The Iowa City Public Library will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, November 18, so individuals with autism can enjoy the Library in a calm and welcoming environment.

ICPL’s Special Access Browsing Hour is open to individuals of all ages on the autism spectrum, as well as their family members and caregivers.

November’s special access browsing hour will include a therapy dog and sensory toys in the Children’s Room, as well as special yoga event with Kelli from Zen Den Yoga in the Storytime Room. The Teen Center will be open for teens in 7th through 12th grades to play computer and video games.

The Library will use natural lighting throughout the building to accommodate those with light sensitivity.

Calling all Tweens!

Be sure to visit the Library from 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, December 7, as we celebrate the grand opening of our brand-new Tween Space!

We’ll be mixing up slime and having snacks in the new area of the Ellen Buchanan Children’s Room that’s just for Tweens. You can’t miss it – we have bright chairs and wallpaper to set the area apart from the Children’s Room. Other features include fun stadium seating with access to outlets for comfy movie watching, small moveable tables to prop up tablets or laptops, cabinets to store program supplies and snacks, and display area with shelves for books and art, plus a white board for doodling.

Tween programs are for students in third through sixth grades. This is the age group librarians identified as too old for some of the Children’s Room programs, but not yet old enough for the Koza Family Teen Center.

“Our goal is to have events that appeal to their interests and their age level,” Children’s Librarian Morgan Reeves said. “We’re excited that in addition to their very own programming, our tweens now have a space to call their own.”

Every November is Picture Book Month, an international literacy initiative that celebrates the print picture book. Now in its sixth year, this annual event was started by author Dianne de Las Casas.

We love picture books, so be sure to check out our social media sites all month long, as we will share a staff picture book recommendation every day.

Of course, choosing just one favorite picture book from our collection wasn't easy, so there might be some days where we share more than one post. Be sure to tell us which picture book is your favorite, too!

We have two new faces in the Children's Room: Miss Anne and Miss Amy!

If Miss Anne looks familiar, that's because she was the Children's Room intern during the 2016-17 school year. She received her MA in in Library and Information Science from University of Iowa in 2017.

Miss Anne was fortunate to grow up on the border of Waterloo and Cedar Falls, meaning she had access to both city libraries for weekly visits.

"The Waterloo Library is in a very majestic, grand old building downtown, and I liked to secretly pretend I was a sophisticated adult living on my own in New York City when we went there," she said. "After I selected my books, I would ride the elevator from the children's department upstairs to the adult section and pretend like I was going to my apartment."

Even before she started working at ICPL, Miss Anne said the Library was an important part of her life.

"I began bringing my oldest child to Book Babies when she was 6 months old - now she's almost 11 years old," she said. "The free, high-quality early literacy programming was not only valuable to my children, but provided a way for me to meet other parents as a new Iowa City resident and new parent. Plus, I love being surrounded by books!"

Miss Amy is our new Children's Room intern. Currently a Library and Information Science candidate at the University of Iowa, she comes to us all the way from Utah, where visiting the Anderson-Foothill Branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library was a Saturday tradition.

Miss Amy said interning at the Library will give her the chance to continue to work in a public library and learn from amazing people.

"I really enjoy helping out with all of the children's programs," she added.

Welcome Miss Anne and Miss Amy!

Miss Casey calls Rapunzel in Bethan Woollvin's picture book "a delightful and unconventional heroine." She also recommends Mo Willems' Sam, the Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the World, the long-awaited sequel to Leonardo the Terrible Monster. "Sam is a fun extension for these beloved characters and, per usual, Willems delivers high quality frivolity. Look for pigeon cameos, and read back to back if you want to see the play between the two books."

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani, tells the story of Priyanka, a second generation Indian American who knows very little about India. Torn between two worlds, she tries not to stand out too much at school and she doesn’t understand the Hindu traditions her family practices at home. Miss Mari says the graphic novel had all of the children’s librarians buzzing. 

You can find more staff recommendations here or by asking our librarians. We're always happy to help!