Elizabeth McCracken and Edward Carey continue the Out Loud! Author Series

Out Loud! , the new visiting author series, funded by the John P. and Lawrence J. Giacoletto Foundation and produced by the public libraries in Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha and Marion, will present Elizabeth McCracken and British novelist Edward Carey on Thursday, May 15.

Elizabeth McCracken, a graduate of the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop, is the author of three books of fiction, Niagara Falls All Over Again, The Giant’s House, and Here’s Your Hat, What’s Your Hurry? She is the recipient of the Harold Vursell Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the PEN/Winship Award. She has received grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, and Michener foundation, the Fine Arts Center in Provincetown, and the National Endowment for the Arts. She was also honored as one of Granta’s “20 Best Writers Under 40.” Niagara Falls All Over Again was the 2004 selection for the “All Iowa Reads” program.

British novelist Edward Carey (May 15), a 2002 participant in the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program, is the author of Observatory Mansions and Alva & Irva. Five of his plays have been produced in London, Romania, and Lithuania. He has also worked as a set designer and illustrator. His original artwork is featured in Alva & Irva. He is currently at work on an historical novel set in Paris.

Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series events will take place at 7 p.m. at Theatre Cedar Rapids. All events are free and open to the public and no tickets are required. Seating will be available on a first come, first served basis. The Cedar Rapids Barnes & Noble will provide book sales.

Out Loud! Author Series announced

Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series has set its first year schedule. The new visiting author series, funded by the John P. and Lawrence J. Giacoletto Foundation and produced by the public libraries in Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha and Marion, will present youth author Bruce Hale on Tuesday, April 29, novelists Elizabeth McCracken and Edward Carey on Thursday, May 15, and Cedar Rapids native and thriller writer John Sandford on Thursday, June 19.

“This is a great lineup all around,” said series coordinator Rob Cline, “and we’re especially pleased to bring John Sandford home during our first year. Bruce Hale’s Chet Gecko mysteries are a riot and Elizabeth McCracken and Edward Carey are both exceptional writers.”

Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series events will take place at 7 p.m. at Theatre Cedar Rapids. All events are free and open to the public and no tickets are required. Seating will be available on a first come, first served basis. The Cedar Rapids Barnes & Noble will provide book sales at each event.

The Giacoletto Foundation was established in 2007, fulfilling the wishes of the late Giacoletto brothers. Born in Clinton, Ind., John worked for Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids and Lawrence was a professor of engineering at Michigan State University.

Media support for the Out Loud! series has been provided by The Gazette.

Heat Pump Replacement at the Downtown Library

The Cedar Rapids Public Library Downtown facility will be undergoing a major renovation of its heating and cooling system. Over the next few months the building, which is now over 22 years old, will have new heat pumps installed. Funding for the project comes from the library’s Capital Improvement Plan.

The project will begin on December 3 and is projected to continue into April of 2008.

Contractors will be working in assigned zones so that all areas of the library are not under construction at the same time. The first area that will be under construction is the Ghosh Technology Learning Center from December 3rd through December 17. Free public computer classes normally offered in that location will be rescheduled for a later date.

The second area under construction will be Beems Auditorium, from December 17 through January 8, 2008. No events will be held in the auditorium during that time. Following construction in the auditorium, the Iowa Substance Abuse Information Center on the second floor will undergo heat pump replacement. The contractor will also be installing the new air conditioning unit for the computer room during this time. The plan is to complete the upper floor first and then move back to the main floor.

The library will remain open throughout the project, although some services may be temporarily moved to a different area of the building.

Library Director Lori Barkema says, “We are all committed to making this project run as smoothly as possible with the least disruption to the services provided to the public. We know that it will be difficult at times, but we also know that the end result will be worth it and create a more comfortable environment for both the public and the staff. We ask the public for their cooperation and patience as we work through this project together.”