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

Automotive and Small Engine Repair at Your Fingertips

Can I fix it myself? Get online access to automotive and small engine repair manuals from your home computer or mobile device using your library card. Learn about two great online resources that provide you free access to searchable Chilton, Mitchell, and other repair manuals for your car, motorcycle, lawn mower, jet ski, and snowmobile. Learn more about this valuable resource.

Hammer House of Horror

Looking for a scary movie? Try one of the many films from Britain’s Hammer Studios. These classic horror films update the familiar monsters from Universal’s horror cycle with added gore and special effects. A true delight for fans of the genre.

Jim Bass sculpture – Lost and Found!

Stolen, then found: Jim Bass’s sculpture “Forgiven Man” is a bronze at First Congregational Church that speaks of hope and redemption.

Red Carpet Services: A Lifeline to Reading

Read about the benefits of Red Carpet Services, from delivery of library materials to magnifiers. We’re focused on enhancing quality of life for seniors in the community.

Travel Turmoil

No matter how careful we plan a vacation, sometimes it all falls apart. never fear, follow these easy steps on how to deal with last minute changes and cancellations.

Fiction & Nonfiction NYT Bestsellers

Have you read Rowling’s new book yet? Find this week’s bestsellers at the library. There are two ways to get your hands on a title; place a request and wait for it, or try your luck and check the new title shelves the next time you come in!

Kansas Author Tom Mach

On Sunday, October 21, 2012, 2:00-3:00pm in the Topeka Room (204) join Kansas Author Tom Mach as he talks about his newest book, Angels at Sunset which concludes the award-winning historical trilogy about Jessica Radford. The novel begins in 1920 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where Jessica Radford listens to the very first radio broadcast on KDKA, [...]

Celebrate Your Right to Read

Each year, the Book Community comes together to celebrate the freedom to read materials that may include unorthodox or unpopular ideas and viewpoints. Books featured during this week have all been targeted for removal from school or public libraries and even bookstores. 2012 marks the 30th year of celebrating your right to read through this national [...]

Sketchbooks: What’s in yours?

To each artist a sketchbook is a way of capturing ideas – there are no rules. What do you capture in your sketchbooks?

From the Library to Your Inbox: It’s Easy to Learn about the Library

Stay informed through the library’s newsletter, Library News Update. Get the lowdown on good books, movies or music. Read about how the library has helped its community members and receive notices of upcoming library events. And we want to hear from you! Leave a comment on this post on what you’d like to read about in the newsletter.

Read with Me: Promoting Lifelong Reading

At the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, we take the phrase “lifelong reader” seriously. And when it comes to spreading our love for books and other media, the library starts ‘em young. Babies in the Read with Me program receive a cute, free t-shirt to celebrate their first library card (must be 0-18months). Parents [...]

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.