Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

What Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library does

Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library (TSCPL) is a public library system serving Shawnee County, Kansas, founded in 1870 and operated as a local government entity with 251-500 employees. The institution provides free physical and digital library services to county residents through a central library at 1515 SW 10th Avenue in Topeka, a Bookmobile route, curbside pickup, home delivery via TSCPL@Home, and 24/7 digital lending platforms. Core services span books, audiobooks, ebooks, movies, music, and magazines, complemented by dedicated spaces including the Kids Library, The Edge teen space, the Topeka Room for local history and genealogy, the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery, the Level 2 Tech Center, community computer labs, and reservable meeting and event venues.

The library's technology stack is built on a Polaris integrated library system backend with a BiblioCommons front-end catalog, integrated with OverDrive and Hoopla for digital lending, Beanstack for reading challenges, Flipster for digital magazines, Communico for events management, and third-party learning platforms including Mango Languages, Treehouse, ABCmouse, Scholastic Teachables, and LOTE4Kids. The library also operates the Millennium Café and Chandler Booktique retail spaces through a partnership with Friends of the Library.

TSCPL's business model is primarily tax-funded through appropriations from Shawnee County and the City of Topeka, supplemented by donations to the TSCPL Foundation, Friends of the Library bookstore and café sales, and modest fees for printing, copying, notary, and room rentals. Services are provided free of charge to Shawnee County residents with a library card, with non-resident cards available for an annual fee. The patron base is segmented horizontally across children and families, teens (6th-12th grade), adults, parents/teachers, and genealogists/researchers, with programs and collections tailored to each segment.

Name

Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

Legal name

Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

Website

https://tscpl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1870

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library is a tax-funded public library system serving Shawnee County, Kansas, offering free physical and digital lending, educational programs, local history archives, community gathering spaces, and outreach services to all county residents through a main library, Bookmobile, and digital platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Digital media lending
• Local history archives
• Youth literacy programs
• Community education

Headquarters

HQ city

Topeka

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Tax Funding: Primary funding through local government tax revenues from Shawnee County and City of Topeka
2. Foundation Donations: Voluntary contributions through the TSCPL Foundation to support programs and services
3. Friends of the Library Sales: Revenue from book and media sales at Chandler Booktique and special sales events
4. Printing and Copying Services: Fees for printing, copying, faxing, and scanning services
5. Program and Facility Fees: Some programs and room rentals may have nominal fees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library provides free public-library services to county residents through lending of physical books, magazines, DVDs, and other media, alongside digital lending of e-books, audiobooks, movies, and music via OverDrive and Hoopla. It also operates age-segregated community spaces (Kids Library, The Edge Teen Space), the Topeka Room for local history and genealogy research, a public gallery (Alice C. Sabatini Gallery), meeting/event spaces, a tech center, a bookmobile, home delivery, and programming for all ages including reading challenges and language-learning resources.

