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.

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.

An Open House is set for 10am May 15 at Central Park Community Center, 1534 SW Clay St., one of six centers that saw upgrades this spring. Robinson Middle School students will be in attendance to demonstrate the new touch-screen computers.

The new PCs offer users free Internet, Microsoft Office, resume software, access to the library catalog and printing. Rice, Central Park, Garfield, Crestview, Hillcrest, and Oakland received new equipment in mid-April. Shawnee North and Velma Paris Community Centers will be upgraded in 2014 after broadband Internet access is available at those sites.

“This is a cost-effective and innovative way to provide wider access to our collection and services while partnering with an entity that’s as committed as we are to creating a quality of life for our community,” said Thad Hartman, Community and Strategic Services Manager at the library.

Users will be encouraged to use their library card to log on. Those who do will be given one hour of time, compared to non-library cardholders who will receive 30 minutes.
Look for this partnership to bring new programs to a neighborhood near you. Working with Parks and Recreation, the library plans to develop new programs at these sites, including computer, cooking, outdoor and children’s programs.

The library and county are sharing an information technology employee to maintain the new technology and provide training as necessary. This person’s salary and benefits are split between the two entities.

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library has about 170 public computers, offers free Internet and Wi-Fi access, and provides free computer training. Your library is a 21st-century, landmark library, and features the Alice C. Sabatini Art Gallery, the Millennium Café, Chandler Booktique and meeting rooms.

Community center hours are listed on http://parks.snco.us. Click on “Community Centers.”

Topeka Metro is partnering with the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, Brown v. Board of Education and the Topeka Zoo to highlight summer activities that can be accessed by taking the Metro.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to connect kids to Topeka,” said Susan Duffy, Metro General Manager. “There are lots of great places to go and do in Topeka. This summer we want kids to get out of the house and experience Topeka.”

Check out our can’t-miss summer activities at the library so you can plan when to hitch a ride on the Metro. While you are on board the bus, browse through a basket of books provided by the Friends of the Library.

A route map is posted and schedules are available at the library’s information desk and at www.topekametro.org. Or call Topeka Metro Customer Service at 785-783-7000 for help with trip planning.

Forget “shhhhh-ing!” This week your library is making some noise. The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library joins libraries across the country for Library Week, April 14–20.

“All week we’ll be promoting the value of using your library. Come to one of our scheduled events and chat with us. We want to hear why you value your library,” said Diana Friend, Communications and Marketing Director.

This Week’s Events at Your Library
Sunday:           The Play’s the Thing Readers Theatre | 3pm | for adults
Monday:         Amazing Animals | 4:30pm | for grades 1-5
Tuesday:         Editing Digital Photos | Call 580-4606 to register for this or other classes
Wednesday:    Timeless Tales with Boomer | 10am | 2-5 years | Call 580-4565 to register
Thursday:       Let’s Make Beer | 7pm | sorry no samples
Friday:             BLOCK Fest™ | 9am, 10:30am and 1pm | 8 months–8 years
Saturday:         Pin It Crafts | 1:30pm | for adults
All week:         Visit the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery for Consumed, a Pop Art experience you soon won’t forget.

April 17 is Bookmobile Day, a day to visit your library on wheels. Bookmobile stops and times available here: http://tscpl.org/bookmobile

The week’s events carry over to Facebook with daily questions for our fans. “Like” us if you haven’t already: www.facebook.com/TopekaLibrary

Looking for a good read? Come in and pick from staff’s favorite titles on display in the library. If you don’t already have one, get your card at the main library, 10^th and Washburn, on a Bookmobile or on the Digital Branch, tscpl.org. Thousands of books, movies and games are waiting for you to take them home.

National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use.

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library is a 21st-century, landmark library, and features the Alice C. Sabatini Art Gallery, the Millennium Café, Chandler Booktique, meeting rooms, and free computer and Internet access and training.

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

“In 2012, we replaced our spring member dinner with the Book Swap,” says Linda Hayse, Friends Book Swap chair. “Being able to bring in good quality books to trade for books you want to read is a worthy endeavor. It also helps build supplies for our other retail sale activities.”

The Friends are dedicated to supporting the library, providing quality used books, CDs, DVDs, etc., through the Chandler Booktique, book sales and online sales. In 2012, the Friends provided $135,000 in support of the library.

Swap/Trade Rules
■    The Book Swap is a member benefit of the Friends of the Library. If you aren’t a member, you can join at the door. Single memberships are $20 and Family memberships start at $30.
■    You can bring as many books as you want to donate. Make sure your books are in good condition and are a valuable trade.
■    This is a family event, so bring the kids and books to trade that will appeal to all ages.
■    You will receive a voucher for the books you donate.
■    Your book swap voucher allows you to choose new-to-you books (10 books total).

If you need more information, call Mary at 785-580-4445.

Learn about electronics recycling provided by Asset LifeCycle and paper shredding by Jayhawk File Express.

Visitors to the Green Fair take home ideas for sustainable farming, making a home more energy-efficient, recycling and reducing waste – plus free giveaways including a lilac bush and a bookmark you can plant! Kids and teens can sort through tables of junk to make into beautiful art projects to take home.

