News & Updates

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

April 3, 2025 – National Library Week is April 6-12, 2025, and the Cedar Rapids Public Library invites community members to join this celebration of the many ways libraries serve as hubs for learning, creativity, and con

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 26, 2025 – The Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation and Lion Bridge Brewing Company have partnered to release Library Lager, a specialty limited-release beer, in celebration of the Westside Library project and National Library Week.&nb

March 26, 2025 – On March 14, President Trump issued an executive order calling for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and six other agencies to be dismantled.

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.

March 6, 2025 – Drop into the Downtown Library on Wednesday, March 19, from 1-3 pm for the second annual Maker Fest.

Cedar Rapids City Manager Pomeranz presented the Fiscal Year 2026 budget (for Fiscal Year (FY) ending June 30, 2026) to the Mayor and City Council in February.

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!

Feb. 24, 2025 – As Black History Month draws to a close, browse this collection of books that celebrate Black joy, all year round, from romantic fiction to celebratory cookbooks to collections focused on art, poetry, and the great outdoors.

The Cedar Rapids Public Library is undergoing a transition in software for our meeting rooms and event calendar as of March 4, 2025. The look and feel of the system will be new, but the process and policies will stay exactly the same.

Feb. 17, 2025 – February is Black History Month, so we have collected a list of recently published books for young adults that honor Black history and Black lives. From fiction that imagines the life of real-life legendary Black journalist Ida B.

Feb. 10, 2025 – With Valentine's Day around the corner, what better time to read about love, true love? Materials Librarian Allison Zordell curated a collection of books that lean into fairy tales and their classic depictions of true love.