Product overview

Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library is a public library system offering a unified suite of physical and digital services. The core offerings include the BiblioCommons-powered catalog for discovering and borrowing books, movies, music, audiobooks, and ebooks, complemented by digital lending platforms OverDrive and Hoopla. Dedicated services target specific demographics: Kids Library with early learning resources (ABCmouse integration), The Edge teen space, and teens section with gaming and reading resources. The Topeka Room provides local history and genealogy research, while the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery offers art exhibitions. Additional services include the Bookmobile outreach, Community Computer Labs, Level 2 Tech Center, meeting/event spaces, personalized Browsing Just for You recommendations, Book Group in a Bag kits, Beanstack reading challenges, Ask a Librarian reference services, and Parent & Teacher Resources. The library also provides home delivery through TSCPL@Home, and operates the Millennium Café and Chandler Booktique retail spaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BiblioCommons Online Public Catalog Searchable online catalog combining physical and digital collections, event listings, and account management for Shawnee County library cardholders.
• Digital Media Collection (e-books, audiobooks, movies, music) Digital lending service via the OverDrive and Hoopla platforms for library cardholders, providing access to e-books, audiobooks, movies, music, and similar digital media.
• Kids Library Physical space and collection within the main library dedicated to children, with programming and reading materials curated for young readers.
• The Edge Teen Space A dedicated physical space and program environment inside the main library targeted at teenagers, separate from the Kids Library and adult areas, with age-appropriate collections and teen-led programming.
• Topeka Room (Local History & Genealogy) Dedicated local-history and genealogy special collection serving researchers, family historians, and the public interested in Topeka, Shawnee County, and Kansas history, with reference assistance and access to rare materials.
• Alice C. Sabatini Gallery Public art gallery located inside the main library building that hosts rotating exhibitions accessible to library visitors and the broader community at no charge.
• Book Group in a Bag Pre-packaged kits containing multiple copies of a single book title designed for book clubs, classroom groups, and discussion groups to borrow as a unit.
• Beanstack Reading Challenges Online and in-person reading-challenge program for children, teens, and adults run via the Beanstack platform, designed to track reading progress and incentivize participation.
• Bookmobile Service Mobile library service operating a bookmobile that visits outreach stops throughout Shawnee County, delivering materials and library services to patrons who cannot easily access the main library.
• Ask a Librarian Reference Service Personalized reference and reader's advisory assistance offered to patrons by phone, email, and online chat to help with research, locating materials, and use of library resources.
• Meeting and Event Spaces Bookable meeting and event rooms within the main library building available to community groups, organizations, and individuals for programs and events.
• TSCPL@Home Home Delivery Home delivery service providing physical library materials delivered directly to the doorsteps of patrons who cannot visit the main library or bookmobile in person.
• Millennium Café & Chandler Booktique On-site café and gift/book retail store located inside the main library building, providing food and beverage service (Millennium Café) and an inventory of books and gift items for purchase (Chandler Booktique).
• Level 2 Tech Center and Community Computer Labs Public technology and computer-laboratory space inside the main library, offering patron access to computers, internet, and technology resources including 3D printing services.
• Parent & Teacher Resources Curated library program and resource section providing free educational materials, classroom resources, and reading tools aimed at parents, homeschoolers, and K-12 teachers.
• Online Language Learning (Mango Languages) Free digital language-learning resource available to TSCPL library cardholders through the Mango Languages platform, supporting self-directed study of multiple languages.
• Online Technology Education (Treehouse) Free digital coding and technology education resource offered to TSCPL library cardholders via the Treehouse platform.
• Digital Magazines (Flipster) Free digital magazine lending service for TSCPL library cardholders delivered via the Flipster platform.
• Browsing Just for You Staff Picks Personalized book and media recommendations curated by TSCPL librarians under the 'Browsing Just for You' banner to help patrons discover new titles and authors.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Friends of the LibrarycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVolunteer organization that supports the library through fundraising, book sales at Chandler Booktique, and advocacy. Provides crucial funding for programs and services.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cleveland Public Library: Major urban public library with comparable size, foundation-supported programming, local history/genealogy rooms, and digital lending. Direct peer in mission, governance, and community-hub positioning.
• Multnomah County Library: Oregon's flagship county library system with a comparable governance model (county-funded), extensive digital lending, bookmobile, and dedicated teen and children's spaces. Direct peer in scale and service breadth.
• Columbus Metropolitan Library: Ohio-based metropolitan library with comparable size, omnichannel services (branches, bookmobile, digital), and strong foundation/friends fundraising model. Direct peer in operational scale and community-hub positioning.
• Denver Public Library: Colorado's flagship urban public library with a similar mid-sized-city footprint, foundation support, digital lending, and local history special collections. Direct peer in service model and scale.
• Kansas City Public Library: Public library system serving Kansas City, Missouri — directly comparable Midwestern municipal public library with a similar service model (physical branches, digital lending, community programming, local history collections) and overlapping donor/foundation structure. Closest geographic and demographic peer to TSCPL.
• Hennepin County Library: Minnesota's largest county library system with similar service structure (branches, bookmobile, digital lending, foundation support) and dedicated programming for all age groups. Direct peer in governance and operational scale.
• Indianapolis Public Library: Indianapolis's public library system operates with a comparable mid-sized-city footprint, foundation-supported programming, digital lending, and dedicated kids/teen spaces. Direct peer in scale, governance model, and service mix.
• Des Moines Public Library: Capital-city public library in a neighboring state with a comparable mid-sized metropolitan service area, foundation support, and digital lending stack. Direct peer in operating model and constituency.

Others

• OverDrive: Leading digital lending platform vendor used by TSCPL (and ~90% of US public libraries) for ebooks/audiobooks. Not a competitor but the most material enabling vendor/ecosystem participant, useful as a peer for understanding TSCPL's digital distribution economics.

Broad incumbents

• New York Public Library: Largest US public library system — a broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities (branches, digital lending, research libraries, foundation support, programming). Not a direct size peer but the dominant comparable in service mix and brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/topekalibrary
• YouTubeyoutube.com/topekalibrary
• Facebookfacebook.com/TopekaLibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/topeka-&-shawnee-county-public-library
• Instagraminstagram.com/topekalibrary
• Pinterestpinterest.com/topekalibrary
• TikToktiktok.com/@topekalibrary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library