Festival Donates $8500 to Kansas Libraries

/in /by

On Friday, August 29, the Kansas Book Festival hosted four librarians from under-resourced Kansas libraries at the State Library of Kansas, awarding grants to support proposed enhancements. Five grant-winning projects were selected in all, from a pool of 40 proposals, and the donated funds will bring improvements to school or public libraries in Bird City (far NW Kansas), Delphos (north of Salina), Hoisington (north of Great Bend), Eureka (east of El Dorado), and Wichita. With those grants, the libraries will update nonfiction for children, purchase short chapter books to encourage early readers, provide culturally diverse books for a school with a diverse student population, add a playful literacy computer for toddlers, and supply Kindle tablets for a library in need of newer technology. The library grant program of the Kansas Book Festival was begun by Mary Brownback 14 years ago when she, as the First Lady of Kansas, brought the Festival to Topeka. Since then, the Festival has granted $122,500 to libraries across the state.

Festival Receives 2025 TopArts Grant

/in /by

The Kansas Book Festival was awarded on May 16 a 2025 TopArts grant of $2500 from ArtsConnect in Topeka. A big thanks to ArtsConnect for backing not only the Kansas Book Festival but authors Lisa LaRue-Baker and Annette Billings. To see more about other 2025 grantees, go to the following link: https://artstopeka.org/toparts?mc_cid=c19bc7d9fe&mc_eid=98fbefb491

90 Attend Friends of the Festival Sneak Peek

/in /by

It was great to have 90 Friends of the Kansas Book Festival come to our first-ever Sneak-Peek event on April 10, 2025, where we raised $6000 for the Festival. Attendees snacked and conversed while listening to jazz from an ensemble put together by our former poet laureate, Kevin Rabas. They entered our book-raffles and bid on an array of rare and signed books. A big thanks to our guest speaker, NYTimes Bestseller Candice Millard, and to five authors who read excerpts from their new books: George Frazier, Louise Krug, Anne Rellihan, Melissa Fite Johnson, and Josh Svaty!

2024 Keynote Speech Available Online

/in /by

If you were not able to come to the 2024 Kansas Book Festival and if you would like to hear the talk by our keynoter, NYTimes Bestselling Crime Writer Sara Paretsky, then click here. She regales the audience with personal stories about her early life in Lawrence and the recent loss of her husband, describing how such factors influence what she writes in the popular series featuring detective V.I. Warshawski, including the recent novel Pay Dirt.

Festival gives $8500 to needy Kansas libraries

/in /by



For the past13 years, the Kansas Book Festival has granted funding to Kansas libraries that are under-resourced, distributing $114,000 in assistance, often for school libraries and youth sections at community libraries. 19 applications were received this year, and the Festival will distribute $8500, funding three book requests and one technology request.  The 2024 grant recipients are Circle Oil Hill Elementary School Library, Burr Oak Community Library, Logan Elementary Library, and Hill City Junior Senior School Library.  All four libraries will be
honored at the State Library of Kansas at 2 pm on Friday, September 6.

Library Grant Applications are Invited

/in /by

Over the last 12 years, the Kansas Book Festival has accepted grant applications from needy Kansas public and school libraries, either for books or reading-related technology, and we are open again for applications, with a deadline of April 24, 2024. The Festival typically awards at least two grants of no more than $2000 for book acquisition. The Festival also awards at least one grant of no more than $2500 for the purchase of technology that is reading-related.

In 2024, our grant application period is from March 14 to April 24, and the necessary forms are available at the website for the Kansas Book Festival: https://www.kansasbookfestival.com/outr…/library-grants-1/ A digital copy of the application should be sent by email no later than the April 24 deadline, to our grant coordinator Beth Dobler (bethdobler9@gmail.com). This file can be in the form of a Word Document or PDF, but no faxed or mailed applications will be accepted.

NOTE: Special consideration is given to those with greater financial need, and a library cannot win a KBF grant in consecutive years. Requests may be funded only in part. Also, a progress report, including an accounting of funds, is expected by December 31 of the grant year.

Kansas Book Festival Wins Arty Award

/in /by

Kansas Book Festival is being honored by ArtsConnect with the 2023 Literary Arty Award for their “commitment to providing access to authors, educational opportunities and more that would not otherwise exist in Topeka.” The award will be presented on December 6 (6 pm) at the Beacon in Topeka, when all Arty Award winners will be recognized. This year the literary award goes to the Festival because, as ArtsConnect states, “Events like this are critical in the arts ecosphere because they give Topeka writers access to renowned authors and experiences, fostering their growth and development as writers.” If interested in the award winners and/or attending, go to the ArtsConnect website: https://artstopeka.org/artyawards.

WIBW highlights festival grant winners in video spot

/in /by

The Kansas Book Festival held a reception at the Kansas State Library on Monday, April 24th to recognize the six under resourced libraries who received a grant in 2023. WIBW stopped by to capture some shots as well as interview director, Tim Bascom. Watch the video to see what the festival does to support Kansas libraries in all corners of the state!

Topeka Capital Journal covers 2023 Kansas Book Festival grant winners

/in /by

Topeka Capital Journal education reporter Rafael Garcia covered the Kansas Book Festival grant winners of 2023. Click the link below to read the full story and get a glimpse of what the festival does to support Kansas communities.

https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/state/2023/04/23/kansas-book-festival-grants-support-rural-small-town-libraries/70075201007/