With the new year, the Library is bringing back in-person story times. In-person Mother Goose on the Loose and Early Learning Story Time kick off the first week of January at the Downtown Library. Participants need to register in advance, with story times limited to 10 families per session. Registration for each session can be… View more
As the year draws to a close, we’re looking back at some of the most popular items in our collection in 2021. We analyzed the data to put together lists of the most borrowed books and digital resources to see what Cedar Rapids was reading, listening to and watching this year.* The most popular books… View more
From January 1 to January 31, the Cedar Rapids Public Library will participate in Beanstack’s Fifth Annual Winter Reading Challenge, “Read for a Better World,” sponsored by Lerner Publishing Group. “Read for a Better World” encourages readers of all ages to explore diversity, empathy, and action through literature. Our community will have unlimited access to digital copies of Lerner’s “Read for… View more
On Jan. 15, 2022, the Cedar Rapids Public Library will mark 125 years since first opening with exhibits and celebrations at the Downtown and Ladd Libraries. The exhibit at the Downtown Library’s Third Floor Gallery, at 450 Fifth Ave. SE, will explore the timeline of the library’s history. The exhibit at the Ladd Library Gallery, 3750 Williams Blvd. SE, will spotlight library… View more
By Materials Librarian Kristine Olsen Frank Herbert’s Dune is one of the most seminal works of science fiction anyone can pick up. Full of unparalleled world building and character development, ecology, philosophy, and theology, it makes for a deeply compelling yet challenging read. I didn’t tackle this book and all its sequels until I was a twenty-something… View more
The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced this week the Cedar Rapids Public Library is a recipient of the FY2022 American Rescue Plan Grant Program for Museums and Libraries. “We are proud to be among this group of public institutions across the country who are working to provide critical services during the pandemic and… View more
“Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of a larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in books.” ― Rudine Sims Bishop For the last three years, librarians have… View more
When a child in her preschool brings in a book from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to show her, Julie Hanlin smiles. “It’s so rewarding,” she said. Hanlin is director of early childhood education at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, where she runs a preschool for children up to five-years-old. They also have summer camps for… View more
Events Specialist Kami Zbanek Hill just started at the library about a month ago, but this isn’t her first time working here. She was previously a summer seasonal employee for three seasons before starting on the Community Relations team. What does your job typically include? Coordinating events held in the Library and the use of… View more
Meet Downtown Library Branch Supervisor Trevor Hanel, the latest in our ongoing series of staff profiles. Trevor started as a shelver in October 2007. What does your job typically include? One of the most exciting things about my job is that I build many relationships with patrons. I assist staff in resolving issues with library accounts,… View more