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.

Come to the library and listen to home-brewers from the Greater Topeka Hall of Foamers, a local brewing club, as they discuss different aspects of home-brewing. In April we listened as they presented a basic session on how to get started. Plan attending every third Thursday through July to hear about other advanced brewing topics 7-8:30PM in Marvin Auditorium. Come to the presentations even if you are a beginner because as one of the experts said last night you will learn more by connecting with others and learning from each other’s experiences.

Let’s Make Beer: All Grain Brewing
June 20, 2013 7-8:30PM Marvin Auditorium 101B
Combine cooking and crafting by learning how to make your own beer at home as home-brewers discuss the advanced all-grain brewing technique.

Let’s Make Beer: Mead and Beyond
July 18, 2013 7-8:30PM Marvin Auditorium 101C
Combine cooking and crafting to express your individuality and create your own special beers at home. A home-brewer discusses how to create advanced creations, such as meads.

What is your favorite style of beer? Let me know below! In the meantime, find these books at the library to enjoy and expand your experience in the Cooking Neighborhood.

image source

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.

From 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. on Mondays, May 13 through Oct. 7 you can shop for fresh vegetables, herbs, flowers, bedding plants, eggs, live chickens, and other seasonal produce, and ask questions of the vendors.

The market is an all-ages experience. Kids enjoy a free craft each week, and grownups will enjoy a health or cooking programs the second Monday of the month.

You will also meet librarians who will help you discover the rewards using your library provides, whether it’s a new recipe from more than 750 cookbooks or gardening books on what grows best in Kansas’ soil. Free recipes will available at the library’s information booth at the market.

This year marks the fifth annual Monday Farmers Market @your library®. More vendors are welcome and can secure a spot by calling 785-580-4495.

The Monday Market is a Capital City Wellness initiative, a state program that aims to promote healthy eating and exercise, especially among Downtown Topeka employees. Customers are encouraged to walk to the market, if possible.

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

 We’ll celebrate all things Trek with crafts, trivia, spoofs, the 2009 movie Star Trek and other activities:

• Vote for your favorite captain
• Test your knowledge of Star Trek quotes,
• Compose and read original Star Trek Haiku.

The interstellar fun starts at 10:00 am.

Star Trek: Geeky Fun [all ages welcome]
Get your geek on and celebrate the Star Trek universe! Browse through memorabilia displays, vote for your favorite captain, and make your own USS Enterprise, communicator badge or one of several other creative options to help you live long and prosper. Costumes welcome!
10:00 am-4:00 pm | Marvin Auditorium 101AB

Star Trek: Trivia
Libraries: The Final Frontier. Maybe not. But if you think you know all about Starfleet from Shatner to Pine then join us for Star Trek trivia! Space is limited to eight teams of up to eight individuals; play will consist of five rounds of five questions each. To register call 580-4555.
11:00 am-12:00 pm | Marvin Auditorium 101C

Star Trek: Geek Theater [all ages welcome]
One of the hallmarks of Star Trek fandom is being able to poke a little fun at the franchise. Join us as we perform a sampling of Shakespeare (Klingon style) and spoof one of the most famous (and infamous) episodes from the original series: Spock’s Brain (season 3, episode 1).
1:15-2:30 pm | Marvin Auditorium 101C

Star Trek: The 2009 Movie
Explore strange new worlds with a viewing of the 2009 movie Star Trek. Meet Kirk, Spock and rest of the crew…again…in an action-packed movie that successfully rebooted this beloved franchise into a new dimension of adventure. 2009. Rated PG-13. 127 minutes.
3:00-5:15 pm | Marvin Auditorium 101C

See you there!

Looking for inspiration for something new to read? Open up these pages for Hot, New Books recommended by librarians who purchase books for the library. Great reads for both grownups and kids!

Planning a summer vacation? Our music librarians have picked out some rockin’ tunes to create the ultimate summer road trip playlist.

Flip to the back page to learn about a very big day of giving at Fairlawn Plaza Mall. Your donation to The Library Foundation can be matched if you join the Topeka Gives initiative June 19.

Read more about the library’s partnership with Shawnee County Parks and Recreation to provide improved technology to the community. Find out where you can find sweet new technology in your neighborhood.

Got a question? Ask a librarian. We answer questions via text, phone, in person, email and online chat. It’s convenient to ask your librarian, a trusted source for information. See page 4.

Library News is mailed to households with a library card in Shawnee County to inform them of the events, new services and collections they can check out. A downloadable pdf version of June/July Library News is also available.

Happy Summer!

Cathy Ramirez, owner and operator of Ghost Tours of Kansas LLC has become a top promoter of Ghost Tours and Paranormal Events throughout Kansas. Cathy has achieved building 12 ghost tours in 10 cities in less than 7 years. Besides Ghost Tours, Cathy has become a well recognized paranormal investigator throughout Kansas and has worked with many reputable paranormal teams including Paranormal Research Investigators, Kansas Paranormal Research Society, Every-Day Legacy Paranormal and Miller’s Paranormal Society. Cathy has personally investigated over 200 locations in less than 5 years making her one of the top investigators in the state of Kansas.

Books available for sale & signing after the talk.  For more information please call the Topeka Room at 785-580-4510.

*Book and Biographical information supplied by the author.

Coming up May 7, Vince Frye, Downtown Topeka, Inc. president, will speak about downtown redevelopment. RSVP for lunch by May 1 by calling 785-235-8452. Lunch starts at 11:30 am, with Frye’s talk beginning at 12pm in Marvin Auditorium 101BC. Jim Colson, Topeka’s city manager, as the inaugural speaker for the new Tuesday Topics series, which started in April.

More on the Tuesday Topic series here. Tuesday Topic sessions will not be held at the library June, July and August, and will resume in September.

Tuesday Topics are held in the section of the auditorium across from the Millennium Café at the Topeka-Shawnee County Public Library, unless otherwise indicated. Meals are available to the first twenty-five arriving, @ $8.25/ea. Checks payable to the Millennium Cafe. If you need a ride to any League event, contact Betsy Rohleder.

Much of what we know about the culture and activities of the Kansa Indians is from artifacts and data collected via archaeological fieldwork.  What happens during an excavation?  Find out at 2:30 when Tricia Waggoner, archeologist and principal investigator of the Fool Chief’s project, speaks about last summer’s field school at the known site of Fool Chief’s Village (1830-1844), a large Kansa Indian habitation located on the north side of Topeka.   Waggoner will talk about the goals of the project–among them questions related to trade, lodging style, and how this particular village compares to other documented Kansa sites.*  Find out what was discovered and learned from the material retrieved during the field school, bring your questions for the experts, and get in the spirit of this year’s summer reading themes!

Discover Kansas Archaeology
Saturday, May 4, 2013
2:00-3:30 p.m. (archeologist presentation at 2:30)
Marvin Auditorium 101BC

*source: Kansas Preservation, Volume 34, Number 1, 2012