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Spark a new interest at the Library!

Spark a new interest at the Library!

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

Winter Goals

Winter Goals

Ladies, gentleman, and non binary friends- I have news. Winter is here. We can deny it all we want, but we know it is just around the corner. This time it is not playing by any rules either. I don’t think I have ever before seen fall leaves on top of winter snow. Have you?… View more

Stay Healthy This Winter at the Library

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

I’m Not Really A Waitress: How One Woman Took Over the Beauty Industry One Color At a Time

I’m Not Really A Waitress: How One Woman Took Over the Beauty Industry One Color At a Time

If you’re a manicure aficionado, you’ve probably heard of a nail polish company called OPI.  (In fact, you’re probably wearing one of their colors right now.)  Lincoln Park After Dark and Let Me Bayou a Drink are just two of the whimsically-named polishes this company has produced over the years. If you know OPI, then it’s time… View more

Dystopian Days

Dystopian Days

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

Batman and Hoopla

Batman and Hoopla

I’m trying to be less reliant on my phone for everything. Between work, playing games, and those time sucking social media apps whose purpose I’m always questioning, I am on my phone way too much. I didn’t want to find another use for it, but then two great forces converged and made it well worth… View more

Celebrate Banned Books Week 2019

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

A Refreshing and Accessible Window into the Wonders of Mythology

A Refreshing and Accessible Window into the Wonders of Mythology

I fell in love with the wonders of Mythology in college. It was the similarities between mythologies that grabbed me at first, like the reoccurring stories of younger gods defeating older gods. But as I delved deeper into it, I became equally fascinated with how different cultures in different landscapes view the world with fascinating originality. There… View more

Cuz I Love You

Cuz I Love You

Summer finally arrived! I had doubts for the entirety of June when it seemed we were stuck in a November-like rain and cold schedule.  Now those rains have left the ground saturated for the perpetual state of humidity/corn sweat we are now in.  Recently a patron reminded me that only six months ago the temperature… View more

Celebrate National Library Week

  April 7-13, the Cedar Rapids Public Library joins libraries nationwide in celebrating the many ways libraries lead their communities through the transformative services, programs and expertise they offer. April 7-13 is National Library Week, an annual celebration of the life-changing work of libraries, librarians and library workers. Libraries aren’t just places to borrow books… View more

12th Annual Out Loud! Author Series to Feature Three Nationally Recognized Authors

Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series brings another solid set of authors to the metro area this summer for the 12th consecutive year. The collaborative program of the Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Marion Public Libraries will present Craig Johnson, Cristina Henríquez, and Jennifer Weiner on three Friday nights in June at the Hotel… View more

Imagination Library Delivers

It has been seven months since our Library Foundation launched Cedar Rapids’ Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. In that time, more than 3,800 children have enrolled in this early literacy program and 170 children have received the graduation book for their 5th birthday. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is an early literacy program providing free, age-appropriate books… View more

Reality Bites Takes on Politics

  The Cedar Rapids Public Library invites the community to engage in discussions and dialogues about complex topics through a new series called “Reality Bites”. This participatory series involves learning, discussing, and sharing. “The program was designed to address salient issues in our community; like race, immigration, mental health, and politics,” said Victoria Fernandez, Patron… View more

Freegal Mixtapes

Freegal Mixtapes

Mixtapes are an effervescent, emotionally-illusive, and joyful instrument of expression.  Created by yourself they are a reflection of a curated collection that has its perennial go to songs, beats and rhythms that allow someone else to feel how you do, or the opposite, for you to feel how they do.  They can also be a… View more

Cedar Rapids Public Library Takes on Complex Issues with “Reality Bites” Series

The Cedar Rapids Public Library invites the community to engage in discussions and dialogues about complex topics through a new series called “Reality Bites”. This participatory series involves learning, discussing, and sharing. “The program was designed to address salient issues in our community; like race, immigration, mental health and politics,” said Victoria Fernandez, Patron Services… View more

Cedar Rapids Public Library Adds Film Streaming Service, Kanopy

The popular on-demand video streaming service Kanopy is now available for free through the Cedar Rapids Public Library. Cedar Rapids Public Library card holders can access Kanopy and sign up to start streaming films on demand instantly by visiting https://crlibrary.kanopystreaming.com. Offering what the New York Times calls “a garden of cinematic delights,” Kanopy showcases more… View more

