News & Updates

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! 

Aug. 8, 2025 - At the Cedar Rapids Public Library, we believe in the power of welcome. Our mission, Welcome to All, is the foundation of everything we do.

Aug. 4, 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.

July 28, 2025 – Looking for a good beach read or a sizzling summer romance? Material Librarian Allison Zordell has curated a list of recently-published books that put love front and center. The best part?

July 14, 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.

July 14, 2025 – Six months into 2025, we wanted to know – what has Cedar Rapids been reading this year? With the Summer Reading Challenge underway, we wanted to highlight the most popular books of the year.