Peek into Topeka history as we learn about John H. Fazel, who brought scouting to Topeka and became a respected figure in the Oakland community.

Those who remember the ’66 tornado have lived 50 years with a sense of the before and the after. Their memories are invaluable. The library holds the city’s history safely in our collections.

Find out more about the Library’s genealogy resources!

Get ready, family researchers! Your library is offering another way for you to connect with your family roots. American Ancestors Online, by New England Historic and Genealogical Society, is a repository for more than 400 million searchable names covering New England, New York, and beyond. Read on for more info.

Our library is proud to support the Freedmen’s Bureau Project. Families will be able to build their family trees and connect with their Civil War-era–for free! Read on to find out how you can help.

What happens when you go down the history rabbit-hole at the library’s Topeka Room

Searching microfilm for local history and genealogy is easier and fun!

Learn how you can connect to your family roots with Denise Grau from the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. Grau is the featured speaker for our library’s German Heritage Celebration on October 17, from 2-5pm.

A play on historical art at the Sabatini gallery Aug 14 – Sept 27.

Juneteenth is the African American celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation and the actual freeing of the last slaves in South. The Library will hold a Watch Party to celebrate the 150th Anniversary.

Genealogy enthusiasts, rejoice! The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library is now a designated FamilySearch affiliate library–and that means that the world’s largest repository of free genealogical records is within your reach.

Troubled by the scheduled tear downs of historic buildings around Topeka? At their regularly scheduled meeting, The Local Landmarks Commission discusses the “Topeka Worth Saving Endangered Property Program”. There will be a review of the status of those currently listed, a discussion of those added in 2015 and highlight properties that might needed added in […]