Each year Tonganoxie Public Library offers a Halloween costume exchange for all ages of children throughout the month of October.

Residents can drop off any clean, gently used costumes you’d like to rehome.

Then check back to see what we have throughout the month, if you’d like a new costume. You can donate without taking anything, and you can also take a new outfit without donating. Drop off any costumes or accessories during open library hours at the front desk.

Spooky storytime for youths next week

Miss Katie will tell some of her favorite spooky ghost stories during this special evening storytime at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Youths will have the chance to enjoy snacks and make a spooktacular craft, too! While this is a spooky storytime, it will not be too scary and is appropriate for all ages of children, even the little ones.

Beyond the Veil: A history of spiritualism program next week

Seances in the White House?

Yes, there were even seances in the White House! One of the eternal questions that has plagued humanity centers around what happens to us when we die. Most modern religions try to tackle this question, but none did so with more fervor than modern Spiritualism. Katie Keckeisen will take us inside the religious phenomena known as Spiritualism during the program at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21.

Spiritualism was so popular that it quickly spread across the country and globe. Spiritual mediums could be found in almost every town in the nation.

They claimed to communicate with the dead and were met with willing audiences, even in the White House.

We’ll examine the emergence of this religious phenomena, its connections to both the Civil War and World War I, and how it led to a battle of words between the creator of Sherlock Holmes and the greatest magician of all time.

This program is possible with the support of Humanities Kansas.

— Kim Downing is assistant director/circulation coordinator at Tonganoxie Public Library. She can be reached at 913-845-3281 or kimd@tonganoxielibrary.org.