News & Updates

June 9, 2025 – June is Pride month, and the library has plenty of reads for all ages highlighting LGBTQ+ stories and voices. Check out some recently published adult fiction titles below!

June 3, 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.

May 26, 2025 – May is Jewish American Heritage Month. Here is fiction – a graphic novel, a romance, and literary fiction – and nonfiction – histories, modern sociology, and a cookbook - by and about Jewish Americans, telling Jewish American stories.

May 19, 2025 – May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and library partner Tanager curated a list of meaningful titles for all ages, which they shared with us. 

May 12, 2025 – The 2025 Pulitzer Prizes were announced May 6. Along with prizes for excellence in journalism, the Pulitzer committee awarded honors for literature, including fiction, history, biography, memoir, poetry, and general nonfiction.

May 6, 2025 – May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

April 29, 2025 – April is Autism Acceptance Month, which celebrates and honors the experiences and identities of autistic individuals. It emphasizes understanding, inclusion, and support, moving beyond awareness towards meaningful acceptance. 

April 21, 2025 – April is National Poetry Month. Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month is a special occasion that celebrates poets’ integral role in our culture and that poetry matters.

April 15, 2025 – April is National Arab American Heritage Month, which honors the history and heritage of 3.5 million Arab Americans. Dive into the month by checking out these novels, memoirs, and more, by and about Arab Americans.

April 10, 2025 – The American Library Association released the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024 list this week as part of the

April 2, 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.

March 24, 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.

March 17, 2025 – March is Women's History Month – here are ten newer nonfiction picks that tell stories of women's lives and impact, from ancient Greece to New York in the 1970s. Some figures documented in these stories, like Harriet Tubman, are well known.

March 12, 2025 – The library's second annual Maker Fest is coming up at the Downtown Library on Wednesday, March 19, from 1-3 pm. This open house will feature an afternoon of hands-on, family-friendly STEAM activities with both the library and community partners.

Feb. 28, 2025 – The 2025 Oscars are Sunday, March 2, and the library has many of the nominees for you to borrow as DVDs or Blu-Rays. Want to dive deeper into some of these stories? Borrow the books behind them!