News & Updates

A graphic reads "check these out" with three book covers: "Femina," "Vanguard" and "Sensational."

New Nonfiction for Women's History Month

Women's History Month is a chance to highlight new nonfiction in the library's collection. Explore titles like "Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All" by Martha S.

Three book titles read "A Blade so Black," "Cheshire Crossing," and "Rabbit Chase."

Adventures in Wonderland

The library celebrates all things Alice in Wonderland with a Mad Hatter tea party on March 15. In honor of this classic tale, here are a few books that take you down a reimagined rabbit hole - different twists on the traditional story of Alice.

Everything Everywhere All At Once text with a woman in a fighting stance.

Oscars Nominees You Can Borrow from the Library

You don't need a million streaming services to watch this year's Oscar nominees and winners - you just need your library card! The library has a robust selection of new DVDs available.

Serving Beyond Barriers: Partnership Brings Library To Women In Recovery

When she was a child, Morgan Miller remembers her local library as the place she would run to when she needed to escape an abusive home.

“That was my safe space. It always has been,” she said. “The library is a safe place for anyone to be.”

Notice of Property Tax Dollars

Per the Iowa Code section 384.15A, documents for the City of Cedar Rapids total maximum property tax dollars: https://www.cedar-rapids.org/local_government/departments_a_-_

A woman with blond hair and a black patterned sweater sits in front of bookshelves.

Library Welcomes Iowa Poet Laureate for Free Public Event

CEDAR RAPIDS – The Cedar Rapids Public Library invites the public to a free morning of poetry, storytelling, and songs with Iowa Poet Laureate Debra Marquart.

Cedar Rapids Public Library Accepts Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize at New Orleans Celebration

The Cedar Rapids Public Library was honored to accept the Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize during a celebration held at the American Library Association’s LibLearnX Conference in New Orleans on Jan. 30.

A boy smiles as he looks at a book outside the Downtown Library

Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation Mails 300,000th Free Book to Cedar Rapids Children, Celebrates with Dolly Parton Birthday Party

The Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation will celebrate five years of bringing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Cedar Rapids children and will mail the 300,000th free book to a Cedar Rapids child in early 2023.

A graphic says 22 Library Wrapped over a blue background.

The Library Wrapped: The Year's Most Popular Digital & Streaming Titles

What did Cedar Rapids library patrons read, listen to and watch this year?

The Library Wrapped: The Year's Most Popular Books & Movies

What did Cedar Rapids library patrons read and watch this year? While we aren't going to send you a personal "Library Wrapped" list – we don't track your data that way – we did compile the top borrows across the library in 2022.

A woman wearing a face mask pushes a book cart between shelves.

Decades of Experience: Retired Staff Reflect on Years of Service at the Library

Doug Munson, who retired in 2021 after 33 years, agreed.

“I just liked it. I like helping people find materials,” he said. “It’s the people I worked with and the patrons I met that kept me there so long. I liked everybody I worked with.”

Library staff member assisting an older woman patron at an OPAC.

Library Catalog to be Updated

The Metro Library Network, consisting of Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and Marion public libraries, will be updating the online catalog to the new VEGA interface on December 13, 2022.

A woman in a purple sweater cuts material on a table in Whipple Auditorium

Get Crafty at the Library

Unleash your crafty side at the library this winter. From Crafternoons to card making to a Tiny Art Show, we have plenty of opportunities for all ages to get creative.

Maker Space Craft Night for Teens and Adults

A conductor stands in front of a crowd of people playing tubas in the Downtown Library.

Holiday Music at the Library

The holiday season is here, and the library has a full schedule of music for patrons to enjoy, including the return of Merry TubaChristmas at the Downtown Library and a "Nutcracker" music class for kids.

cedar rapids library wins community impact prize image of library staff and community partners

Cedar Rapids Public Library Awarded 2022 Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize

Cedar Rapids Public Library Awarded 2022 Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize, Recognizing the Public Library as a Vital Community Asset

Library Closed April 9