Topeka Shawnee County Public Library ranked number one in the state
6:02 p.m. Monday, November 20, 2006
More than 91,000 lovers of books, cds and movies have borrowed from the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library so far this year. Among those checking out the library on a regular basis is Sarah Wheeler. She says the best part is the extra attention she gets when she walks through the door.
"If I hadn't been here before, I might feel intimidated walking into this big marble building. But there's a volunteer ready to answer questions," said Wheeler.
The Kansas Public Library Rankings has given the library the top score of all major resource centers serving a population of 100,000 or more.
"We were tremendously excited," said executive director Gina Milsap. "We've always ranked high among major resource centers, but never been number one before."
The scores are based on the amount of resources and services as well as circulation and visits per capita.
Wheeler says her favorite part is known as the Red Carpet section. It's where people with special needs come to find specialty items such as books with large print. Wheeler has problems with her vision and has had a number of health problems. When she was unable to make it to the library, she had her books delivered to her home.
"That was incredible when I was using that," says Wheeler. "What is really phenomenal is that you can get books mailed to your home."
Library technician Thad Hartman helps pick the material that hits the shelves. He says keeping up with demand can be a full time job.
"It's constantly evolving. The collection is changing all the time," says Hartman.
He says no matter what your interest, with more than two million items to pick from, there's something for everyone.
The library's usage jumped by 22-percent after $17 million in renovations in 2002.
This year, Johnson County Public Library is ranked number two and Olathe is ranked number three.
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