Library Feature Stories

Keep informed about library happenings and read feature stories of human interest. Information about activities, services and library materials that you, the library customer, care about, but the media might not.

Recent Library Feature Stories Blog Posts

Guys Read Comes to the Library

We’re starting a boys’ club to get more of our young gents excited about reading. Our Guys Read field office charters this Saturday!

The Birth of Forensic Pathology in The Yard

Inspector Little was found in a trunk murdered with his eyes and mouth sewn shut. It’s a grisly scene, but that doesn’t compare to Jack the Ripper’s killings that have just recently ended. With a city still on edge, Inspector Walter Day with only a week on the job is assigned to the case, and he gets help from an unlikely place: Dr. Bernard Kingsley who is not officially a part of Scotland Yard but a part of the new science of forensic pathology.

Bee a Reader: Participate in Summer Reading with Your Baby

Parents with kids birth-18 months can score big in our newest offering, the Bee a Reader summer reading program. Find out what rewards await these pre-readers.

In the Bag: 10 Books and a Great Discussion Guide

We’ve done the work for your book group. All the stuff you need to conduct a book group is in our Book Group in a Bag kit. Check out all the kits at bgib.tscpl.org.

Carol Ann Carter’s Artist Talk – new perspectives

Carter told us about her growth from a young artist making “boy art” to trusting herself to work in media that made her feel at home.

The Beginning of the End of the World in Dead of Night

A sadistic serial killer, Homer Gibbon, was executed for his crimes, but Homer didn’t stay dead. The prison doctor wants Homer to suffer so the doctor injects Homer with a drug that would keep his mind alive. Homer would be buried and later would regain consciousness and then die in a nightmare deep in the ground, but instead his body was sent elsewhere and not immediately buried. In a small town in Pennsylvania, Homer woke up very hungry.

Read the Community Novel: Chapter 1 by Lissa Staley

The Friday afternoon before a three day weekend can drag on and on. That is, unless someone in the city offices downtown gets fired and escorted out by security. The whole office stays busy trying to pretend they are not sneakily watching two security officers packing up the office. Not everyone masters the art of [...]

All Booked Up: My Name is Mary Sutter

For this installment of All Booked Up, Kathy suggests a feminist-themed work of historical fiction to Diana. Watch this video to find out what awaits you in the pages of My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira. Plus, learn why this is one recommendation Diana might not be taking Kathy up on. Oliveira uses [...]

New Library Catalog Coming Soon!

Quick Fact of Day 7 – Finding Community Resources Q. I use the catalog to find information about organizations in Topeka. Will I still be able to do this? Yes! The library’s list of community groups and organizations will be part of the new catalog. The new features and options for books will also apply [...]

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June/July Connectnow – What’s Happening at Your Library

Summer is a great time to visit the library. We have activities, storytime or live entertainment almost every day. Participate in our Summer Reading Challenge from May 28 through July. Kids can read for great prizes – and adults can even get in on the fun by modeling the way. Learn about new books and services of the library.

Library Story Bloggers

Charity Rouse

Charity is a Public Service Specialist working with genealogy and local history reference in the Topeka Room/Genealogy. Her start at TSCPL came as a genealogy researcher soon after the Baker Genealogy Center opened in November 2007. In early 2009, she became a Genealogy volunteer and in May 2010 she came to work at TSCPL. She earned her Master of Library Science degree from Emporia State University in December 2011. One of the Topeka Room programs Charity coordinates is the "Sunday Afternoon with Kansas Authors" series.

Gina Millsap

As the Chief Executive Officer of the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, I lead an organization of 225 incredible employees serving a library-loving community of 173,000. With 36 years in the industry, I’ve worked in three extraordinary libraries in Missouri, Iowa and Kansas and have been a library director for fifteen years. I am nationally known for presenting on cutting edge issues, including 21st century librarianship, process improvement, the use of market segmentation to grow and develop library services, and the strategic changes necessary for libraries to thrive in the 21st century. I’m a Library Journal 2007 Mover and Shaker , past president of the Library Leadership & Management Association (LLAMA) of the American Library Association, serve on the board of Library Renewal, an organization working on solutions to ebook and digital content issues for libraries, and am currently a candidate for president of the American Library Association.

Matt Pettit

Matt is a Public Service Specialist for the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. His areas of responsibility include library services to nursing homes, senior, retirement and congregate living centers; service to homebound library users, and the Kansas Talking Books service. Matt also works on technology issues and special projects for the library, including supporting the Red Carpet Service’s Adaptive Computer Center and Talking Books NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) on Demand.