The Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library is a municipal taxing district authorized by Kansas law.

The library offers many services to the public including senior/homebound delivery, work and home delivery, bookmobile services, curbside pickup, public computers, meeting rooms, extensive programming, the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery and the Millennium Cafe.

It was not until March 1871 that the doors of the library finally opened in the Keith & Meyers Dry Goods Store.

In February 2009, the library board voted to restrict minors[2][3] from accessing four sexually themed books.

[4][5] After public protest and controversy over the decision,[6][7][8] the library board voted in April 2009 to return the books to the shelves without restriction.