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

Where’d my Books Move To?

Some of your favorite books might not be where you expect them next time you visit the library. Find out where we’ve shifted materials and why in this post.

Sunday Afternoon with Kansas Author Jean Grant

Come meet author Jean Grant, from Lawrence, who will talk about her book The Burning Veil on Sunday, September 18, 2011, 2-3pm in the Topeka Room (204). The Burning Veil is a story of love and colliding cultures as American Sarah Moss travels to Saudi Arabia to discover more about the man she loves, his [...]

Librarians Scout Books Based on Your Reading Interests

We’re like match.com for readers, hooking you up with the best books based on your interests. Have you tried our Personalized Reading List service? Give it a chance – it’s less risky than falling in love.

Martha Wells Latest Fantasy Creation

Orphaned when he was very young, Moon has been traveling between settlements trying to survive. Though he is an adult, it has not gotten any easier because of his secret- he can transform into a winged creature. This ability has always kept Moon apart from others, and he has no idea what kind of creature he really is until one day he meets someone just like him.

For Teens, By Teens: TAB Gavel an Original

The sound of a gavel calls Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library’s Teen Advisory Board (TAB) to order. But the gavel that TAB president, Colleen Kelly, uses isn’t just some run-of-the-mill gavel. This gavel was hand-carved by one of TAB’s very own members. Learn about this unique gift to the library’s Teen Advisory Board.

5 Tips for School Success @ the Library

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library’s emphasis on reading and education doesn’t stop with the summer reading program. It is a year-round project that parents can use to help their children be successful: 1. SCHEDULE STUDY TIME “You can expect that your child will have homework of some kind,” said LeAnn Petrie, Youth Service [...]

Meet the Author Cathy Maxwell

Multi-published historical romance author Cathy Maxwell will speak about the process of writing and publishing romance novels. Her latest novel, in stores on August 30, 2011 is The Seduction of Scandal. This is a participating book in the k.i.s.s. and teal campaign to fight ovarian cancer. Maxwell grew up in Olathe, KS and now lives [...]

Deadly Family Secrets in Deadly Descent

Twin sisters Fiona and Zelda didn’t get along, but their earlier fights were nothing compared to this. Zelda wrote a family story that she gave to the Carlton County Historical Society, and in this story she revealed a family secret

George R. R. Martin’s Wild Cards Mosaic Series

Manhattan’s fifth precinct has its fair share of drama with murder, robberies, gangs, and petty crimes. There’s Detective Leo Storgman, who on the verge of his retirement, decides to reexamine a murder case that never had closure, and then there is a new guy

Sports Documentaries

When most people think of sports movies they think of films like Bull Durham, Hoosiers, or Field of Dreams. However, if you’ve seen the standard sports movies countless times and are looking for something new, the documentary section is a great option for entertaining and enlightening films about sports. Here are some recommended titles from [...]

Brail Concert for Teen Summer Reading

Teen 2011 Summer Reading ended with a rap concert featuring the well known rapper, Brail. Brail is best known for his song “Google Me” in support of the Think Big Topeka campaign to get Google’s fiber experiment to Topeka. Phillip Watson (Brail) is a Topeka native and attends Washburn University. He is working on a [...]

Library Story Bloggers

Lissa Staley

Lissa Staley helps people use the library. She is a Book Evangelist, Health Information Librarian, Arts and Crafts Librarian, Trivia Emcee, Classics Made Modern book group leader, and frequent library customer, especially with her preschool children. She reads a new book every few days, but recently loved "Swordspoint" by Ellen Kushner, "Love and Other Perishable Items" by Laura Buzo and "The Reluctant Assassin" by Eoin Colfer and is looking forward to "Homeland" by Cory Doctorow.

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.

Jeff Tate

Jeff Tate is the Digital Branch Librarian. He can help with your ebook and digital audiobook questions and ereader, smart phones, iPads, or other gadget issues, In addition, he can assist with general research questions, library database assistance, and almost anything else you find on our Digital Branch. He also trains, markets, and develops content for the Library's website, ebooks, databases, social media, and other online services. Besides his MLS, he has degrees in American History and American Studies.

Matt Pettit

Matt is a Public Service Specialist for the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. His areas of responsibility include outreach library services to nursing homes, senior, retirement and congregate living centers; service to homebound library users; the Kansas Talking Books service; Book Group in a Bag program and the history and sports neighborhoods of the library’s nonfiction collection. Matt also works on technology issues and special projects for the library, including supporting the Red Carpet Service’s Adaptive Computer Center, civic engagement and civil political discourse.