Washburn students can now pick up and return public library materials at Mabee Library without leaving Washburn campus.

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library offers a new program they call Library @ Work. This program allows employees of businesses that have subscribed to the program to order library materials, such as books and movies, from the library’s online catalogue and the Library will deliver the materials to their workplace. Library materials can also be returned to their place of business.

Through this program, the public library will also send librarians to affiliated organizations to sign up people who want a library card.

Students, faculty and staff at Washburn University will have access to the Library @ Work service through Mabee Library.

According to Thad Hartman, community and strategic services manager for the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, Library @ Work was enacted primarily to save people time.

“We know people have busy lives and they spend most of their time at work or school,” said Hartman. “If we can help save them some time by having stuff delivered directly to them it might make life a little easier.”

Library @ Work will also give people who may not have the means to go to the library’s single physical outlet access to library services.

“Most communities our size have branches,” said Hartman. “We do not, so we’re always looking for ways to get library services out into the community in any way possible.”

Although materials can be picked up and returned at Mabee, the program is entirely operated by the public library.

“Everything you will do for this program would be through the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library’s side of things,” said Hartman.

Materials must be ordered from the public library’s online catalogue and students wanting to take advantage of this service will need a library card. The public library will email users when their orders are delivered.

“We’re really excited to add Washburn to our list of Library @ Work sites,” said Hartman. “We’ve got a really good relationship with Mabee Library. I know Mabee has a ton of great services themselves. This is a way to extend their services and extend ours as well.”