Fall for Garage Rock

Fall for Garage Rock

If music genres and seasons pair well together like wine and cheese, then fall is garage rock season.  Deep Scorpio skies call for fuzz tone effect peddles and leaves falling from trees recall amateurish lyrics that have more truth than practiced customer service greetings and little conversations.  It’s the vehicle that allows us to understand… View more

CRPL Recognized as Top Innovator by Urban Library Council

With funding around the United States and Canada constrained, libraries are leveraging the public’s investment by finding innovative approaches to strengthen their communities. The Urban Libraries Council recently recognized 10 libraries as “Top Innovators.” These libraries have proven themselves unfazed by the rough terrain and are providing their communities with essential resources through inventive programs…. View more

New Partnership Works to Digitize Local News for Future Generations

The Cedar Rapids Public Library is partnering with The Gazette and Advantage Companies to digitize past issues of The Gazette from 1857 through the present day. “In the past we would have been totally reliant on an outside vendor to provide access to this important historical archive,” said Erin Horst, Materials Manager at the Cedar… View more

Cedar Rapids Public Library Receives National Medal

The Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Dr. Kathryn K. Matthew, along with renowned journalist and reporter, Cokie Roberts, presented the Cedar Rapids Public Library with the 2017 National Medal for Museum and Library Service during a ceremony at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. this afternoon. For 23 years, the National… View more

New in Children’s – June 2017

Inspired by the infamous rebuking of Senator Elizabeth Warren while reading the words of Coretta Scott King during the confirmation hearings of then-Senator Jeff Sessions, author Chelsea Clinton introduces 13 women in “She Persisted” who have shown persistence throughout American history. The women she chose to include this book are varied in race and career… View more

Best of Book to Screen

Best of Book to Screen

Hulu’s adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is the latest example of fine literature being adapted for the small screen.  In the past few years, dozens of successful books have turned into thoughtful, exciting, or fantastic screen versions of themselves.  The Handmaid’s Tale, a streaming television event on Hulu, has already proven itself… View more

Get your hands dirty!

Get your hands dirty!

Creepy Charlie has popped up along with the (often more desired) tulips and daffodils. The garden centers are stocking up on soil and mulch and some eager beavers have already started their indoor seeds. There is still plenty of time to start a garden and reap its benefits. If you’re thinking of taking control of… View more

Eve Rossi Thrillers by Stefanie Pintoff

Eve Rossi Thrillers by Stefanie Pintoff

I love character driven thrillers with a perfect sense of place.  Tight plotting.  Page turning.  I read thrillers to transport myself.  My love affair with (…the books of…) Harlan Coben, Lee Child, and David Baldacci is rooted in their characterizations of hero:  Everyman against the world.  Sinister sucks.  These seasoned writers are tough to compete… View more

The CRPL Summer Dare Everywhere volunteers (Susy Jones, Sandy Steckler, Jeri Vincent, and Vicki Brubaker) are finalists for United Way’s Outstanding Group Volunteer Award. Summer Dare Everywhere Volunteers Last summer, the Cedar Rapids Public Library piloted a new summer reading outreach program, Summer Dare Everywhere, with the Cedar Rapids Metro YMCA. The program brought the library to youth… View more

Women’s History Month Music Spotlight

Women’s History Month Music Spotlight

Ever since its expansion from Women’s History Week in the 1980’s March is known as Women’s History Month.  During this time it’s appropriate to appreciate, recognize, and salute those ground breaking females that have blazed trails in front of all of us.  As former President Carter said in 1980: “From the first settlers who came… View more

Cedar Rapids Public Library named National Medal for Museum and Library Service Finalist

Cedar Rapids Public Library named National Medal for Museum and Library Service Finalist

The National Medal for Museum and Library Service is the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries by the Institute of Museum and Library Services in recognition of exceptional service to the community and for making a difference in the lives of individuals, families, and communities. We are honored to share that Cedar Rapids… View more

You are the sum of your parts

You are the sum of your parts

It’s official! It’s 2017! You’ve started on that vision board. You have your Fitbit ready to measure your every move. But have you considered managing your microbiology? More and more, the tiny, non-human make-up of your body has become increasingly interesting to scientists. Microbiology plays an integral role in your life and your body is… View more

