YOU KNOW US, AND WE KNOW YOU.

Gina Millsap, executive director, served as vice-chair of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce Marketing Committee and an adviser for the Heartland Visioning project. She became the chair-elect of the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) of the American Library Association.

Deputy Director Rob Banks represented the library on the Safe Streets Coalition, working to make Topeka the safest capital city with a population over 100,000 in the U.S. He also provided leadership on the state level as the Kansas Chapter Councilor, regionally as President of Mountain Plains Library Association and nationally as Co-facilitator of the American Library Association’s Council Forums..

Download and view a pdf version of the annual report here.

Download and view a library map here.

2008 Financial snapshot

Library Services Expenditures

• $2,016,088 – Materials
• $296,240 – Equipment
• $1,324,299 – Other operating expenses
• $10,245,153 – Salaries and benefits

  Sources of Support

• $14,715,373 – Taxes
• $618,227 – Intergovernmental
• $504,797 – Miscellaneous
• $212,799 – Investment income
• $148,466 – Component unit
• $56,944 – Contributions

Support your library

Few places in Topeka exist where charitable gifts have the potential to touch so many lives.

The Library Foundation | 785-580-4498

The Library Foundation helps secure financial resources in support of the collections, programs, services, technology and physical facilities. Gifts of all kinds will be gratefully considered and are deductible for personal or corporate tax purposes.

The Friends of the Library | 785-580-4445

Since 1970, the Friends work to aid, promote and support the library in developing community resources and services.

The Library Friends of Art

These Friends support the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery’s collections, programs and services with financial gifts and volunteerism.

Chandler Booktique | 785-580-4444

The Booktique sells used books, magazines, videos, music and new gift items. It is operated by the Friends of the Library, and proceeds support the library. Friends accept donations of used books to sell in the Booktique or at the annual book sale the third week in September.

David Lee King, digital services manager, published “Designing the Digital Experience.” His expertise was appreciated at 31 conferences throughout the year and internationally at two conferences in Spain, where he was interviewed by Library Journal.

Librarian Lissa Staley was named a Woman of Excellence at the YWCA’s Leadership Luncheon in June. Her dedication as a librarian, as well as her creativity in programming, is appreciated by library customers.

YOU TRUST US.
Located in the west wing of the library, you will find our new space dedicated to health and wellness. We call it the Health Information Neighborhood because related health topics are housed within the same area of the library. The neighborhood includes a Lifeclinic Health blood pressure station and more than 50 book bags on various health topics.

The launch of a new Digital Branch Library improved customers’ access. The Digital Branch communicates with its online customers through blogging, “Ask a Librarian” instant messaging, online catalog services and research resources.

Our strategic plan, The Next Decade, helped us set long-term goals. With the development of a new mission, vision and goals that are focused on helping the community flourish to its potential, the library is taking steps to improve all of its services for its customers.

Civic Technologies collected demographic and marketing data that defined who our users are, what their lifestyles are and how to reach them. This information is imperative to the growth and quality of our services.

A new logo branded the library with a contemporary look that is consistent on both print and web pages. The logo and stationary won Best of Show and a gold Addy Award from the American Advertising Federation - Topeka. Six other library publications came away with medals too.

YOU ARE PROUD OF US.
The library was awarded the 2008 Topeka Friends of Education Award by the Topeka Public School USD 501 for providing excellent outreach services at Head Start programs, having bilingual story times each month, offering quality teacher resource materials and dedication to children. We also won this award at the state level.

A barter agreement with AT&T Yellow Pages worth nearly $70,000 resulted in the library being featured on the cover of the 2008-2009 Topeka phone book, as well as prominently featured throughout the book.

The Topeka Capital-Journal readers voted the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library as one of the Eight Wonders of Topeka. They also voted the library as one of the best places to find a good book and view art.

YOU INSPIRE US.
Library teens helped design and name The Edge, a new interactive and gaming area for youth ages 12 to 18. Counter, booth and table seating encourages socalizing and study. A stage accommodates a space for teen performances.

A vibrant children’s mural painted by Artist Cathy Hèbert, plus a boat and car loaded with books, created a new Story Zone for preschoolers. A salt water aquarium full of a variety of fish and coral anchored the new Family Zone area.

The efforts of Dr. Walt Menninger and his late wife, Connie, led to the reunion of six stained glass windows from the original 1870s library. Connie had secured five of the windows during her lifetime; the sixth returned home in 2008 after her death.

YOU CAN’T READ ENOUGH (FOR US).
Mater Dei was the school awarded for having the highest percentage of participants in the summer reading program with
28 percent of their students participating.

New technologies such as the MediaBank and Playaway audiobooks provided innovative and convenient access to the most popular materials.

Readers chilled themselves by reading and discussing Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” for February’s “Kansas Reads” program sponsored by Kansas Center for the Book.