News & Updates

May 20, 2024 – May is Jewish American Heritage Month, as proclaimed by President George W.

May 13, 2024 – May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, dedicated by Congress, which chose the month of May to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the Un

May 6, 2024 – 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 five books they love. 

April 29, 2024 – Cedar Rapids Public Library 2024 Artist in Residence Akwi Nji's work at the library has focused on the power of books, the written word, and the intersections of words, poet

April 22, 2024 – 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 five books they love. 

April 15, 2024 – April is National Arab American Heritage Month. Recognized by President Joe Biden for the first time in 2021, the month honors the history and heritage of 3.5 million Arab Americans.

April 9, 2024 – Each year, the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom compiles a list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books in order to inform the public about censor

April 3, 2024 – April is National Poetry Month, and we're celebrating with this reading list of new poetry available at the library. These collections from a diverse array of voices were all published in the last two years.

March 13, 2024 – In honor of March Madness, we wanted to collect a list of sports stories to read in between games. Most of these are related to Iowa, with a few stories about women in sports, specifically basketball, in honor of Iowa's current star, Caitlin Clark.

March 4, 2024 – The theme for Women's History Month 2024 is "Women who Advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion," and Materials Librarian Allison Zordell curated a list of nonfiction reflecting this theme.

Feb. 26, 2024 – The library has more than books – we also have Spark Kits. These kits are designed to help spark imagination and curiosity and to let people explore a new hobby without first needing to invest in supplies for it.

Feb. 21, 2024 – In honor of Black History Month, Cedar Rapids Public Library Materials Librarian Kim Martens-Tyo curated a list of books for children that celebrate Black history.

Feb. 12, 2024 – Romance has long been one of the most popular genres of literature, and recent offerings feature a diverse array of characters and settings, from Regency England to Ancient Greece and even contemporary Iowa.

Feb. 5, 2024 – In honor of Valentine's Day, Materials Librarian Allison Zordell put together a list of books in the quickly growing and wildly popular "romantasy" genre.

Jan. 23, 2024 – When patrons visit the Downtown Library, they may notice new shelves in the center of the second floor with books in multiple languages, including Spanish, French, Swahili, Chinese, Nepali, and more.