Home by Harlan Coben

Home by Harlan Coben

Home is a desperate mix of loyalty, pain, family and friendship.  But it’s loyalty that takes center stage in Harlan Coben’s latest New York Times bestselling mystery.  Home stars Myron Bolitar and his lifelong friend, Windsor Horne Lockwood III (aka “Win”). When Myron gets a call for help from Win, the man who never asks for anything, he… View more

City Atlas: Travel the World with 30 City Maps, written by Georgia Cherry, illustrated by Martin Haake

City Atlas: Travel the World with 30 City Maps, written by Georgia Cherry, illustrated by Martin Haake

“I was surprised, as always, by how easy the act of leaving was, and how good it felt. The world was suddenly rich with possibility.” – Jack Kerouac Before there were Google maps and GPS, there were Atlases. I remember as a child scouring over villages and towns; examining how cities oozed into suburbs and suburbs… View more

Pied Piper Concerts: Brass

Pied Piper Concerts: Brass

Join Orchestra Iowa’s talented chamber ensembles as they introduce preschool-aged children to the instruments of the orchestra! Focused on fun and learning, Pied Piper Concerts offer children the opportunity to enjoy an up-close and personal chamber concert absolutely FREE! Concerts will be held June 9 and 10 at 9:30 am, 10:15 am, and 11:00 am… View more

The Last Mile by David Baldacci

The Last Mile by David Baldacci

One of my favorite antiheroes, the improbable Amos Decker, is back. We met a few years ago in David Baldacci’s Memory Man, and I instantly fell in love with Amos’ exceptional brain.  You see, he is gifted and cursed with hyperthymesia and synesthesia resulting from a helmet to helmet collision at his first professional football… View more

Ketzel, the Cat who composed, by Leslea Newman and illustrated by Amy June Bates

Ketzel, the Cat who composed, by Leslea Newman and illustrated by Amy June Bates

Moshe Cotel is a composer who loves to listen to the sounds of the city. He listened outside himself and he listened inside himself, just as his teacher had taught him when he was a boy. When he was done listening, he would turn all those wonderful sounds into beautiful music. One day, after he… View more

Books to Share With Your Preschoolers

Awake Beautiful Child Words by Amy Krouse Rosenthal Illustrated by Gracia Lam What a wonderful ABC book! Awake Beautiful Child, written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, is a mesmerizing walk through a child’s day.  On each page, a three-word “ABC” description tells the reader about what’s pictured.  It’s the illustrations that captivated me.  There’s a crisp,… View more

I’m Traveling Alone by Samuel Bjork

Add Samuel Bjork to this list:  Jo Nesbo, Henning Mankell, Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom, and Stieg Larsson.  All of these Scandinavian authors write delicious thrillers, and Samuel Bjork’s American debut, I’m Traveling Alone, assures him a spot among the greats. If you’ve never read Nordic Noir – yes, that’s a thing – let me… View more

Prince: June 7, 1958-April 21, 2016

“All these non-singing, non-dancing, wish-I-had-me-some-clothes fools who tell me my albums suck. Why should I pay any attention to them?” -Prince I opened up the internet yesterday and gasped out loud.  I understand that the last few months may have made celebrity death reactions a near cynical experience, I’m there with you on that level, but… View more

“Furiously Happy: a funny book about horrible things,” by Jenny Lawson

Life is a struggle. Sometimes just getting out of bed can be hard. Trying to justify to yourself that you are good enough merely for waking and running errands, while it may be a stretch, is completely necessary sometimes. Jenny Lawson is mentally ill. Sometimes, she admits that she sets the bar unabashedly low that… View more

Dowager Countess Approved

The sixth and final season of award-winning costume drama, Downton Abbey, has come and gone.  For those of us following the adventures of the Crawley family, Sunday nights have become a bit of a lonely affair.  Cast adrift and clutching our teacups, we must now sit back and wait for writer Julian Fellowes to pen… View more

The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth and Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore, by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

“Books will help him clear the weeds and plant the seeds so he’ll succeed” – Lewis Henri Michaux Lewis Henri Michaux opened up The National Memorial African Bookstore in 1932 and it became an integral hub in Harlem for African Americans, drawing prominent figures such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Langston Hughes, Muhammed Ali, Eartha Kitt… View more

Youth Graphic Novel Round-Up

A growing trend in readership and publishing comes in the form of the graphic novel.  Perhaps a connection with the film industries penchant for comic book superheros, readers are reaching out for bright colors, bold pictures, and quick interchanges of graphic novels.  One should not assume that though the interactions between the characters are brief… View more

