervals too.

“Research indicates that 20 additional minutes of reading per day correlates with significant gains for all learners. However, any amount of additional time allocated to literacy proves beneficial at all levels,” Kraus said. “iRead 20 is our proactive approach to preparing students for more rigorous Common Core State Standards that will begin being assessed in the 2014-15 school year.”

Reading practice during summer ensures that your child heads back to school maintaining or improving reading skills, according to our multi-year study of summer reading’s effectiveness on test scores. Great reading skills are not only important in school, but also an integral part of everyday life!

Parents, pull out the time tracker in the center spread of this edition of Library News or sign up and start tracking at summerfest.tscpl.org. Library cards are not required. Reading programs are only the tip of the iceberg to grow the next generation of readers. It takes the whole community, and it will be better for the whole community because as studies show better readers are more civically engaged, Kraus said.

This coming of age story centers around a high schooler named Charlie, whose complex character and family history shines through in letters he writes to an unnamed friend. The reader is led to believe that Charlie might have some sort of mental disorder, but the story reveals the real reason, a family secret, that makes Charlie draw himself in.

“To me the book was very kind of John Hughes-ish in that whole Breakfast Club or Pretty in Pink way with the different groups of people,” Autumn said.

Charlie, who is social awkward, struggles to fit in, but finds a sense of belonging among more mature students.

For those who are interested in or have read The Perks of Being a Wallflower, you have an opportunity to discuss it with hip people who dig books at an upcoming book club meeting. Autumn and Erin lead the Bean There, Read That book club, which will meet next at 7pm May 28 at Classic Bean at Fairlawn Plaza Mall. The club typically meets the fourth Tuesday of every month.

All Booked Up rating: Stylin’

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library wants everyone in the community to read this summer. Visit summerfest.tscpl.org to register or pick up a paper reading tracker at the library or on a Bookmobile. No library card required to sign up.

Summer readers earn rewards, like free bowling passes and chocolate. There are five programs to fit everyone in the family. Complete the following to receive a certificate of accomplishment and be eligible for grand prize drawings:

• Pre-reader: (birth to 18 months) 30 activities or be read to 12 hours
• Kids: (toddlers to middle school) read to 12 hours
• Teens: (middle school to 18-years) read 12 hours
• Adults: (18 and older) read 8 books
• Group: a perfect option for daycares and camps (not eligible for grand prizes)

Great stories will take you to 12 hours (or 8 books) in no time. Grownups, model the way for your children and grandchildren. Participation in summer reading helps combat the learning loss that naturally occurs when students go on summer vacation.

“During the last three years, the library has partnered with several school districts to measure reading skills of students at the end of the school year and when they return. It shows that by requiring as little as 12 hours of reading during summer, kids can improve or maintain reading skills and scores,” said LeAnn Petrie, Youth Services supervisor.

Petrie said reading is reading whether it’s a comic book, listening to audiobooks or other reading-related activities and all count toward reaching your reading goals.

SummerFest also includes entertainment for all ages. Free summer activities include:

Weekly Recurring Programs

• Readapalooza (6–12 years): 10-11:00 am, Tuesday & Thursday
• Stories and Crafts (3-5 years): 10-11:00 am, Tuesday & Thursday
• Friday Flicks: 2-4 pm
• Baby Bookworms: 9:30 am, 10:30am and 5:30pm Thursdays
• Teen programs: 2 pm, Mondays
• Family programs (stories, art, music and fun!): 10 am, Saturdays
  

Come aboard the AdventureMobile, the kid’s bookmobile, and meet a new critter each week. The schedule is in the June/July edition of Library News.

Summerfest programming and prizes are sponsored by The Friends of the Library and many community partners who make this reading initiative possible.

The library will be closed May 27 in observance of Memorial Day, but we’re always open at www.tscpl.org and customers can sign up for summer reading there. Just click the “SummerFest” button.

Library hours are Mon. through Fri. 9 am to 9 pm, Sat. 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday 12 pm to 9 pm.

Have hands-on experiences with diggers, loaders and an excavator simulator that lets you dig a virtual ditch in less than two minutes. Play in layers of soil and learn to plant a seed. Meet some live worms and taste some edible ones – Ewwww! Find out about underground safety that could help you with your outdoor projects.