While you’re here, pick up books, magazines and other resources on living green. Staff will be available to help you browse the Lawn & Garden neighborhood.

As part of the fair, you can retire your old, damaged or soiled flag at the library. Look for the colorful bin in the rotunda now through April 13. American Legion Post 421 will properly dispose of them after the Fair.

Here’s the list of vendors participating in this year’s Green Fair:
Asset Recycling
Capital City Wellness
Friends of the Kaw River
Habitat for Humanity
Helping Hands Humane Society
Iwig Dairy
Jayhawk File Express
Kansas Children’s Discovery Center
Kansas Dept of Wildlife
Kansas Green Schools
Kaw Valley Bike Club
Keep America Beautiful
Little Free Libraries
National Park Service (Brown vs Board)
Orchard Hill Alpacas
Saving Death Row Dogs
Shawnee Co. Conservation District
Shawnee Co. Extension
Shawnee Co. Master Gardners
Shawnee Co. Recycling Dept
Sierra Club
Smalley Energy Products
Topeka Community Cycle Project
Topeka Natural Food Co-op
Topeka Roundup Club
Topeka Sustainability Advisory Board
Topeka Zoo
Urban Chickens
Water Pollution Control
Westar Energy

Learn how Justin creates his works of art here: http://tscpl.org/art/how-does-he-do-it/

The artists mix things up: historic periods, ecosystems, and animals and machines that wouldn’t be together – even a unicorn! The artists have researched the many historic periods of Kansas, from the Western Inland Sea to the open prairie. Their work combines details from those time periods, plus our own era of buildings, roads, agriculture and industry. You won’t want to miss Marable’s creation, a 6-foot mixed media work depicting a lone bison on suburban sprawl in Overland Park.

“I’m looking forward to having community members wander in and be surprised and possibly changed, even in the smallest way, in the course of their experience and interaction with the art,” Marable said

Tangpuz’s well-engineered 3-D diorama captures the native vs. man-made feel of this exhibit in a quirky but thought-provoking way. “My work unlocks the secrets of the sheet… As I create, I see worlds compress and others unfold in my universe. I combine a variety of disciplines to create kinetic paper sculpture and other objects,” Tangpuz said.

Enhance your visit to their exhibit by attending one, or all, of these fun and educational events.

May 3 – First Friday ArtWalk

Registration required events. Call 580-4515 to register.
2pm, May 11 – World, Art and You with Juniper Tangpuz

Marable is inspired by the Pop artists of the 1960s, who made art inspired by everyday imagery. He portrays Kansas landscape and other subjects with photographic transfer, silkscreen and painting. Tangpuz uses paper, corrugated plastic, found objects and twist ties to create large sculptures of flowers, animals and machines. The two artists met at the University of Kansas, and this is the first time they have shown together.

For more information about this project, visit Consumed online. Consumed is funded in part by the Center for Kansas Studies, Washburn University with generous contributions provided by HTK Architects.

Beginning April 30, teens take over the front gallery! See the imaginative exhibit they created from art the library owns when you visit Curate This!

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library is a 21st-century, landmark library, and features the Millennium Café, Chandler Booktique, meeting rooms, and free computer and Internet access and training. Gallery hours are the same as library hours: Mon. through Fri. 9 am to 9 pm, Sat. 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday 12 pm to 9 pm.      

Kansas City Ambassador of Jazz Queen Bey recounts the story of Bessie Smith, the female Louis Armstrong of the era. Travel back to the Jazz Era when the star and her trio of musicians take the stage. Kevin Willmott, professor of film at the University of Kansas and award-winning film writer and director, directs the free performance. Arrive early to be sure to get a good seat. This concert is cosponsored by Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site.

“Bessie was one of the first liberated women. People should know more about this breakthrough artist, her music, her personal life, and the people she affected,” said Willmott, whose work includes the films Ninth Street, The Confederate States of America and Bunker Hill. Willmott recently adapted and directed a stage version of The Watsons Go To Birmingham at Kansas City’s Coterie Theater.

Queen Bey’s wide repertoire of jazz and blues standards, and innovative and often unknown songs, are drawn from her first-hand experiences working with the legends of jazz and blues. Queen has performed with B.B. King, The Platters and the late jazz pianist Earl Garner. In 1990, she received the Kansas Governor’s Arts Award. She was an honoree at the 1991 induction of Elder Statesman of Kansas City Jazz, Inc., and is officially recognized as Kansas City’s Ambassador of Jazz.

Set during the Jazz Era, The Great Gatsby, was selected for the library’s community read this year. Celebrating The Big Read encompasses many formats beyond the book; it includes music, movies and art. Bessie’s Blues is the last of 29 special events planned as part of The Big Read reading initiative. The library was one of 78 organizations nationwide to receive a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and will have hundreds of copies of the book available to read.

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library is a 21st-century landmark library and  includes the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery, the Millennium Café, Chandler Booktique, meeting rooms and free computer/Internet access. Hours are Mon. through Fri. 9am to 9pm, Sat. 9am to 6pm and Sun. 12pm to 9pm.

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at arts.gov.

Arts Midwest promotes creativity, nurtures cultural leadership, and engages people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives. Based in Minneapolis, Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 25 years. For more information, please visit artsmidwest.org.