Another News Post

Another News Post

Almarian blanco calmindon caves of androth demons dor-cúarthol drúedain of beleriand durin’s day (day) dírnaith dúnedain eldest galadriel hasufel haven of the swans house of hador hrívë irmo kin-strife lord of the rings mungo baggins máhanaxar númenórean sindarin ringlord rochirrim somath spies of the valar tuilérë valaraukar valinor woodmen. Amon rûdh arvedui last-king awakening of… View more

Latest News Post

Latest News Post

Almarian blanco calmindon caves of androth demons dor-cúarthol drúedain of beleriand durin’s day (day) dírnaith dúnedain eldest galadriel hasufel haven of the swans house of hador hrívë irmo kin-strife lord of the rings mungo baggins máhanaxar númenórean sindarin ringlord rochirrim somath spies of the valar tuilérë valaraukar valinor woodmen. Amon rûdh arvedui last-king awakening of… View more

The Princess and The Pony, by Kate Beaton

  Princess Pinecone is not your average Princess. With dreams of being a warrior, she has been disappointed to find that on previous birthdays, while waiting for a horse that is strong and fit for battle, her parents have instead bestowed countless cozy sweaters. The latest one displaying the words “special girl” across her chest… View more

Mystery Monday: Agatha Christie

Today I have visions of tea, scones and arsenic dancing in my head. While scouring the stacks at the Cedar Rapids Public Library, I discovered that we have an incredible selection of Agatha Christie novels. For a mystery lover, this is a treasure indeed. Dame Agatha Christie, the doyenne of the proper English murder mystery,… View more

SENG* Guided Discussion Group for Parents Starts Feb 1 at the Downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library

The SENG & Guided Discussion Group for Parents has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience. *** Parenting is a difficult yet highly important job. Understanding our children is fundamental to supporting them and parenting effectively. There can be unique challenges and nuances involved in parenting gifted children. Their parents often express feeling isolated and… View more

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works–A True Story by Dan Harris

Dan Harris, current co-anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline” and co-anchor of the weekend edition of “Good Morning America,” has worked with ABC News since 2000 and has become a regular fixture on the channel’s various news programs. Following a long stint covering war in Baghdad in 2003, he returned stateside suffering symptoms he did not… View more

The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz

Lisbeth Salander, the brilliant and fierce heroine of the Millennium Series, recently returned to international bestseller lists in The Girl in the Spider’s Web. Salander fans know that Stieg Larsson, the author of the original Millennium Trilogy – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked… View more

Setting the Table: The Tranforming Power of Hospitality in Business by Danny Meyer

Last month the reference librarians at the Library were assigned to read Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business by Danny Meyer. Since I sit in on the meetings of this group, I also read it. My expectations were similar to other books on customer service: good ideas, but pretty dry reading…. View more

Make Me: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child

Dear Reacher, I’m sure I’ve told you before, but, dang it Reacher, you’re adorable.  Some people think that men who are 6’5” tall and built like refrigerators don’t want to be called adorable (or cute, as I often remark during college football games), but I mean it most sincerely.   And let’s face it – I’m… View more

Vote November 3

On Tuesday, November 3, 2015, voters will be asked to vote on a special 27 cent levy to provide funding for the Cedar Rapids Public Library. The Library Board of Trustees determined that the library needed to find a sustainable source of funding to maintain service at current levels. While the demand for library services… View more

Mystery Monday: The Gentle Art of Murder by Jeanne M. Dams

I have always loved mysteries, especially series mysteries. You can get to know and like a character even if they sometimes frustrate you with their obtuseness or naiveté. Such is not the case with Dorothy Martin in The Gentle Art of Murder by Jeanne M. Dams.  Dorothy is an older woman, a retired teacher married… View more

Take the Stage

The Cedar Rapids Public Library loves partnering with local experts to educate our community on everything from gardening to music! We are very excited to partner with local theatre group RHCR and their talented cast of “Disney’s Cinderella Kids” on a new series of theatre programs called Take the Stage! This Saturday, parents of children… View more

Gummy Bears Should Not Be Organic (and other opinions I can’t back up with facts) by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor.