The schedule of all our SummerFest events can be found in the June/July edition of Library News. Pick up a copy at the library, look for it in the mail or read it here.

When you sign up for summer reading, your kids will really dig exploring stories, meeting new friends and reaping the rewards of reading. Visit summerfest.tscpl.org to register to read or pick up a paper reading tracker at the library. Summer readers earn rewards like free bowling passes and chocolate – plus sharper reading skills to impress teacher when school resumes. There are age-based programs to fit everyone in the family and great grand prize drawings. You could win an ereader.

SummerFest programming and prizes are sponsored by The Friends of the Library and many community partners who make this reading initiative possible. Dig into Reading program partners are: Murphy Tractor, North Central Kansas Tech College, Shawnee County Soil Conservation District, Shawnee County Extension Master Gardeners, Shawnee County 4-H, Kansas One-Call.

The library will be closed May 28 in observance of Memorial Day, but we’re always open at www.tscpl.org and customers can sign up for summer reading there. Just click the “SummerFest” button.

Library hours are Mon. through Fri. 9 am to 9 pm, Sat. 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday 12 pm to 9 pm.

Kay Coward and her husband, Terry, were motivated to start attending our computer training classes so that “he won’t mess up my machine,” Kay said.

With the library’s help, he’s now computer literate, he got his own email address (he was just using his wife’s) and now he even has his own laptop. He wanted something that “would work a little faster,” she said.

Kay has signed up for some of the more advanced classes, including Word: Graphics (so she can “make documents look more professional”) and Word: Mail Merge & Mailing Labels, along with Editing Digital Photos (see list of all computer classes). Register for a class today. Call 785-580-4606.

“I went to a class today, and I learned three things that made me say ‘yes! This is great,’” she said. “The fact that these classes are free is extremely valuable for the quality of teachers. The instructors are clear and go at a nice pace. They don’t make you feel stupid.”

Instructors Kate Hughes and Becky Hinton say people shouldn’t assume anything about who takes computer classes at the library. From people trying to bridge the digital divide to students right out of college, all kinds of people sharpen their tech skills, upgrade their job skills or simply connect with their family and friends in our classes. The trainers say they even see working professionals come in, some encouraged by the bosses to figure out something new for the company.

“It’s becoming more and more important on all jobs to be computer literate. And it’s important in day-to-day life,” Kate said.

From doing your taxes to filling out a job application, being able to operate a computer is now the rule instead of the exception.

“It’s frustrating for some who are looking for a stocking-type job, and they’ve never used a computer,” Kate said.

She and Becky teach the majority of the library’s computer classes and say there are many rewards that come with the territory. “We love it when they call us and cancel a class they signed up for because they got a job,” Becky said.

If it’s not a job, then it’s the getting a grandma using Facebook so she can see pictures of her grandchildren or even teaching her how to Skype video chat.

“It’s rewarding to watch someone download a free eBook onto their new Kindle for the first time,” Kate said.

The offerings range and sometimes change with the community’s needs, but it’s all free and people can take the same class as many times as they like. “Knowing that helps the customer relax. A large part of what we do is help them relax,” Kate said.

They also offer Computer & Gadget Help sessions. People come and go as they please during these drop-in sessions offered once or twice a week. The trainers see any number of computer issues, from how to list something on Craigslist or to how to convert a Word document into a pdf. People bring in cell phones, tablets, ereaders, and laptops for some assistance with basic functions or preferences.

“We consider what we do another form of literacy.”

Sign yourself, or someone you know, up for Computer Training Classes and get a leg up on technology. Call 580-4606 or sign up here. Follow that link and you can also see handouts from the classes.

About the Trainers:

Becky Hinton

Becky used the very first computer the library ever purchased. It was a 1981 IBM PC. Shortly thereafter she started training the staff on computers. In 1999, the library started offering public computer training and she’s been doing it ever since.

Kate Hughes

Kate is a computer native and she’s been training the public on using computers for five years. Her specialty is literacy, learning styles and staying up on current trends and the latest versions of software or browsers.