By Jennifer Theurer
The State Library of Kansas has launched the Kansas 250 Bookshelf to run in conjunction with America 250, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Kansas 250 Bookshelf features books about Kansas or written by Kansans that have been recognized as Kansas Notable Books.
Since 2006, the State Library has offered grants to local libraries to purchase copies of the Kansas Notable Books award winners each year. The list of winning books has grown to include 304 titles throughout the years. Deputy State Librarian Valarie Lamoreaux said for 2025 there were 116 libraries that requested grant funding which put 1,525 books into local collections.
“That translates to the Kansas 250 Bookshelf in the sense that libraries across the state can participate just by going to their own collection and pulling the Notable Books that are featured every month,” Lamoreaux said. “We wanted to create that connection for people by using books written by Kansans and about Kansas.”
Kansans are central to all of the State Library’s plans for KS250 Bookshelf including monthly Zoom talks by authors or experts related to that month’s topic. Those authors and experts will cover topics such as music, poetry, and nature for anyone registered for the event through library’s website at library.ks.gov/ks250. Lamoreaux urges people to bookmark the library’s page as new offerings and events from the library and across the state will be added frequently.
Before becoming deputy state librarian, Lamoreaux was the director of Clay Center’s Carnegie Library and says whenever she pictures a library in her head that’s the one she imagines.
Spurring the imagination is often the goal of authors as they craft their stories and librarians are using the KS250 Bookshelf to bring those stories to readers.
“They’re highlighting those hidden gems and the connections between stories and readers with these displays and focused collections,” Lamoreaux said. “The idea is that we could use Kansas stories to truly tell the story of America’s history because it runs through Kansas.”
