Category Archives: What’s New

RISE Cowley and Cowley ACTs Launch Rise & Thrive Cowley Saturdays Series to Connect Residents with Local Resources

Winfield Public Library Posted on by
Library staff helping patron

Help is just around the corner for Cowley County residents looking to navigate daily life challenges and build a stronger future. RISE Cowley and Cowley Acts’ Families Gaining Ground project are launching Rise & Thrive Cowley Saturdays, a comprehensive series of community connection events designed to bridge the gap between residents and local support organizations.  

The series kicks off with a Resource Connection Day on Saturday, October 3, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Winfield Public Library.

This opening event brings area agencies together under one roof, allowing community members to sit down face-to-face with the actual people who can help them that same day. Instead of running all over town, attendees can get direct guidance on housing, jobs, food assistance, and daily life needs.    

“Our goal is to connect residents with local organizations that can help you navigate any challenge,” said event organizer Tabitha Hogan, Winfield Public Library Director. “You can get one-on-one help, meet people, and take the next step.”

Organizations participating in the October 3 kick-off include Community Health Center of Cowley County, Department of Children and Families, Eagle Nest, Helping Hands, Kansas Workforce, Orion, Sheila’s Giving Closet, Winfield Food Pantry, Winfield Habitat for Humanity, and Winfield Literacy Collective.  

Recurring One-on-One Resource Connection Series

Recognizing that finding the right help is an ongoing process, the resource connection sessions will rotate and repeat across both Winfield and Arkansas City. Residents across the county will have opportunities at the following dates and locations:

  • October 3, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm @ Winfield Public Library
  • February 6, 2027 | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm @ Ark City Public Library
  • May 1, 2027 | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm @ Winfield Public Library
  • October 2, 2027 | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm @ Ark City Public Library

Specialized Focus Events

Complementing the resource connection sessions, the Rise & Thrive series also features targeted monthly events throughout late 2026 and 2027 focusing on themes to support education, employment, health, and stability:

  • Build Your Future: Education, Jobs & Family Support (Focusing on certifications, skills, childcare, and financial help)
    • November 7, 2026 | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm @ Ark City Public Library
    • December 5, 2026 | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm @ Winfield Public Library
  • Stronger You: Food & Well-being (March 2027 in Ark City and Winfield)
  • Secure Your Future: Housing, Affordability & Legal Aid (August and September 2027 in Ark City and Winfield)

All events are free, open to the public, and structured as come-and-go sessions.  

For more information about the kick-off event or the full series schedule, residents can contact the local libraries: the Winfield Public Library at 620-221-4470 or the Ark City Public Library at 620-442-1280.  

About RISE Cowley
RISE Cowley is a countywide coalition of local organizations dedicated to making Cowley County a healthier place to live, work, and play. Driven by our communities’ shared traits of passion, perseverance, and pride, RISE Cowley promotes healthy lifestyles by bringing partners together to raise awareness, encourage involvement, and drive positive change for all residents.

RISE stands for:

  • Raising Awareness
  • Improving Health
  • Supporting Collaboration
  • Energizing Communities

To learn more about current health initiatives, visit risecowley.org.

About Cowley ACTs

Led by Legacy Regional Community Foundation, Cowley ACTs is a collaborative community initiative focused on strengthening relationships, increasing opportunity, and improving outcomes for residents across Cowley County. By engaging diverse partners and elevating community voices, Cowley ACTs fosters collective action around issues that matter most to local families and communities. Current efforts of the initiative address upward mobility and community connection through Cowley County Early Childhood Collaborative Inc. (CCECC), Families Gaining Ground, and Plugged In!

Engage with this work by contacting ceo@legacyregionalfoundation.org or by calling 620-221-7224.

Pulitzer on the Road Coming to Winfield

Winfield Public Library Posted on by

PRESS RELEASE

Winfield Public Library was Chosen in a Highly Competitive National Search

Winfield, KS —Winfield Public Library is one of just 20 public libraries nationwide to host Pulitzer on the Road: Prize-Winning Works That Inform, Empower & Inspire, a traveling exhibition produced by The Pulitzer Prizes in partnership with the American Library Association (ALA). Pulitzer on the Road will be on display at the Winfield Public Library, along with a series of related special events, from March 12, 2027 to April 26, 2027. Pulitzer on the Road brings together powerful examples of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism, books, drama and music offering visitors a chance to explore the stories, images and creative works that capture history, American life and the world around us.

Part of a new nationwide tour running from 2026 to 2028, Pulitzer on the Road connects communities with the people and ideas behind Pulitzer Prize-winning works, while highlighting the essential role of journalism, arts and letters in a democratic society.

“Libraries help people make sense of the world and of each other,” said Library Director Tabitha Hogan. “Through powerful journalism, literature, photography, music, and art, Pulitzer on the Road invites us to explore the experiences, challenges, and achievements that connect us. We are excited to share this unique exhibit with our region and to create opportunities for thoughtful dialogue and learning.”

Spanning 1,400 square feet, the exhibition features six thematic sections with interactive elements and video and audio components. Visitors will encounter Pulitzer Prize-winning photography alongside headlines, book covers, cartoons, playbills and other materials. Highlights of the exhibition include Pulitzer Prize-winning works such as:

  • Iconic photographs from World War II and wars in Vietnam, Ukraine and the Middle East, and of figures such as American presidents and Olympic athletes
  • Reporting with national impact on public opinion and policy, such as the Watergate scandal, the Pentagon Papers, as well as from local newspapers across the country
  • Works of literature such as poetry by Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost; fiction by Toni Morrison and John Steinbeck; and drama by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Arthur Miller
  • Music winners such as Wynton Marsalis, Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan An interactive station where visitors can view examples of impactful Pulitzer-winning journalism from local and regional media outlets from their home states.

The exhibition is recommended for audiences high school age and older.

In addition to the traveling exhibition on loan, Winfield Public Library received a $3,000 cash grant to support exhibit-related public programs.

In addition to the exhibition, Winfield Public Library will offer a series of public programs and community conversations inspired by the themes of Pulitzer on the Road. Program details will be announced in the coming months as the library works with regional partners, educators, and community members to develop meaningful opportunities for engagement.

For more information about Pulitzer on the Road and related programming at Winfield Public Library visit wpl.org

To learn more about Pulitzer on the Road, visit ALA.org/Pulitzer

Pulitzer on the Road: Prize-Winning Works that Inform, Empower & Inspire is a collaboration between The Pulitzer Prizes and the American Library Association.

About the Winfield Public Library

Founded in 1913, the Winfield Public Library serves Winfield and the surrounding Flint Hills region as a trusted source of information, enrichment, and opportunity. Through collections, programs, technology, and community partnerships, the library supports lifelong learning, civic engagement, and free and open access to information. Community members make more than 51,000 visits to the library each year, reflecting the library’s role as a center for learning, discovery, and connection.

About The Pulitzer Prizes

The Pulitzer Prizes are annual awards given for excellence in 23 categories across journalism, books, drama and music. Established in 1917 and administered at Columbia University, the prizes were endowed by Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-American journalist and newspaper publisher, who also established a journalism school at Columbia upon his death. Finalists are proposed by juries in each category, with the winners selected by a 19-member board composed of leading journalists, news executives, academics, and persons in the arts.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association is the largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to America’s libraries. The ALA mission is to empower and advocate for all libraries and library workers to ensure equitable access to information for all. For nearly 150 years, ALA has provided resources for information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more information, visit www.ala.org.