I came upon this book while roving through the new adult non-fiction on the second floor and picked it up because of the giant gummy teddy on the front (it was almost break time and I was looking forward to a sugar fix and this seemed to at least temporarily appease my cravings). I immediately… View more

Piper Kerman

Piper Kerman will finish the Out Loud! Author Series on Friday, June 26, at 7 p.m. t the Hotel at Kirkwood Center. Kerman is the author of the best-selling memoir Orange is the New Black, which was adapted into a critically-acclaimed TV series of the same name. The memoir chronicles what the author calls her… View more

Rainbow Rowell

Rainbow Rowell will continue the Out Loud! Author Series on Friday, June 19, at 7 p.m. at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center. Rowell is the New York Times bestselling author of Fangirl, Eleanor & Park, and Attachments. Her latest book, Landline, received the Goodreads Choice Award for best fiction in 2014. Her work spans the… View more

Maureen Corrigan

Maureen Corrigan will open this year’s Out Loud! Author Series on Friday, June 12 at 7 p.m. at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center. Corrigan is one of America’s most trusted and loved book critics. For more than 20 years, Corrigan has been the book critic for NPR’s Fresh Air. She is also a columnist for… View more

The Nesting Place: it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful by Myquillyn Smith

Need help reclaiming your home this spring? The Nesting Place is a slightly different take on ‘the decorating book’, in that the focus is on creating personalized spaces using meaningful objects, rather than following a color and space formula to achieve “style”. Myquillin Smith, author of the popular Nesting Place blog, shares her refreshing perspective… View more

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

“Attachments” is lovely.  It takes place at newspaper towards the end of 1999 with the Y2K “crisis” in full swing.  Beth is funny, engaging, writes for the entertainment section, and has been dating a local rock star for nine years.  Her best friend Jennifer is delightful, witty, works as a copy editor, and has a… View more

Cedar Rapids Public Library wins AIA/ALA Library Building Award

The Cedar Rapids Public Library, designed by OPN Architects, has been named one of six recipients of the 2015 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards. Biennually, representatives from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Library Association (ALA) gather to encourage and recognize excellence in the architectural design of libraries. The Cedar Rapids Public Library,… View more

YOU Out Loud!

Submit your video and tell us why YOU should be the one to introduce one of our Out Loud! Authors this summer: Maureen Corrigan, Rainbow Rowell, or Piper Kerman. The rules are simple. You must be a valid library card holder in the Metro Library Network (consisting of Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Marion Public Libraries). Your… View more

Readaloudathon

On the first Wednesday of March every year, World Read Aloud Day calls global attention to the importance of reading aloud and sharing stories. The Cedar Rapids Public Library celebrates this each year with a Readaloudathon on March 4 at the downtown library. Readers will begin reading stories out loud at 9 am, when the… View more

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Despite being a relative newcomer to the magical world of fantasy, Ransom Riggs makes a darn good introduction.  The first in the “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” series begins with Jacob Portman, a rather uninterested and uncommitted average teenager in Florida who is, well, bored.  He’s bored of his life as it is and… View more

Free + Legal = Freegal

The Cedar Rapids Public Library is excited to share Freegal® with our library card holders. Freegal is a free music service from the library. All you need is your library card number and PIN and you can access to nearly 8 million songs, including Sony Music’s catalog of legendary artists, and over 15,000 music videos…. View more

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

It seems you can’t turn a corner without running into a post-apocalyptic teen dystopia but I read “The Maze Runner” nonetheless and really did enjoy the story.  It features a young teen boy, Thomas, who awakes inside a rising elevator.  When it opens, he discovers he is trapped in a new and unfamiliar world surrounded… View more

On With the Show

The Cedar Rapids Public Library is always excited to share our space with entertaining music and theatre performances, especially when they are brought to us by local partners. This month we have several opportunities to check out the amazing performances happening in Cedar Rapids. Join us Saturday, November 8, for two fun-filled opportunities: 10:30 am–Playtime… View more

The Millennials: Connecting to America’s Largest Generation by Thom Rainer and Jess Rainer

The Millennials are coming! The Millennials are coming! Over 78 million young adults will be entering the workforce and shaping the cultural habits of this country over the next 10 years. Are the older citizens prepared for this new generation? I have heard my generation described as “lazy”, “the boomerang generation”, “narcissistic”, and “trophy kids”…. View more

Doll Bones by Holly Black

A coworker of mine was very enthusiastic about Holly Black’s work thus far, specifically mentioning “Doll Bones” so I popped over to Overdrive and checked out the audio version read by Nick Podehl. The story, if anything, is about imagination.  Zach, Poppy, and Alice are in middle school now and everyone around them is getting… View more

