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
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
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
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 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
Personal stories. We all have them. Some might be better than others, but that also depends on how you tell them. Reading each other’s personal stories is one way we connect with one another. We’ll read someone else’s memoir and might find a nugget of fact that corresponds to our own lives. Suddenly we have… View more
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
I’m fascinated with epic stories tied to different religions. Although I was familiar with some of principles of Buddhism and knew some details on the story of Gautama Buddha, I didn’t realize how much of the story I was unaware of till I read Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha that is available from the Downtown Library. This… View more
