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
Mission Creek Festival in Iowa City is April 2-7th at various venues around town. The festival is mixture of literature, music and film. There will be several indie recording artists performing: Mitski – whose album ‘Be the Cowboy’ has gotten great press has sold out the Englert on Friday, April 5th, and Jenny Lewis, on… View more
I appreciate sci-fi that takes me into a fantastical place and simultaneously reminds me of the wonders of the real world. From the beginning it was clear that this trilogy was going to do that for me. Set in a future with plenty of alien cultures and interactions, our protagonist Binti is a member of the… View more
I’ve been a comic book fan for quite a while. I’ll read a whole series of trade paper backs by one writer on one character at a time. My ongoing adventure is with the writer Greg Pak and the Hulk. To the new reader, or to those following his cinematic interpretation in the Marvel movies, The… View more
As we wrap up another wonderful year at the Cedar Rapids Public Library, we would like to express our gratitude to our patrons, our volunteers, our community partners, and our donors for their endless support. You have walked with us on our mission to serve as a beacon of literacy to those in our community… View more
Families come in all shapes and sizes and can experience so many changes from divorce to a new baby. This fall even the Library welcomed a new addition – the Family section – in the Downtown children’s library. This section is full of picture books featuring predominately human characters with different family structures. These families… View more
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
Since my daughter was a very little girl we’ve read books together. In the early days this was easily accomplished. Bedtime stories and cuddling on the couch with picture books brought smiles all around. As she has gotten older this has become more of a challenge. We compete with schoolwork, screen time, and activities of… View more
R.E.M. released a twenty fifth anniversary edition of Automatic for the People late October of 2017 (this means it was originally released in October of 1992) that comes with a live recording from the 40 Watt Club in Athens Georgia, as well as a twenty four page booklet that includes liner notes and interviews from… View more
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
