The Cedar Rapids Public Library invites everyone to warm up with a good book this January as part of the 2019 Winter Reading Challenge. Participants are asked to read 300 minutes between December 31 and January 31 in order to win a color changing cup or campfire mug. Readers of all ages can visit CRLibrary.beanstack.org… View more
Libraries across the country are transforming how they serve their communities. New programs pop up to meet current trends; new platforms are developed to support emerging technologies; and new materials are added to library collections. The Cedar Rapids Public Library has a very special collection of items called Spark Kits, which are specifically designed to… View more
The Metro Library Network, made up of the Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Marion public libraries, is proud to announce that the three libraries in the network will eliminate overdue fines on library materials effective July 1, 2020. “The mission of our libraries is to provide equal and universal access to information for all of our… View more
The Cedar Rapids Public Library invites everyone to stay healthy and engaged with their community this winter, despite falling temperatures. The Library offers a variety of programs to keep everyone moving, learning, and creating throughout the cold weather months. Programs include: Cooking Up Nostalgia: Bring your favorite recipes and stories from days gone by! We’ll… View more
With the holidays fast approaching, there are a number of great new book selections to get you in the spirit. The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper As the sun set on the shortest day of the year, early people would gather to prepare for the long night ahead. They built fires and lit candles. They… View more
The Metro Library Network announced today that the three libraries in the network will again accept non-perishable food items in lieu of fines for overdue materials from November 1-30, 2019. All food items will go to the HACAP Food Reservoir. Library patrons may bring one non-perishable item for each $1 owed for overdue library material…. View more
Dystopian fiction has had a great deal of readership in the past few years and recently released titles such as Margaret Atwood’s “The Testaments” continue to check out at a quick pace. We have several copies of her book available in our collection, including some Quick Pick copies with 10-day checkouts which may be available… View more
Picture book biographies are a growing trend in publishing. They are narrative nonfiction books which are written like a story making them appealing to children. They tend to be beautifully illustrated and easy to read, and offer young learners an excellent introduction to some of the most important people in our history. Some examples of… View more
The Water Dancer is the latest release by best-selling author Ta-Nehisi Coates (The Beautiful Struggle, We Were Eight Years in Power, Between the World and Me) and can now be checked out at your library. Young Hiram Walker was born into bondage. When his mother was sold away, Hiram was robbed of all memory of her—but… View more
Banned Books Week (September 22-28, 2019) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types —… View more