#battleofthebanned

Did you know that there are hundreds of attempts to ban books each year in the United States? The Cedar Rapids Public Library is proud to participate in Banned Books Week, September 21 – 27, a national movement to remind Americans of the importance of preventing censorship and ensuring the freedom to read. This year,… View more

Learn a New Language Anywhere

The Cedar Rapids Public Library has a wonderful program called “Pronunciator” that provides card holders with instant access to the world’s largest language-learning service. Choose from over 80 languages and learn from your computer, tablet or even your smart phone! Pronunciator features speech recognition, so you can test your pronunciation in real time; scored quizzes… View more

YOU Out Loud!

Submit your video and tell us why  YOU should be the one to introduce one of our Out Loud! Authors this summer: Sarah Vowell, Wally Lamb, or Elizabeth Berg. Your video should make a compelling case for why you should be the one to introduce one of our three 2014 Out Loud! Series Authors—Sarah Vowell, Wally… View more

Summer Reading Starts June 1

The Cedar Rapids Public Library (CRPL) kicks off the annual Summer Reading Program on Sunday, June 1. Programs are available for babies (0-36 months), children (age 3 through 11), young adults (ages 12-17) and adults (ages 18 and up). Registration begins June 1 and the program runs through July 25. Register online at www.crlibrary.org beginning… View more

GIRL SCOUT DAY AT THE LIBRARY

The Cedar Rapids Public Library and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art are partnering to offer badge-earning opportunities to local Girl Scouts. In April, fifty Junior Scouts and their leaders gathered in Whipple auditorium to earn their Scribe writing badge and their Jeweler badge. We have invited two of our 4th and 5th grade participants to serve as guest bloggers and share some of the details of their experience.

World Read Aloud Day 2014

The Cedar Rapids Public Library is gearing up to participate in the third annual World Read Aloud Day on Wednesday, March 5. This event, sponsored by LitWorld, calls attention to the importance of literacy as a human right. Literacy is one of the keys to intellectual curiosity, of course, but it’s also fundamental to emotional wellness,… View more

Employ U

Are you hunting for the perfect job in 2014? Have you been looking but haven’t found the right thing? Or are you back in the market for work after being laid off? The Cedar Rapids Public Library is thrilled to partner with RuffaloCODY to provide a free series of classes for job hunters called Employ… View more

Best Books of 2013

The new year is upon us and for many people that means deciding what books to put on their to-read list. Getting recommendations from those who read for a living (and no, this time I don’t mean librarians!) is always a great way to find something new to read. Gazette reviewers Rob Cline, Laura Farmer… View more

  Here’s a must-read for Halloween from the children’s library. Nightmares come and go, but after reading Go Away, Big Green Monster by Caldecott winner Ed Emberly, your child’s nightmares just may go away forever. The ingenious construction of this book “builds” a monster’s face as children turn the pages: first the yellow eyes, next… View more

Peter and the Wolf

Director Suzi Tempteton’s short film, Peter & the Wolf, is an imaginative new take on Sergei Prokofiev’s famous composition and children’s story. Using stop frame animation, Templeton succeeds at creating a visually stunning retelling of this well-known tale about a boy and his adventures with a duck, bird, cat, and wolf. Although no words are… View more

Thank You Cedar Rapids

We’ve had a fabulous time the past few weeks welcoming old friends and new to the beautiful new downtown library.  Thousands have visited, checked out books, used the public access computers, played, gathered and appreciated.  What a delight to serve as a community gathering place for book clubs, board meetings, story times, lunch dates, and… View more

3M eBooks

We’ve added a new eBook service called 3M Cloud Library to the Cedar Rapids Public Library webpage! It features a streamlined downloading process, easier browsing, and a new selection of titles to choose from. Have a tablet? Just download the app from your app store and get started right away.  Click here for details! Detailed… View more

The Painted Veil

Prior to viewing director John Curran’s 2006 version of The Painted Veil, one might expect a typical romance full of clichés and predictability. This film, however, is anything but that. As the story unfolds, one is given an honest and captivating look into the minds and hearts of distant lovers. Based on the novel by… View more

Save the Date!

