Although the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library’s building is currently closed to community members, that hasn’t stopped staff members from connecting to readers.

The digital library has been around for more than 15 years, providing readers with an outlet to scan through thousands of titles and publications from the comfort of their home.

That has become a necessity now that a statewide stay-at-home order asks residents to stay put, and people are trying to find ways to keep themselves occupied in their homes.

Cue the digital library, where library-goers can now access their favorite ebooks, audio books, magazines, films and music right at their fingertips. People can sign up for a library card online.

“Our goal has been to not just provide information through (the digital library) but create experiences that align with what people can experience if they visit the building or the book mobiles,” said Gina Milsap, CEO of the library.

Community members can also access all of library’s materials through its new app called “Topeka Library."

Visiting the digital library means community members can do just about everything as if they were actually at the library.

The only exception? You can’t physically hold a book.

The library has temporarily suspended book distribution and asks those who have recently checked out a book that they hold onto it for the time being.

Data provided to The Topeka Capital-Journal shows that not only are people visiting the library’s website but that what they are searching for has significantly changed.

The library’s website had over 94,000 pages views in March. According to Diana Friend, the library’s communication and marketing director, that number is similar to past data.

In February, those visiting the website searched for topics such as services, team rooms and meeting rooms. In March, they were searching for the COVID-19 page, downloads, ebooks, the new mobile app and a library card.

Books are added daily to the digital library and include new titles along with reader requests.

“Twenty percent of our circulation now is reader request and so we really have to be responsive and really have to stay on top of customer demand,” Milsap said.

Milsap said more people are using the library’s “Ask a Librarian” service, as well as tuning into new programs such as story time, which are posted on the library’s Facebook page.

The Facebook page in March recorded 37% more page views, 220% more likes, 563% more video views and 236% more followers.

Live book discussions take place 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays on the Facebook page.

“That’s very interactive,” Milsap said. “We are really encouraging people to log in and have a dialogue about what they love, what they are reading and then ask for recommendations, too, from librarians, who are kind of the experts in this.”

While no individual, business or organization has been prepared to deal with a global pandemic, Topeka’s library has always had to be creative in how it reaches its readers.

“We are a library that serves Topeka and Shawnee County, so that’s 178,000 people,” Milsap said. “We are a handful of libraries in the U.S. that has no branches covering a pretty wide area. We go from urban to very rural, gravel roads.”

The library has had to figure out how to connect with those who haven’t dipped their toe into technology and the digital library.

“The other thing that we are candidly very concerned about is those folks who don’t have broadband or may not have the technology they need in their homes,” Milsap said. “This situation, not just for us but for our community, is really shining a spotlight on some weaknesses we have in our broadband infrastructure.”