Books featured in past Kansas Notable Book lists are displayed in the State Library of Kansas at the Statehouse in Topeka.

State Library of Kansas announces 2023 Notable Books

Editor’s Note: All of these Kansas Notable Books are, or will soon be, available to borrow from Newton Public Library! Go to the online catalog to check availability, or contact us. By Sam Bailey, Kansas Reflector A serial killing family, a child trying to survive WWII-era Ukraine, the 50-year history of an acoustic music festival,…
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Image with text reading "Summer Reading Program. For All Ages. Sign up Today!" Two girls blow bubbles with bubble gum and carry a row of books between them on a plank of wood.

Get ready for Summer Reading 2023!

Newton Public Library’s 2023 Summer Reading Program officially kicks off June 1 and continues through the end of July. The library will present more than 100 youth, teen and adult programs this summer, including StoryTimes, performances, science programs, teen events, book clubs, lectures and talks. Click here for the full run-down of everything we have…
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Newton Public Library takes part in The Big Read 2023

In partnership with Wichita Public Library and other libraries in the greater Wichita area, Newton Public Library is inviting Newtonians to take part in the 2023 NEA Big Read. This year’s Big Read book selection is “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?” by Roz Chast. In her first memoir, the celebrated New Yorker cartoonist…
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Book Picks from the 2023 Literary Tea

Newton Public Library held a Literary Tea on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Warkentin House Museum. Here is a list of the tea-themed books that we talked about! Many of these books can be borrowed at Newton Public Library. Search our online catalog to check availability and place holds. Books that aren’t part of our…
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Library staff’s top books of 2022

What a year it has been! Newton Public Library’s staff collectively read hundreds of books in 2022. Here are some of our favorites. Click the links to go directly to each book’s page in our online library catalog. Chambers, Becky. A Psalm for the Wild-Built. “It’s been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness…
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Graphic of books with superimposed text reading "Read More, Worry Less. Newton Public Library is no longer charging late fees on overdue items. Just bring it back to check out more!

Newton Public Library is officially fine free!

Newton Public Library is now officially fine free! This means that patrons owe fees only if items are damaged or lost. Past overdue fines will also be waived. “We paused collection of overdue fines in 2019, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, so many patrons have already noticed the lack of fines when they…
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Smiling volunteers enjoy a pizza meal around a long table at a restaurant.

Library seeks VITA tax prep volunteers

Looking for a way to help the Newton community in 2023? Volunteering with Newton Public Library’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is a great opportunity. The VITA program helps seniors and people with low-to-moderate incomes to file their taxes for free. Volunteers work one-on-one with taxpayers to gather the needed financial information and complete the…
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Kids are invited to be picture book creators!

To celebrate Children’s Book Week (Nov. 7-13), Newton Public Library is inviting kids in grades 1-4 to write and illustrate their own picture books! Who can participate? Young book lovers in grades 1-4. What will participants do? Starting on Monday, November 7, blank booklets will be available for participants to pick up, which will be…
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Could you write a novel in a month?

Calling all writers: Do you enjoy writing poetry, short stories, or comic books? Do you dream of writing a complete novel? If so, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is for you. Newton Public Library will host meet-ups for NaNoWriMo participants, every Tuesday evening in November from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. NaNoWriMo is a fun, seat-of-the-pants…
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