The new Cedar Rapids Public Library will open to the public on Saturday, August 24, 2013. The public is invited to participate in a grand opening celebration, including an interactive ribbon-cutting, special programs and events, refreshments and more throughout the day. Stay tuned to our website in coming months for more information. Construction continues inside… View more

Books about Books

Check out some of these books about books! The bookshelves of famous authors, discussing books & all the pretty ways books can be lined up on shelves! My Ideal Bookshelf by Jane Mount Judging a Book by Its Lover by Lauren Leto Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores by Jen Campbell Bookshelf by Alex Johnson… View more

Ladd Library Love

The Ladd Library is open and the community is celebrating the first week in the new space. The staff worked long and hard to make sure the space was ready for the public on Saturday, February 23. The response has been wonderful. We still have many things to improve and make more user-friendly, but overall… View more

New E-Reader?

Did you just get a new e-reader or tablet? Get your eBooks for free through the Cedar Rapids Public Library Overdrive page! Don’t know how to download eBooks? No problem. We’ve got directions for you. Our Overdrive selection has new titles added all the time, so keep checking back! We also have several upcoming classes… View more

Writers & their Books

From the new book, Unpacking my Shelves: writers & their books, we see short interviews with famous authors about what their most favorite books mean to them complete with pictures of their library shelves! Jonathan Lethem, author of Chronic City and Motherless Brooklyn. Gary Shteyngart, author of Super Sad True Love Story one of the… View more

A Jobs Lab Success Story

Mark Vogel was unemployed and seeking work. Three months ago he started coming to the Jobs Lab on Monday mornings from 9 – noon at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. A librarian by the name of Nancy helped him set up an email account, redo his resume, and learn how to apply for jobs online. Thanks to her help, he had three separate interviews with local companies and successfully landed a job.

Zinio Magazines

We have an exciting new service available at the CRPL eLibrary called Zinio Magazines. You can read over one hundred magazines from your computer or mobile device. All you need is your library card number and PIN, and a little patience for setting it up. Like all of our free digital offerings, it takes a… View more

Doc Martin (TV/DVD)

If you’re looking for something fun to watch over the holidays, I highly recommend Doc Martin, a BBC television comedy/drama series.  The show centers around Dr. Martin Ellingham’s new career as a GP in the fictional town of Portwenn, a job he applied for after developing an unfortunate aversion to blood while a surgeon. Martin… View more

West Side Story Continues

In early 2013, the permanent west side library branch will open in a former Target building on Williams Boulevard, across the street from Westdale Mall. This space is currently under construction to make it into a beautiful and efficient space for the residents of the city’s west side. Features of the new library include an… View more

Banned Book Week Continues: the Grapes of Wrath

Our founding fathers protected our free speech knowing that a healthy, strong society must have a free exchange of ideas. Banning books is a fear-based exercise which tries [grapes of wrath] to block this exchange by suppressing words that might inspire or enlighten. When I come across a book that has been banned, I immediately want to read it to find out what it is that someone else thinks I shouldn’t know. That is why banning a book will never work .

The Grapes of Wrath

Our founding fathers protected our free speech knowing that a healthy, strong society must have a free exchange of ideas. Banning books is a fear-based exercise which tries to block this exchange by suppressing words that might inspire or enlighten. When I come across a book that has been banned, I immediately want to read it to find out what it is that someone else thinks I shouldn’t know. That is why banning a book will never work .

Banned Book Week 2012

For the past thirty years, at the end of September, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom holds Banned Book Week celebrating the [beware_med] freedom to read. Banned Book Week is an opportunity to bring communities together: librarians, publishers, journalists, teachers and readers of all kinds, and remember the importance of the freedom to seek and express ideas, even those some consider unpopular.

Banned Books Week 2012

For the past thirty years, at the end of September, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom holds Banned Book Week celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Book Week is an opportunity to bring communities together: librarians, publishers, journalists, teachers and readers of all kinds, and remember the importance of the freedom to seek and express ideas, even those some consider unpopular.

Broken Harbor

Tana French’s fourth book in her Dublin Murder Squad series, Broken Harbor, now follows Detective Frank “Scorcher” Kennedy as he investigates a mysterious family murder in a quiet suburban village outside of Dublin, Ireland destroyed by the recession.  Scorcher is also dealing with flashback memories of the death of his mother and a younger sister… View more

Show your card and be rewarded!

