News & Updates

Oct. 5, 2025 – Banned Books Week is Oct. 5-11, and the library is celebrating the freedom to read! Join us as we highlight books that have inspired, challenged, and connected readers everywhere. 

Sept. 29, 2025 - The inaugural Cedar Rapids Storytelling Festival, a new event put on by local nonprofit TellersBridge and the Cedar Rapids Public Library, is coming to the Downtown Library Oct. 1-4.

Sept. 26, 2025 – The National Book Foundation has announced the National Book Award longlist of finalists, and the library has many of the books available to borrow - especially in the fiction, nonfiction, and young people's literature categories.

Sept. 25, 2025 — The Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation is proud to announce a transformational $3.5 million gift from the Busse Foundation, closing out the organization’s $10 million Inspiring Big Dreams capital campaign to build a new westside library.

Sept. 18, 2025 – The Cedar Rapids Public Library is made possible by our incredible staff. And we are staffed by book lovers. To celebrate the people who keep our library running, we're highlighting different staff members and books they love.

Sept. 11, 2025 – The Downtown Library Urban Plaza will receive an update this fall through a project funded by the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation. Beginning Monday, Sept.

Sept. 11, 2025 – Everyone has a story – and we need to listen to each other’s stories.

Sept. 10, 2025 – National Hispanic American Heritage Month, Sept. 15-Oct. 15, celebrates Hispanic and Latino culture and history. 

Sept. 4, 2025 – The 2025-2026 Iowa Children's Choice books have been announced, and the library has them available at both the Downtown and Ladd locations.

Aug. 28, 2025 – For absolutely no reason at all, we decided to curate a list of books this week about the life of a showgirl.

Aug. 21, 2025 – The new semester is here, and we've collected a list of picture books for kids all about heading to school.

Aug. 19, 2025 – The public is invited to be part of the Tiny Art project - and have their masterpieces displayed at the library and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.   

We are making some behind-the-scenes improvements to our OverDrive system to streamline the experience and reduce confusion for users. These changes will be implemented on August 19, 2025.

What You Need to Know:

Aug. 11, 2025 – As a new semester approaches, we've curated a list of novels with a dark and magical take on the school experience.

Aug. 8, 2025 – Get ready for the new school year with free resources from the library!