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
KultureCity has partnered with the Cedar Rapids Public Library to make the library and the programs and events the library hosts to be sensory inclusive. This new initiative promotes an accommodating and positive experience for all guests and patrons with a sensory issue that visit either the Downtown or Ladd Libraries. The certification process entailed the staff at the library being trained by leading… 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
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
The Ladd Library is currently in a leased space located at 3750 Williams Blvd SW. In 2020, the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation received a significant gift from the estate of Nadine Sandberg which will lead the way toward establishing this permanent location on the city’s west side. The Library, City of Cedar Rapids, and Linn… 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