The Metro Library Network, consisting of the Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha and Marion Public Libraries, is partnering with local businesses in September to celebrate National Library Card Month. Metro Library Network card holders can show their library card at participating businesses and receive a special discount September 1 – 30. The discounts consist of a variety… View more

Cedar Rapids Public Library Partners with Community Organizations to Promote Literacy in Preparation for Inside Out with Tony Hawk

The Cedar Rapids Public Library is partnering with local volunteers and seven non-profit organizations to reach reluctant readers through the Revolution(ary) Readers program. This program is a part of the Inside Out with Tony Hawk event held on Friday, September 7. Throughout the week of August 24, community volunteers distributed 200 copies of books from… View more

First Pallet of Books

Along with the destruction of the main library building, the loss of two-thirds of the collection in the flood of 2008 was tremendously devastating to the staff of the Cedar Rapids Public Library. While the building construction project continues to progress, the collection development team at the CRPL have been working for months to develop the opening day collection.

J. Edgar

J. Edgar,  AFI’s 2012 Best Picture winner, is a darkly compelling biopic of the strange and powerful  leader of the FBI for almost fifty years – J.  Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) When Hoover began his career at the FBI, evidence from crime scenes was thrown away and most professionals thought fingerprinting was hocus pocus.  To… View more

New Library Construction Update

Progress on the new Cedar Rapids Public Library continues. Highlights include: Concrete floor slab pours continues Structural steel erection continues Structural steel fireproofing is ongoing Exterior wall framing has commenced Above ceiling mechanical rough-ins have started Here is a brief update with images from the construction manager Ryan Companies.

Heft by Liz Moore

There are times when books leave you feeling heartbroken that they are over. This was the case with “Heft” by Liz Moore. In “Heft” we meet the severely obese Arthur Opp, a former professor who hasn’t left his home for over a decade. Arthur’s struggle with his weight and the shame of it keep him inside and it takes the chance phone call from an old friend to shake things up.

CRPL Wins Honorable Mention “Best of Show” and Communicator Award for 2011 Annual Report

The Cedar Rapids Public Library (CRPL) 2011 Annual Report has been awarded honorable mention in the 2012 American Library Association (ALA) “Best of Show” competition. This annual competition recognizes outstanding library public relations materials; winners are selected based on content, originality, design, format and effectiveness. “Our panel of judges was very impressed with their work,”… View more

Winter’s Bone

Winter’s Bone is the Oscar nominated drama based on the novel by Daniel Woodrell. The story follows a teenage girl named Ree in the search for her missing father. Ree and her family live in a remote part of the Ozarks, surrounded by a tight-knit community of meth cookers and dealers. Ree’s father has offered… View more

Cutie Pies by Dani Cone

The title tells it all in this fabulous cookbook:  single serving, yummy looking pie.    The book begins with interchangeable versions of pie crust, and then takes on the fillers and toppings.  You can bake your treats in piejars (mini mason jars) or create cutie pies, petits or piepops.  Fillings from apple-cheddar-rosemary to berry black bottom… View more

If Jack’s In Love

“If Jack’s In Love” by Stephen Wetta is a very pleasant surprise. This first novel by Wetta is set in the late 1960’s, the summer when Jack turns 13. Something terrible has happened in Jack’s small town–a popular boy has gone missing–as Jack’s older brother is the only suspect. To make matters worse, Jack is… View more

Cedar Rapids

We all heard about the movie Cedar Rapids when it appeared in theaters in February, 2011.  But I, for one, didn’t make the time to see it until recently.  I’m glad I finally decided to sit down and watch it. Ed Helms stars as naïve, idealistic insurance agent Tim Lippe, who is sent to a… View more

My Library

This commercial will begin airing on local OnMedia cable beginning April 16. Let us know what you think! A big thanks to DeNovo Alternative Marketing and their “Video Dude” Arsalan for the great work. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2Mhksr9be4]

Share Your Story

The staff who work at the Cedar Rapids Public Library are passionate advocates for literacy and lifelong learning. Each day, hundreds of people visit the Library and use the resources available to assist them with finding a job, researching a school project, or accessing the latest materials. Library staff work hard every day to provide the public with assistance to meet all of their unique needs.

The Hunter by John Lescroart

 The Hunter is another great standalone thriller by John Lescroart. One of Lescroart’s dynamic, recurring characters, San Francisco private investigator Wyatt Hunt, stars in a very private story about family and identity. The Hunter begins with Hunt receiving a cryptic text about the biological parents who abandoned him: “How did ur mother die?”  We quickly… View more